# Sheep hoof issues



## Kris5902 (Jul 6, 2022)

Have a 4year old Wether who developed a limp. He had slightly overgrown hooves (I trimmed them) but he’s still limping quite badly and has red knobby growths between his toes on the top of the hoof that I think might be causing the limp. We are in the PNW and are still pretty wet after a very muddy spring and early summer. He’s my moms pet, but part of a herd managed by my aunt in law (complicated situation) so they won’t take him to a vet (if we could even find one who will treat livestock) we are in Canada, and there’s a shortage of large animal vets in the area. Thanks


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## BrahmerQueen (Jul 6, 2022)

Kris5902 said:


> Have a 4year old Wether who developed a limp. He had slightly overgrown hooves (I trimmed them) but he’s still limping quite badly and has red knobby growths between his toes on the top of the hoof that I think might be causing the limp. We are in the PNW and are still pretty wet after a very muddy spring and early summer. He’s my moms pet, but part of a herd managed by my aunt in law (complicated situation) so they won’t take him to a vet (if we could even find one who will treat livestock) we are in Canada, and there’s a shortage of large animal vets in the area. Thanks


Hi sorry about your wether. Can you post pics? Sorry I don't know that much so I hope someone else that knows more will reply.


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## Alaskan (Jul 6, 2022)

@Ridgetop  ?




Kris5902 said:


> Have a 4year old Wether who developed a limp. He had slightly overgrown hooves (I trimmed them) but he’s still limping quite badly and has red knobby growths between his toes on the top of the hoof that I think might be causing the limp. We are in the PNW and are still pretty wet after a very muddy spring and early summer. He’s my moms pet, but part of a herd managed by my aunt in law (complicated situation) so they won’t take him to a vet (if we could even find one who will treat livestock) we are in Canada, and there’s a shortage of large animal vets in the area. Thanks



Can you post a photo?  

Did you feel the leg and foot all over?  Any warm spots or clear sore spots?

Is the hoof at all soft?

After trimming,  which you already did... I would make a perfectly dry spot for him to stand and rest.  Maybe just getting it to dry out will help.


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## Kris5902 (Jul 6, 2022)

Unfortunately he has been moved to the other side of the farm. Somehow, he managed to injure both his flanks as well, (he was in a poorly fenced field, and I think I know where he did that) or “may have been stuck between two trees or rocks” so there’s some family issues as well. I don’t have any pictures, but will try to get some when I am down there hopefully Friday. I was occupied with some other things (building out our house, so I can hopefully get a proper barn in as well by fall). I noticed the limp when walking through the pasture early June, trimmed the hooves mid June, and noticed the pink spots, asked her to tell the Aunt in law (farm manager). They walked him through a hoof bath or something the next day, and I had mostly put it out of my mind. 

They noticed him yesterday (when separating some lambs for slaughter) with two large wounds on both his sides, and brought him down to treat that, then sent my mom pictures. She rushed over today to see her 187lb “baby lambie” and said the limping had gotten even worse. I didn’t see any clear indications of foot rot when I trimmed him, but they have had it in the herd every year, with several going lame every year (mutton). I was thinking interdigital dermatitis? Once I get said infrastructure built out I plan on paying them for him, and maybe getting a few dairy ewes for company. They said it’s just a “sympathy limp”. It sort of looked like a strawberry and was between his toes at the top. I didn’t notice any heat in June, but it was sore enough he wouldn’t let me lift his foot without tethering him to the fence. I will get pictures if I can Friday. 

I am not thrilled with the Farms animal husbandry. Also if this can be moved to the correct forum page, it’s not so much an “emergency” (although the other wounds would be), but I couldn’t find the right spot to post. I expect the other issues will be treated, but they don’t think the limp is important (they have lost a cow and three sheep I know of to lameness like this, and don’t really bother with limps). My mom is super attached to him, so… I care about the limping.


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## Kris5902 (Jul 6, 2022)

This was from mid June, right after the trim, it was better than when I first observed him in early June. The Sheep are almost never pastured out near me, and I don’t really interact with them much due to family tensions.


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## Alaskan (Jul 7, 2022)

Well...  at least in the video he is moving well enough to get to feed and water.

But clearly he needs to be brought into your care, and kept in a dry and safe paddock. 

Hard to manage things with family "stuff".  


Kris5902 said:


> I was thinking interdigital dermatitis?


Ew!

