Zinc supplementation in ovine foot health

Authors: Broad TR, Clark RG, Johnstone RL
Publication: New Zealand Veterinary Journal, Volume 43, Issue 4, pp 165-166, Aug 1995
Publisher: Taylor and Francis

Animal type: Livestock, Production animal, Ruminant, Sheep
Subject Terms: Bacterial, Hoof/claw, Disease/defect, Infectious disease, Limb - lower, Locomotor, Treatment/therapy, Trace elements, Minerals/elememts
Article class: Correspondence

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Abstract: The loss of production due to footrot and scald is well recognised, as is the use of zinc sulphate footbaths to treat sheep with these diseases. There is also sheep farmer concern over the increasing cost involved in control procedures. Trials in Europe in the 1970s indicated that oral administration of zinc compounds may provide an effective control of footrot in sheep. However, the favourable responses may have been in flocks having a nutritional zinc deficiency. Cross and Parker demonstrated a beneficial effect on foot health when lambs with footrot were fed zinc sulphate, but only under dry conditions. Zinc supplementation did not reduce the number of infections or prevent new infections when conditions were wet. In New Zealand, Skerman et al. found no significant differences in the incidence and severity of foot lesions between zinc-dosed and untreated control groups in their experiment. In a short-term experiment, zinc supplement was given orally to adult sheep to investigate whether high “dietary” zinc levels could reduce the occurrence of foot inflammation and infection in healthy sheep…

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