FOOT-ROT IN SHEEP
AN INTERESTING LEAFLET
A leaflet issued by tha Board of Agriculture, and published In the "Live Stock J° ur oal,' deals with foot-rot of ehcep. it tells us thero has been, and still remains, among Dock-masters, shepherjs, and.others a good dnal of diversity or opinion os to whether foot-rot of sheep . ever constitutes a contagious disease—i.e., .a disease communicable from a diseased mt? to a; healthy sheep, or not. " This difference of opinion apne.irs to bo mainly duo to tho faot that almost . any diseased condition afteotlng the feet ef sheep, associated with lameness, is ■usually classed under the general and ambiguous term foot-rot, and m that way , affections of tho feet of eheep, causing lameness, havo supported the view of somo observers that foot-rot of sheep is not a contagious disease. : Non-contagious Foot-sore, It is important to recognise that in . a flock of sheep several animals may be simultaneously lame from injury to the | feet, and the disorder show no tendency' . to spread through the flock. ' Suoh a ! condition, however, is not true foot-rot although the injured feet may present ;ugly sores. It would be better described 'as ioot-sore. ; The non-contagious! form, or foot-sore, which is due to injury to the foot, has ;its starting point usually in the horn uself. Ino horn may be decayed, broken, cut, or bruised,, and. through the opening in the horn, soil aud filth gain an entranco and set up inflammation cf the .- sensitive structures of the foot, from which pus is usually discharged. ; Among the conditions which predispose to this form of foot-sore may be mentioned tho continual grazing of sheep on low-lying marshy pastures where the grass is long, particularly during pro- , longed wet seasons, and neglect of attention to trimming the horn, which under 6uch adverse conditions becomes overgrown, gives an -uneven treading surface, : tt.nd is very liable to becomo soft and even deoayed. Injuries may be inflicted by. the animal stepping on sharp or rough objects, such as sharp stones, glass, il' thorns, etc., and by over-trimming of the feet. They niay also ariso from travelling sheep for long distances on 'hard loads, .or from anything which ; ' causes a breach in tho horny fbot, or bruises the sensitive foot, especially when the horn is worn or,thin.. Symptoms. , „The ,'mon-contagious foot-sore is the commoner condition met with, and it is 3iot unusual to find oue or more sheep ■ in a flock affected. Although lameness may. not be a marked symptom from the farst, yet it is usually the first indication to the. shepherd that there is any- ' thing the matter with tho foot, and by this time insucS cases lameness denotes that inflammation and suppuration have • set in.. It will be observed, with perhaps rare exceptions, that in this non-contagious affection the diseaso has commenced at I or near the under of the foot, and that the destructive process extends from below upwards. If pus forms and remains imprisoned within tho horny •box it will burrow and work its way towards tho softer structures of the coronet as a way of exit, because the softer structures offer the least resistance to its ■ : progress. Tho foot becomes swollen round the coronet; it is hot and tender, and . ono or more small abscesses may , , appear on tho coronet or heols. These abscesses burst, and discharge thick pus, . which is frequently mixed with a little 'Wood. The parts may continue to discharge, pus, or they may heal up, but oven when the outer wound is apparently healing and is closed by~a layer of co- : flgulated exudate on its surface, the pus may again bo imprisoned, with the re- 1 suit that abscesses appear at other parts ! of the coronet. Providing there is an j exit for the pus at the lower surface of ? tho i'oot the® secondary abscesses will j not occur,-since the pus, as it is formed, | - j s continually discharged from the open- j ing, which affords a natural drainage to . the matter within the fool. If after the j injury an outlet through the horn remains for the escape of the pus, the case ; may recover' in a few days without any i treatment. On tho other hand, if the breach in the foot is too small and dees not allow the free oscapo of the pus, J .suppuration continues. Granulation • f.issue aud new horny material are form- i «d, and the former grows out from tho sensitive parts in tho form of what is commonly called proud flesh, from which ' a continual discharge oozes. The 6ore : bleeds'easily, and the foot becomes dis- : tortcd. 1 Treatment. | By careful trimming the foot, cleans- i jng the wounds with antiseptics, apply- ( ing a. dressing if necessarv, -and remov- ( iug the affected sheep to pastures, ( the flockmasler will enable many cases 1 promptly to recovcr. In those cases : •where the injury has been aggravated i by extensive suppuration, the feet re- s A quire careful and repeated individual at- i \jtention. It will be found that although i 'the non-contagious affection is the com- c moner,. it .usually affects only a compara- i ■lively few animals in a flock, unless they c have all been subjected to like conditions..- ■■•■• There is no evidence of the spread of contagion from sheep to sheep, and frequently only one foot is affected, j
