With all the rain recently, are your pastures a muddy mess? Are your goats and/or sheep limping around? It is not uncommon during wet, rainy conditions to see animals limping. Two of the more common causes for this are hoof scald and hoof rot, both of which producers battle constantly, according to experts.
Hoof scald, or benign hoof rot, is an inflammation between the toes of the hoof caused by bacteria. This disease is caused when livestock spend a prolonged amount of time in muddy areas and/or areas with a lot of manure, such as around watering troughs.
Signs of hoof scald include limping, grazing on knees, decreased milk/wool production, decreased body condition, and between the toes is raw and moist.
If these signs are present along with a foul odor, puss, and/or damage to the hoof itself, then the animal has a condition known as hoof rot. Hoof rot is a disease that only affects the hooves, is recurring depending on conditions, and kills the tissues between the toes and the hoof itself.
There are four points of prevention: pasture hygiene, hoof trimming, hoof baths, and vaccination. Treatment is a combination of hoof trimming, hoof baths, antibiotics, topical medications, and culling. Eradication is possible, but it takes years, is very difficult, and requires a strict commitment.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Hoof scald and hoof rot are common in Arkansas due to the wet, humid conditions often experienced. Pasture hygiene is key to preventing these diseases and hoof trimming is key to treating them.
If you have questions or believe your animals have hoof scald or rot, contact your local county extension agent at 870-534-1033 or a veterinarian.
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— Lea M. Brewer is an intern at the Jefferson County Cooperative Extension Service.