Presentation for 2024 Certification Virtual Short Course, Lincoln University, Missouri.

1. HOOF CARE FOR
SHEEP/GOATS
SUSAN SCHOENIAN
Sheep & Goat Specialist Emeritus
University of Maryland Extension
sschoen@umd.edu |Facebook @MDSmallRuminant
sheepandgoat.com | sheep101.info | wormx.info
2024

2. Hoof health
• Hoof health is an important aspect of
sheep/goat management.
• Hoof health can affect an animal’s
performance, health, and welfare.
• Hooves should be check regularly for
disease and excess growth.
• Sheep/goats with excessive or
abnormal hoof growth and/or chronic
hoof disease should be culled.

3. Why do you need
to trim hooves?
• To prevent lameness.
• To allow air to reach the hoof, to
eliminate the bacteria that can cause
infections.
• To create a flat sole surface,
removing trapped mud and feces and
reducing the possibility of disease.
• To promote proper hoof growth and
body soundness (especially
important for confined and well-fed
animals like dairy goats).

4. How often
should you
trim hooves?
• It depends. The need varies from never to
every couple of months.
• The need for hoof trimming is affected by many
different factors.

5. Factors affecting hoof growth
GENETICS
• Species
• Breed or type
• Individual
• Color of hooves
• Structure of hooves
ENVIRONMENT
• Soil moisture and characteristics
• Terrain
• Climate, season, and rainfall
• Housing
• Diet

6. Special
considerations
for dairy goats
New Zealand study
Published 2023
Eighty 5-month-old
housed Saanen cross does
• Hoof growth rate was similar in front and hind hooves, and slowed
when the goats were pregnant.
• Front hooves grew 4.39 mm per month; hind hooves grew 4.20 mm
per month.
• Trimming goats early in life had only minor effects on hoof growth
(5 vs. 13 mos.)
• Trimming every 4 months was not sufficient to prevent hoof
overgrowth, the development of poor conformation, and detrimental
changes in joint positions, particularly in the hind hooves.
Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030222007354

7. When should
you trim
hooves?
• Not during late
gestation.
• In conjunction with other
management tasks.
• Before show, not day of
show.
• Preferably not in the
milking parlor.
• When hooves are soft.

8. What you need
to trim hooves
• Hoof shears
• Hoof knife
• Small brush
• Disinfectant
• Pump or spray bottle
• Tight-fitting gloves
• Method of restraint
• Time (labor-intensive)

9. Tools for
trimming
hooves
• Hand-held hoof trimmers (shears)
• Hoof knife
• Hoof rasp
• Power trimmers (e.g., PowerParer®)
• Electric hoof knife (e.g., Hoof Boss)

10. Proper
restraint
for hoof
trimming
• Tipped on their rumps
• In a deck chair
• While standing with
head secured.
• On a milking or fitting
stand.
• On an elevated platform
in a head lock.
• In a turn or tilt table or
squeeze (manual or
automatic) or conveyor.
 Tipping or using a deck
chair doesn’t work as
well for goats as sheep.

12. Proper hoof
trimming
• Clean hooves with tip of closed shears, hoof knife
and/or small brush.
• Trim excess growth; small pieces at a time.
• After you’ve finished, spray hooves with zinc
sulfate solution
• Disinfect tools between animals
• Some animals may need multiple trimmings to get
their hooves shaped right so they’ll grow right.
• Avoid overzealous hoof trimming (drawing blood).

14. Primary diseases
affecting hooves
of sheep and goats
1. Hoof abscess
2. Foot scald
3. Foot rot

15. Moisture/Trauma
Softening, damage to hoof keratin or interdigital skin
Invasion by Actinomyces
pyogenes or other
anaerobes
Invasion by Fusobacterium necrophorum or other facilitator
Invasion by
Dichelobacter
nodosus with aprB2
Invasion by
Dichelobacter
nodosus with aprV2
FOOT
SCALD
BENIGN
FOOT ROT
VIRULENT
FOOT ROT
DIAGRAM DEPICTING DIFFERENCES AMONG FOOT ABSCESS, FOOT SCALD, AND EITHER BENIGN OR VIRULENT FOOT ROT
Benign and virulent strains of D. nodosus differ in a gene that codes for a protease (an enzyme that degrades protein) in the bacterium. Virulent strains express
a very invasive form of the acid protease 2 gene called called AprV2, whereas benign strains express a far less intense variant of this protease called AprB2.
FOOT
ABSCESS
=
Source: Michigan State University
(interdigital dermatitis)