Contagious Foot>Rot, Contagious or true foojt-rot of sheep is quite a different form Of disease to tho loot-sore already described. Where the Hocks enjoy freedom from such veritable Plagues as fooUnd-mdiith disease and eheep-pox, true (contagious) foot-rot stands as ono of tho imost serious diseases that exist among sheep generally, hut it is a disease finch is amenable to treatment, and ,'cari be prevented. If sheep-owners, therefore, appreciate the contagious nature of the disease and adopt effectual measures to prevent its introduction into a flock, or promptly combat it when introduced, they will be well repaid for their trouble. , Experiments liavo demonstrated tho nature of the virus or poison of tho disease by the application of the ' infected matter from diseased sheep to the feet of healthy sheep, and by the association of hoalfhy sheep with diseased animals. Tho disease may affect sheep | on dry or wet pastures if thei infective agent bo present. It is admitted by those who are acquainted with tho diseasos affecting the feet of sheep that in some cases of footrot, especially in the advanced cases, the diseased conditions may bo so similar in appearance to foot-sore, that a differential diagnosis is very difficult; tut by carefully considering "all the circumstances, ami by examining the fellow sheep, especially the more recent cases of disease, one will find that in footsore the trouble begins in the horn at tho lower part of the foot. Contagious foot-rot is primarily a disease affecting the soft structures of the.foot. Any! diseased condition of the horn itself is secondary, and is brought about by the separation of the soft from the horny structures through the agency of micro-organisms and the fluids exuded. The disease spreads from sheep to sheep, causing much lameness, loss ot flesh, and even death from emaciation. If the disease appears in a flock of in-lamb ewes it is a still more serious matter, as proper treatment cannot ba carried out .without danger, owing to the pregnant condition of the ewes. In such instances the disease; persists until the lambing season commences, and often spreads rapidly to the new-born lambs. Apart from the adverse influence that wet seasons and damp low-lying pastures may have upon the horny structures of thq feet, grit and dirt may work their way into the cleft of the foot and produce a wound. If the soil is contaminated, with the virus that produces footrot, the disease will soon appear among the flock. It may, however, attack sheep with apparently firm horn and welltrimmed feet. Symptoms. Xamenes6 is usually the first symptom observed, and on examination of . the affected foot a' email, "moist, unhealthylooking spot-like sore will probably bo found between the toes.- The part is. inflamed, hot, and tender, and when it is manipulated the animal shows signs of pain. There is little or no appreciable swelling' .'of the coronet at this stage. The diseaso rapidly extends under lie horny box, and if a little pressure be brought to bear on the inside of the foot a. slight''dirty foetid discharge will be observed oozing from the edge/ of the horn _ around the ulcerated spot. The discharge" is never very great, but is always foul smelling; in fact, tho foetid smell is often detected before any gross lesions have been.discovered. The disease progresses from above downwards, ;between the sensitive structures of the; horn and the hoof. When the liorn is pared away tho diseased parts vro found bathed in the foetid discharge, rod the greater portion of the foot may ie involved. In. somo cases tho disease sxtende from the primary seat of the lisease ' to tho ' more important tissues if tho foot injurying the ligaments, :ondons, and even the bones. In protracted or severe cases the foot nay, be greatly swollen, very tender, and iot.' The upper part of the. toe is widey separated and tho points turn inward, firing the appearance of a Tho mimal is in great pain when weight is ilaced on the affected limb. Abscesses orm in the soft tissues of the foot .and >urst outwardly around the coronet, eaving angry, discharging wounds. Ono oot is usually affected at the