I looked up and found this:

*Benign Footrot*
The economic effect of benign footrot is much less than that of virulent footrot. Running the sheep through footbaths containing 10% wt/vol zinc sulfate once every 14 days during the wet season is usually adequate for control. Use of long-acting antimicrobials such as tetracycline has been adopted with good results.

And then:

Treatment of Virulent Footrot in Sheep​
Long-acting parenteral antimicrobials or soaking in a footbath
Excessive trimming of the hoof is not recommended
Treatment efforts may be directed toward temporary control of the disease or total eradication. At certain times, such as during a wet season, temporary control may be the only realistic goal.
Traditionally, treatment consisted of footbaths using antibacterial solutions after careful hoof trimming to remove all dead horn and expose infected tissue and bacteria to air. However, foot soaking for 30–60 minutes has been shown to be more effective even when trimming is not done. In fact, some research has shown that trimming may do more damage than good. A commonly used footbath solution is 10% wt/vol zinc sulfate with 0.2% vol/vol of laundry detergent containing nonionic surfactants such as sodium lauryl sulfate. Formaldehyde at 2%–5% and copper sulfate at 5% are also frequently used with success. Although guidelines for footbaths may vary, they should be at least 6 cm deep, with sheep spending at least 10 minutes in the solution and being allowed to dry in a clean area afterward. Aerosol sprays have been used in lieu of footbaths and include zinc sulfate, tincture of iodine, tetracycline, copper sulfate, formalin, chlorine bleach, and other disinfectants. However, sprays are not as effective as footbaths or soaking.


Those quotes are from:









						Interdigital Dermatitis in Sheep - Musculoskeletal System - Merck Veterinary Manual
					

Learn about the veterinary topic of Interdigital Dermatitis in Sheep. Find specific details on this topic and related topics from the Merck Vet Manual.




					www.merckvetmanual.com


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## Kris5902 (Jul 8, 2022)

Alaskan said:


> Well...  at least in the video he is moving well enough to get to feed and water.
> 
> But clearly he needs to be brought into your care, and kept in a dry and safe paddock.
> 
> ...


Thanks, I will still try to follow up with some photos if I can get them of his feet.


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## Show Sebright (Jul 8, 2022)

Did you check his oil glands. They might be over filled. If they have tons of yuck in them you you need to pull it out. If you want a video I can do it on my lamb. This is Dutch’s gland that is filled and pluged up. My teacher said that they limp if it gets uncomfortable


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## Baymule (Jul 10, 2022)

Show Sebright said:


> Did you check his oil glands. They might be over filled. If they have tons of yuck in them you you need to pull it out. If you want a video I can do it on my lamb. This is Dutch’s gland that is filled and pluged up. My teacher said that they limp if it gets uncomfortable


Right you are! I was going to say to check the oil gland, but you not only shared your experience, you posted a picture! 

I’ve never had a sheep with a plugged up oil gland, @Show Sebright can you give directions and advice how to treat it?


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## Show Sebright (Jul 11, 2022)

Baymule said:


> Right you are! I was going to say to check the oil gland, but you not only shared your experience, you posted a picture!
> 
> I’ve never had a sheep with a plugged up oil gland, @Show Sebright can you give directions and advice how to treat it?


So I pulled the hair and oil out of the hole. You shouldn’t need to squeeze it. There I’ll still be oil in the gland because it’s an oil glad.  It was nasty. I washed it off with some soap and water after.

One suggestion is to wear gloves. It took be 3 different soaps to get all the oil off. You might want to have some paper towels on hand.

I’ll try to get a video this afternoon.
Edit: Dutch’s glands aren’t filled so I can’t get a video


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## Stephine (Aug 3, 2022)

Baymule said:


> Right you are! I was going to say to check the oil gland, but you not only shared your experience, you posted a picture!
> 
> I’ve never had a sheep with a plugged up oil gland, @Show Sebright can you give directions and advice how to treat it?


One of my wethers has plugged oil glands on his front feet. It’s super easy to clean - just gently push on it, towards the tip. Pull on the hardened plug with your fingers and pull it out  (usually there‘s a bit of wool stuck there, too). I do them every day and one has finally shrunk to normal, the other is still the size of a large pea… 
If it’s not infected it’s not yucky. I have no problem washing off the oil and it doesn’t smell bad at all. (which is surprising since it’s a scent gland… clearly my nose is much worse than a sheep‘s! But then I also love the smell of sheep…)


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