1908.] 



Foot-Rot of Sheep. 



FOOT-ROT OF SHEEP. 

 There has been, and still remains, amongst flockmasters, 

 shepherds and others a good deal of diversity of opinion as to 

 whether foot-rot of sheep ever constitutes a contagious disease, 

 i.e., a disease communicable from a diseased sheep to a healthy 

 sheep or not. 



This difference of opinion appears to be mainly due to the 

 fact that almost any diseased condition affecting the feet of 

 sheep, associated with lameness, is usually classed under the 

 general and ambiguous term foot-rot, and in that way non- 

 contagious affections of the feet of sheep causing lameness 

 have supported the view of some 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. Such a condition, however, is 

 not true foot-rot, although the injured feet may present ugly 

 sores. It would be better described as foot-sore. 



The non-contagious form, or foot-sore, which is due to- 

 injury to the foot, has its starting point usually in the horn 

 itself. The horn may be decayed, broken, cut or bruised, and 

 through the opening in the horn, soil and filth gain an entrance 

 and set up inflammation of 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 the continual grazing of sheep on 

 low-lying marshy pastures where the grass is long, particularly 

 during prolonged wet seasons ; and neglect of attention to 

 trimming the horn, which under such adverse conditions 

 becomes overgrown, gives an uneven treading surface, and is 

 very liable to become soft and even decayed. Injuries may be 

 inflicted by the animal stepping on sharp or rough objects,, 

 such as sharp stones, glass, nails, thorns, &c, and by over- 

 trimming of the feet. They may also arise from travelling 

 sheep for long distances on hard roads, or from anything which 

 causes a breach in the horny foot, or bruises the sensitive foot, 

 especially when the horn is worn or thin. 



Symptoms. — The non-contagious foot-sore is the commoner 

 condition met with, and it is not unusual to find one or more 