outset, but he disease frequently appears in two, ;hTee, or even all four feet. In the atter case the animals are unable to nove about in search of food. They nay be seen feeding on their knees, or ring down feeding on the grass around hem. In cases associated with much lain, and where three or four feet are .ffected, the animals refuse to feed, rapdly losing flesh, and may develop diarrioea. Such animals become extremely feak. They present a dejected and maciated appearance, and may die. The arious stages of the disease can be seen a one flock. Granulating tissue or roud flesh and new horn-like tissue may row out from the wounded surfaces. In he early stages of the disease the hoof tself appear normal, but. as the condition dvances the horn becomes broken and ecayed, and if the feet have not been ttended to the whole toe may be cast. )uring hot weather the condition is ogravated, and deaths are more numerous rom the fact that the foetid discharge ttracts flies, and maggots subsequently evelop in the wounds. An affected anflal may become fly-blown .on every part f the fleece which has come in contact 'ith the discharge, and under such conltions it soon succumbs. Prevention. It has been said that a shepherd has 0 right to _ have foot-rot among his ock. Providing ordinary care is oberved tho disease Bhould at least not et beyond, control. Although the best lan to prevent the introduction of tho isease is to avoid bringing suspected beep on to clean pastures, it is not cne r hich can always be carried out. Atmtion must especially be directed to resh arrivals. In the first place it is ecessary to examine any sheep which lay fall lame, and any sheep which are ot lame but are noticed to 6now wounds r sores around the hoof or over-grown orn. 1. The periodic inspection, examination. nd trimming of over-grown feet is a , ractice to be recommended, and vpon \ Je slightest indication of disease affectig the skin.between the toes the affect--1 sheep should be isolated and treated, nd the remainder put through, a bath sntainmg a foot-rot preparation. 2. In the case of sheep bought in a larket, or taken to a market and' rought back, or any fresh arrivals, they muld, whenever possible, be isolated nd tho feet of each sheep examined, solation should be continued for iree to four weeks, as disease might ppear after - ■ an interval of two ■ three weeks, although the sheep ' ppeared apparently freo from diseaso at ' ie timo of arrival; or as a precaution- < T measure after examination the sheep * lould be put through one of the speci- * lly constructed shallow baths contain- ( ig one of the preparations for foot-rot, J a two or three ocoasions during the first ' eek or ton days after arrival and bcire mixing with the other stock. 3. Tho shepherd should always wash ad disinfect his hands after cxaminaon of the recently imported stock beiro attending to any of the old stock, ad the 6ame remarks apply after the x lamination of any individual suspected ise. i. It is advisablo to afford contaminat--1 pastures a Test from sheep until a ) inter's frost has intervened. 7 5. Attention must bo given to the sheep ild and other pens, which should bo t loroughly and effectually disinfected, < ad the manure and a few inches of the , i.rface soil should be removed and loughed into tho land. 2 1. In the first place, examination of a ie entire flock and separation of the ?althy from the diseases animals should i i carried out. The apparently healthy leep should daily, or every second day, ) put through a shallow bath or trough j mtaining some suitable preparation, and ie treatment may be advantageously ; mtinued for ten to fourteen days after ie last case is detected. t 2. It has been observed that a sheep ' ay apparently recover from foot-rot ] ithout treatment, and the disease may c •eak out again in' the same fheep after 1 l interval of sevoral weeks. The second <> ;tack may be even worse than the first, i it the animal may eventually recover J ithout. treatment, or it may'die. Treatent, however, is necessary to avoid ss, and prompt measures will materially sisfc in. arreting the spread of the die-,
ease to other members of the flock. The earlier the casi>s art recognised and treated, the more readily and certainly will they yield to treatmont, and aggravated and advanced cases—usually tho result of .ueglect—should rafely occur.
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Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 41, 12 November 1917, Page 8
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2,341FOOT-ROT IN SHEEP Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 41, 12 November 1917, Page 8
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