Sheep’s Foot - What’s This?

[Cab-over Pete]

Aye - up,

We have a ewe (daughters hand reared pet, so don’t suggest culling!) which has had a little foot problem for months.

She holds it up when standing, but isn’t lame at any time.

It started months ago with a small hole in the soft, bottom pad of her foot. There was no infection or heat, just fresh blood.

I washed it all out with iodine solution and kept her in on a dry bed. Whilst it kept dry, it still bled and she continued to hold it up.

She had Alamycin LA a few times, the foot didn’t change but she stopped holding it up. I still kept her in.

Fast forward and after several months and attempts with various ABs it’s now like the photos below. It is now dry, no blood at all, and she still keeps holding it up. Again, no infection, heat or lameness.

I’m thinking it’s maybe a virus, a bit like a cold sore, but then that doesn’t make sense that ABs make the holding up habit temporarily go away.

Any ideas?

Cheers, Pete.

 

[serf]

Zactran and go from there !

 

[unlacedgecko]

Aye - up,

We have a ewe (daughters hand reared pet, so don’t suggest culling!) which has had a little foot problem for months.

She holds it up when standing, but isn’t lame at any time.

It started months ago with a small hole in the soft, bottom pad of her foot. There was no infection or heat, just fresh blood.

I washed it all out with iodine solution and kept her in on a dry bed. Whilst it kept dry, it still bled and she continued to hold it up.

She had Alamycin LA a few times, the foot didn’t change but she stopped holding it up. I still kept her in.

Fast forward and after several months and attempts with various ABs it’s now like the photos below. It is now dry, no blood at all, and she still keeps holding it up. Again, no infection, heat or lameness.

I’m thinking it’s maybe a virus, a bit like a cold sore, but then that doesn’t make sense that ABs make the holding up habit temporarily go away.

View attachment 1103459

View attachment 1103460

Any ideas?

Cheers, Pete.

Toe granuloma: diseases that cause lameness in sheep | AHDB

Find out how to look for the signs of toe granuloma and treat it effectively.

ahdb.org.uk

It's a strawberry granuloma caused by an injury.

 

[unlacedgecko]

Zactran and go from there !

ABs will only help with a secondary infection. If there was one, Betamox would be sufficient. No need to go straight to Zactran.

 

[Cab-over Pete]

Toe granuloma: diseases that cause lameness in sheep | AHDB

Find out how to look for the signs of toe granuloma and treat it effectively.

ahdb.org.uk

It's a strawberry granuloma caused by an injury.

Bugger. That looks like it could take a bit of shifting.

 

[soapsud]

We've used this in the past which clears it up with daily treatments over 3 days. Suitable for pets only - not commercial.

Golden Hoof Zinc Sulphate

Last time I bought some it was less than £20 a bag so quite a long time ago.
Have you got any blackthorn round abouts? That can cause it.

 

[Cab-over Pete]

Ok, thank you.

Yes, their paddock is bound three sides with blackthorn.

 

[M-J-G]

I'd bandage that with some Copper Sulphate

 

[ritchiekirkland]

Pair the foot back and tie a bit of string round it , few strands off a bit of baling twine does the trick , and a jab of LA.

 

[Cab-over Pete]

It’s barely protruding at all from the base of the foot, so paring it back would be a bit severe I think.

We will try the copper sulphate and dressing, see what happens.

She’s a smashing ewe and has thrown some of the best lambs we’ve ever had, but she has suffered! She had a tooth infection when young and now this!

 

[tepapa]

Toe granuloma: diseases that cause lameness in sheep | AHDB

Find out how to look for the signs of toe granuloma and treat it effectively.

ahdb.org.uk

It's a strawberry granuloma caused by an injury.

Surely not a hoof trimming injury

 

[BAF]

Needs to be burnt off. We used to get something called oily wound dressing for burning back proud flesh on horses wounds.

 

[unlacedgecko]

Surely not a good trimming injury

Stood on a blackthorn by the sound of it. Granuloma from hoof trimming normally occur at the toes.

 

[neilo]

It’s barely protruding at all from the base of the foot, so paring it back would be a bit severe I think.

We will try the copper sulphate and dressing, see what happens.

She’s a smashing ewe and has thrown some of the best lambs we’ve ever had, but she has suffered! She had a tooth infection when young and now this!

That raw flesh will keep growing, protruding further, and constantly causing pain.
If you want to keep the precious creature, then it will need removing to prevent it coming back again. A vet would likely operate and quarterize the flesh, which is effectively what paring it back and bandaging with zinc or copper sulphate would do.
If you remove the ‘proud flesh’ then the hoof will have a chance to grow over it, meaning the sheep can grow onto to a ripe old age and incur lots of other pet related costs…

 

[Anymulewilldo]

Copper sulphate paste and vet wrap. will take a while though. Had a tup few years back had 2 had to get him right so I could sell him!!!

Thankfully since we stopped trimming in all but the most severe summer cases we’ve seen hardly a strawberry in them.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Just cull the bloody thing

 

[AvonValleyFarmer]

Just cull the bloody thing

+1
You can have some more pets off me

 

[Cab-over Pete]

Just cull the bloody thing

Like you would if your daughter had her own dog?

I said in the top post, she won’t be culled.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Like you would if your daughter had her own dog?

I said in the top post, she won’t be culled.

I’d tell her it had gone to sheepy heaven and get her a new one with 4 fully functioning legs

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

I’d tell her it had gone to sheepy heaven and get her a new one with 4 fully functioning legs

Then you can have lamb on Sunday