Use of parenteral long-acting and topical oxytetracycline, without hoof trimming, for treatment of footrot in goats

Authors: Laven RA
Publication: New Zealand Veterinary Journal, Volume 60, Issue 3, pp 213-214, May 2012
Publisher: Taylor and Francis

Animal type: Goat, Livestock, Production animal, Ruminant
Subject Terms: Antibiotics, Bacterial, Disease/defect, Infectious disease, Limb - lower, Locomotor, Treatment/therapy
Article class: Correspondence

---

Abstract:

Worldwide, foot rot is an important disease of small ruminants which causes substantial pain, distress and economic loss (Winter 2011). This can be minimised by the institution of well-designed farm-specific control programmes. However in many circumstances footrot can only be controlled, not eliminated (Winter 2011) so clinical cases will still occur. Prompt effective treatment is therefore required to minimise the impact of footrot on animal welfare. Recent research in sheep has shown that treatment with a combination of parenteral injections of long-acting oxytetracycline and topical oxytetracycline was a more effective treatment for footrot than foot trimming, with or without parenteral antibiotics (Kaler et al.2010) as foot trimming significantly delayed healing. It was concluded that foot trimming should not be used as treatment for footrot in sheep.

---