Control or eradicate footrot

Footbathing in zinc sulphate solution makes the disease more manageable and is necessary to:

• prepare sheep for an eradication program
• minimise the spread until the animals are slaughtered.

Complete footbathing at least 6 weeks before trying to eradicate footrot, to make lesions easier to identify. Take these steps:

1. Mix a solution that is 10% zinc sulphate and water. The correct ratio is 1kg of zinc sulphate to 9 litres of water.
2. Include a wetting agent such as sodium laurel sulphate at 1–2% to improve the effectiveness of the footbathing solution.
3. Use a footbath that:
   • has high sides to prevent sheep from walking along the edge and avoiding the solution
   • is large enough to contain several sheep at once, depending on mob size.
4. Stand animals in the footbath solution for at least 10 minutes and up to an hour. Make sure the solution is deep enough to cover the whole hoof and fetlock area.
5. Stand sheep on grating or concrete immediately after bathing to allow the solution to dry on the hoof.
6. Return sheep to a paddock that has not been grazed by sheep or cattle for at least 7 days.

See Footrot: A guide to identification and control in the field (PDF) (pages 55–64) for more detailed information.

Inspections are best done when pastures have dried off between December and April, depending on when the autumn break rains occur. Subsequent inspections of infected mobs take place 4 to 6 weeks apart after treatment.

Completing successful footrot inspections requires:

• a yard with an effective lead up race
• an experienced footrot contractor or skilled personal sheep handler
• hoof trimmers and grinders
• footbaths with zinc sulphate for treatment.

See the South Australian Footrot Guide for further information.

If retaining infected mobs for treatment, the following processes are needed during an eradication program:

1. Hoof paring and grinding, which should be carried out by an experienced footrot contractor. These practices help to:
   • identify the severity of lesions present in infected sheep
   • find other hoof faults such as fibromas, abscess, and shelly toe
   • return overgrown or misshapen hooves to normal, allowing for effective footbathing.
2. Footbathing for eradication is done in conjunction with inspection and paring, to expose footrot lesions to the footbath solution. This can:
   • help cure lower grade footrot lesions
   • harden the hoof to prevent reinfection
   • disinfect hooves of unaffected sheep that have been running with infected sheep.

Antibiotics can cure 90–95% of sheep with treatable lesions that have a footscore (PDF 262.5 KB) of 3 or greater.

Antibiotics are injected into the sheep muscle. Due to microbial resistance, this treatment is not recommended unless:

• there are concerns for animal welfare
• you want to retain high-valued stock that is infected.

Get expert animal health advice about how to treat sheep with antibiotics – this is important for correct timing. Take these steps after treatment:

1. Keep sheep in dry conditions on concrete or grating for up to 24 hours before returning them to the paddock.
2. Re-examine sheep 4 to 6 weeks later.
3. Cull sheep that have not responded to the antibiotic.
4. Reinspect the mobs that had non-responders in 4 weeks. Complete inspections before autumn, as footrot is less likely to spread in dry summer conditions.

The Footvax vaccination may be another option, which requires CIS permission to use.