16. About the bacteria
that causes hoof
disease
• The causative organism of foot scald (Fusobacterium
necrophorum) lives in the soil for extended periods of
time OUTSIDE THE ANIMAL.
• The causative organism of foot rot, Dichelobacter
nodosus, has a more limited life span outside of the
animal such that soil that has not had infected sheep or
goats on it for 2 weeks is considered CLEAN.
• This 2-week isolation period is an important factor to
understand when implementing an eradication plan.
• The bacteria that causes footrot can live in the feet of a
carrier sheep or goats indefinitely, even under dry
conditions.
• There are at least 20 strains of D. nodosus, with varying
pathogenicity.

17. Foot abscess
• Occurs when Actinomyces spp. bacteria (or
other anaerobes) invade tissue already
weakened by an interdigital infection.
• Causes lameness, pain, swelling, and heat.
• Affects mostly mature and heavy animals.
• Usually only one hoof or digit is affected.
• Trim affected hoof (avoid over-trimming) and
clean abscess to allow drainage.
• Administer antibiotics and anti-inflammatories
under advice of veterinarian (Vx).

18. Foot scald
• Also called interdigital dermatitis,
benign footrot, or strip
• Caused by Fusobacterium necrophorum.
• An inflammation and redness between
the toes (claws).
• No (or minimal) involvement of the hoof.
• Can be precursor to footrot and foot abscesses.
• Outbreaks occur during periods of wet weather.
• Need to identify risk factors and reduce or
eliminate them.
• Similar treatment as footrot.

19. Footrot
Footrot is caused by the
interaction of two anaerobic
gram-negative bacteria:
1) Dichelobacter nodosus
(formerly Bacteroides nodosus)
2) Fusobacterium necrophorum
There are two kinds of footrot:
1) Benign
2) Virulent
Footrot is highly contagious!

20. Benign footrot
“not harmful”
• Caused by a more benign strain of
D. nodosus.
• Similar to foot scald (or interdigital
dermatitis) – can be difficult to
differentiate between the two.
• Some odor
• Occurs mostly seasonally when
conditions are wet.
• Usually controllable with foot
bathing or moving to dry area.

21. Virulent
Footrot
“Extremely severe or harmful”
• Caused by more virulent strain of
D. nodosus.
• Affects the horny tissue of the
hoof, causing separation of hoof
from underlying tissue
• Usually both toes are affected
• Has foul odor
• Usually more serious in sheep.
• Significant welfare issue.
• Control and eradication can be
difficult and time-consuming.

22. Sources of footrot
USUALLY
• In the hooves of infected sheep and/or goats.
Usually bought-in
SOMETIMES
• On contaminated equipment.
• In contaminated bedding at sales, fairs, and
during transport.
• In the hooves of cattle.
• On pasture and in barn lots.
• On footwear.
• From service personnel or other visitors.

23. How do hoof diseases
get established?
• Irritation of interdigital tissue caused by moisture or
trauma allows entry of F. necrophorum.
• Other disease-causing bacteria invade tissue already
weakened by interdigital dermatitis.
• Predisposing factors:
• Warmth (>45°F, 7°C) + moisture
• Overgrown hooves
• Abnormal hoof growth
• Infection or exposure does not provide natural
immunity.

24. Preventing footrot
• Strict biosecurity - written
biosecurity plan recommended.
• Do not buy animals from flocks/herds
with a history of foot diseases or
visible lameness.
• Do not buy animals with unknown
origins and histories (e.g., public
auction).
• All newly-acquired animals should be
suspected of having footrot and be
quarantined before being introduced
to the farm and other animals.
“All sheep and goat farms have footrot. BS!

25. Quarantine
Quarantine all new animals for
at least 30 days.
Quarantine animals returning
from a show or exhibition.
Quarantine area should be
away from the main flock/herd.
Quarantined animals should be
taken care of last.

