The use of long-acting oxytetracycline for the treatment of ovine footrot.

The use of long-acting oxytetracycline for the treatment of ovine footrot was investigated under different experimental conditions. In sheep with artificially induced footrot housed under dry conditions, treatment with long-acting oxytetracycline produced a cure in 6/6 affected feet (a cure rate of 100%); foot-bathing in zinc sulphate produced a cure in 2/8 affected feet (a cure rate of 25%). This difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). In sheep with naturally occurring footrot, housed under dry conditions, treatment with long-acting oxytetracycline produced a cure in 8/9 affected feet (a cure rate of 89%); foot-bathing in zinc sulphate produced a cure in 7/10 affected feet (a cure rate of 70%). This difference was not statistically significant. In sheep with naturally occurring footroot, kept under field conditions, treatment with a combination of long-acting oxytetracycline and foot-bathing in zinc sulphate produced a cure in 49/52 affected feet (a cure rate of 94%); treatment by foot-bathing alone produced a cure in 39/51 affected feet (a cure rate of 77%). This difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05).