Contagious Foot Rot in Goats Prevention

Contagious foot rot is basically a common crippling infection of goats and sheep in several areas that are caused by bacteria, which live in soil and carried easily to the farm on infected animal’s feet or on the shoe soles.

There are 2 kinds of bacteria commonly associated with contagious foot rot and these include Fusobacterium necrophorum and dichelobacter nodosus. Both of these thrive in moist soil condition and hard to eliminate or control once soil is contaminated and goats and sheep are keep on property.

Foot rot is actually foot scald’s more aggressive progression, which is an inflammation between the toes that typically affects the foot. Moist and raw infection on the skin is a common lesion between toes and can be painful. Foot rot may happen in 1 or more feet, which may cause serious lameness.

Normally, animals are grazing on their knees and this happens when both bacteria cause dual infection on the tissues of the foot. The foot will be pink to red color. The skin between the animal’s toes will be slimy and would have foul smelling.

Once not treated early, bacterial toxins may break down the hoof wall as well as foot’s sole, which may result in loosening of hoof wall and detaching from the feet. The precursors to this disease include damaged or cracked and overgrown hooves.

If you want to know how to get rid and prevent contagious foot rot effectively, make sure to read the article written by Katie Ockert of Michigan State University Extension.

 https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/preventing_and_controlling_contagious_foot_rot_in_your_goat_herd