BACKGROUND: Internationally, foot trimming is used by most farmers, and parenteral antibacterials by some, to treat sheep with footrot. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) are sometimes used. No clinical trials have compared these treatments. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the above treatments on time to recovery from lameness and foot lesions in sheep with footrot. ANIMALS: Fifty-three sheep with footrot on a commercial farm in England. METHODS: In a randomized factorial design, the sheep were allocated to 6 treatment groups. The treatments were oxytetracycline spray to all sheep (positive control) and one or more of parenteral administration of long-acting oxytetracycline, flunixine meglumine, and foot trimming on day 1 or 6 of diagnosis. Follow-up was for 15 days. Time to recovery from lameness and lesions was investigated with discrete-time survival models. RESULTS: There was significant association (P < .05) between recovery from lameness and lesions. Sheep receiving antibacterials parenterally recovered faster from lameness (odds ratio [OR]: 4.92 [1.20-20.10]) and lesions (OR: 5.11 [1.16-22.4]) than positive controls, whereas sheep foot trimmed on day 1 (lameness-OR: 0.05 [0.005-0.51]; lesions-OR: 0.06 [0.008-0.45]) or day 6 of diagnosis (lameness OR: 0.07 [0.01-0.72]; lesions OR: 0.07 [0.01-04).56]) recovered more slowly than positive controls. NSAID had no significant effect on recovery. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: If foot trimming on day 1 or 6 of diagnosis was stopped and parenteral antibacterials were used, then over 1 million sheep/annum lame with footrot in the United Kingdom would recover more rapidly with benefits to productivity. Globally, this figure would be much higher.
BACKGROUND: Internationally, foot trimming is used by most farmers, and parenteral antibacterials by some, to treat sheep with footrot. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) are sometimes used. No clinical trials have compared these treatments. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the above treatments on time to recovery from lameness and foot lesions in sheep with footrot. ANIMALS: Fifty-three sheep with footrot on a commercial farm in England. METHODS: In a randomized factorial design, the sheep were allocated to 6 treatment groups. The treatments were oxytetracycline spray to all sheep (positive control) and one or more of parenteral administration of long-acting oxytetracycline, flunixine meglumine, and foot trimming on day 1 or 6 of diagnosis. Follow-up was for 15 days. Time to recovery from lameness and lesions was investigated with discrete-time survival models. RESULTS: There was significant association (P < .05) between recovery from lameness and lesions. Sheep receiving antibacterials parenterally recovered faster from lameness (odds ratio [OR]: 4.92 [1.20-20.10]) and lesions (OR: 5.11 [1.16-22.4]) than positive controls, whereas sheep foot trimmed on day 1 (lameness-OR: 0.05 [0.005-0.51]; lesions-OR: 0.06 [0.008-0.45]) or day 6 of diagnosis (lameness OR: 0.07 [0.01-0.72]; lesions OR: 0.07 [0.01-04).56]) recovered more slowly than positive controls. NSAID had no significant effect on recovery. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: If foot trimming on day 1 or 6 of diagnosis was stopped and parenteral antibacterials were used, then over 1 million sheep/annum lame with footrot in the United Kingdom would recover more rapidly with benefits to productivity. Globally, this figure would be much higher.
Authors: Leo A Calvo-Bado; Brian B Oakley; Scot E Dowd; Laura E Green; Graham F Medley; Atiya Ul-Hassan; Vicky Bateman; William Gaze; Luci Witcomb; Rose Grogono-Thomas; Jasmeet Kaler; Claire L Russell; Elizabeth M H Wellington Journal: ISME J Date: 2011-03-24 Impact factor: 10.302
Authors: Jean A Hall; Rachel L Sendek; Rachel M Chinn; D Paul Bailey; Katie N Thonstad; Yongqiang Wang; Neil E Forsberg; William R Vorachek; Bernadette V Stang; Robert J Van Saun; Gerd Bobe Journal: Vet Res Date: 2011-09-06 Impact factor: 3.683
Authors: Jean A Hall; William R Vorachek; Whitney C Stewart; M Elena Gorman; Wayne D Mosher; Gene J Pirelli; Gerd Bobe Journal: PLoS One Date: 2013-12-05 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Edward M Smith; Olivia D J Green; Leonides A Calvo-Bado; Luci A Witcomb; Rosemary Grogono-Thomas; Claire L Russell; Judith C Brown; Graham F Medley; Amy L KilBride; Elizabeth M H Wellington; Laura E Green Journal: Vet J Date: 2014-05-23 Impact factor: 2.688