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Factors associated with changes of state of foot conformation and lameness in a flock of sheep

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Kaler, Jasmeet, Medley, Graham, Grogono-Thomas, Rosemary, Wellington, E. M. H., Calvo-Bado, Leo A., Wassink, Geert J., King, Elisabeth M., Moore, L. J., Russell, Claire L. and Green, Laura E.. (2010) Factors associated with changes of state of foot conformation and lameness in a flock of sheep. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Vol.97 (No.3/4). pp. 237-244. ISSN 0167-5877

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2010.09.019

Abstract

The aim of this research was to investigate transitions between foot conformation, lameness and footrot in sheep. Data came from one lowland flock of approximately 700 ewes studied for 18 months. Multilevel multistate analyses of transitions between good and poor foot conformation states in ewes, and lame and non-lame states in ewes and lambs were conducted. Key results were that the longer sheep had feet in good conformation, the more likely they were to stay in this state; similarly, the longer a ewe was not lame the more likely she was not to become lame. Ewes with poor foot conformation were more likely to become lame (OR: 1.83 (1.24-2.67)) and to be > 4 years (OR: 1.50(1.09-2.05)). Ewes with footrot were less likely to move to good foot conformation (OR: 0.48 (0.31-0.75)) and were more likely to become lame (OR: 3.81(2.60-5.59)). Ewes lame for > 4 days and not treated with parenteral antibacterials had a higher risk of developing (OR: 2.00 (1.08-3.61)), or remaining in (OR: 0.49 (0.29-0.95)) poor foot conformation compared with ewes never lame. Treatment of ewes lame with footrot with parenteral antibacterials increased the probability of transition from a lame to a non-lame state (OR: 1.46 (1.05-2.02)) and these ewes, even if lame for > 4 days, were not more likely to develop poor foot conformation. The risk of a ewe becoming lame increased when at least one of her offspring was lame (OR: 2.03 (1.42-2.92)) and when the prevalence of lameness in the group was ≥ 5% (OR: 1.42 (1.06-1.92)). Lambs were at increased risk of becoming lame when they were male (OR: 1.42 (1.01-2.01)), single (OR: 1.86 (1.34-2.59)) or had a lame dam or sibling (OR: 3.10 (1.81-5.32)). There were no explanatory variables associated with lambs recovering from lameness. We conclude that poor foot conformation in ewes increases the susceptibility of ewes to become lame and that this can arise from untreated footrot. Treatment of ewes lame with footrot with parenteral antibacterials leads to recovery from lameness and prevents or resolves poor foot conformation which then reduces the susceptibility to further lameness with footrot.

Item Type:

Journal Article

Subjects:

S Agriculture > SF Animal culture

Divisions:

Faculty of Science > Life Sciences (2010- ) > Biological Sciences ( -2010)
Faculty of Science > Life Sciences (2010- )

Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):

Lameness in sheep, Footrot in sheep, Sheep -- Conformation

Journal or Publication Title:

Preventive Veterinary Medicine

Publisher:

Elsevier BV

ISSN:

0167-5877

Official Date:

1 December 2010

Dates:

Date	Event
1 December 2010	Published

Volume:

Vol.97

Number:

No.3/4

Page Range:

pp. 237-244

Identification Number:

10.1016/j.prevetmed.2010.09.019

Status:

Peer Reviewed

Publication Status:

Published

Access rights to Published version:

Open Access

Funder:

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (Great Britain) (BBSRC), Great Britain. Dept. for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA)

Grant number:

AW 0121 (DEFRA), BBE01870X1 (BBSRC)

References:

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Egerton, J.R., Roberts, D.S., Parsonson, I.M., 1969. The aetiology and pathogenesis of ovine footrot. I. A histological study of the bacterial invasion. J. Comp. Pathol. 81, 179-185.
Egerton J.R., Yong, W.K., Riffkin, G.G. 1989. Foot Rot and Foot Abscess of Ruminants, CRC.
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Hawker, E.M., 2008. An intervention study to minimise footrot in sheep. MSc. University of Warwick.
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Wassink, G.J., Grogono-Thomas, R., Moore, L.J., Green, L.E., 2003. Risk factors associated with the prevalence of footrot in sheep from 1999 to 2000. Vet. Rec. 152, 351-358.
Wassink, G.J., Hawker, E.M., Grogono-Thomas, R., Brown, J.C., Moore, L.J., Green, L.E., 2010. A within farm clinical trial to compare two treatments (parenteral antibacterials and hoof trimming) for sheep lame with footrot. Prev. Vet. Med. 96, 93-103.

URI:

http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/4452

Data sourced from Thomson Reuters' Web of Knowledge

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