26. During
quarantine
• Observe all new animals for lameness
(as well as other problems).
• Carefully inspect each hoof.
• Trim hooves, if necessary.
• Soak or spray each foot with a solution of 20%
zinc sulfate (or Kopertox).
• Another option is to give all new entries an
injection of a long-acting antibiotic from the
Macrolide family under the advice of a
veterinarian.

27. At the end of the
quarantine period
• Re-trim (if necessary) and
thoroughly examine hooves for
signs of infection.
• If there is any evidence of
footrot infection, all animals in
the group should be foot
bathed with a 10% solution of
zinc sulfate.
• No animal should be released
until and unless it is CLEAN.

28. How do you get rid
of footrot if you
already have it?
• Hoof trimming
• Foot soaking (bathing)
• Separation of clean and infected
(or exposed animals).
• Clean, dry places
• Topical treatments
• Antibiotics
• Culling
• Do not sell animals with footrot except to a
terminal market (immediate slaughter).
Methods may vary by size of herd and budget.

29. Day 0
• Trim, inspect, and score hooves of all animals
• Separate animals into clean and infected groups
• Foot bath all animals. After soaking put animals l in drying area
• After drying, put groups into separate “clean” pastures (or barn areas).
Day 7
• Repeat foot bathing and drying protocol
• Observe animals and check for limpers
• Check and trim feet of limpers in clean group and move them to infected group.
Day 14
• Inspect all animals. Trim hooves (if necessary).
• Move infected animals that have recovered to clean group and vice versa.
• Repeat foot bathing and drying protocol.
• Move groups to separate “clean” pastures (or barn areas).
Day 21
• Repeat foot bathing and drying protocol.
• Observe animals and check for limpers.
• Check and trim feet of limpers in clean group and move them to infected group.
Day 28
• Inspect all animals. Score each hoof.
• Repeat foot bathing and drying protocol
• CULL any animal that is still infected.
4-week protocol for eradicating footrot
University of Maine Sheep Foot Health Project (2010-2014).

30. Foot bathing
• Many ways to create foot baths.
• Long handling chutes will make process more labor
efficient for larger flocks/herds.
• Zinc sulfate is preferred solution for foot bathing:
mix 8.5 pounds of zinc sulfate in 10 gallons of
water + 1 cup of laundry detergent (as a wetting
agent)
Copper sulfate and formaldehyde have also been used in
footbaths but are not the preferred solutions.
• Create a “soak” pad in bottom of footbath (wool or
sawdust) to prevent splashing and loss of solution.
• Animals should stand in foot bath for at least 5
minutes, preferably longer.
• Put animals in drying area after soaking.
• Put animals in clean pasture or lot after soaking.

31. Use of clean
pastures or lots
• The bacteria that causes
footrot has a limited
lifespan outside the hoof
(animal).
• A clean pasture (or lot) is
one that has not had
infected (or exposed)
sheep/goats on it for at
least two weeks.
• This 2-week isolation period
is an important factor to
consider when
implementing a footrot
eradication plan.

32. Hoof lesion scoring
• Foot scoring is a means of objectively describing
the severity of lesions
• Used in diagnosis and to determine impact of
treatment
• Can be used to make genetic selection decisions
• Different scales are used (e.g., 0-5, 1-3).

33. Treating footrot
with drugs
• Common: antibiotics containing
penicillin or tetracyclines.
• Preferred ($$$): long-acting antibiotic of
the macrolide family (10-14 days):
gamithromycin (Zactran®) or
tulathromycin (Draxxin®)
• Anti-inflammatory medications for pain
relief per veterinary advice (Rx).
 All antibiotics are now prescription
(Rx) only. You must consult with a vet.

34. Selecting for
foot health
• Breed differences identified in sheep.
• Moderate heritability has been estimated for ovine footrot,
generally between 0.20 and 0.30 depending on breed and
phenotypic scoring method.
• Research is being used to develop EBVs and marker-assisted
selection for sheep.
• Hoof health is being incorporated into selection indexes (in
some countries).
In (dairy) goats
• Moderate heritability suggests selection against claw disorders
and lameness is possible in dairy goats.
• There are weak to strong genetic and phenotypic correlations
between lameness and claw disorder traits with milk traits.
• More research is needed.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37106937/

35. Genome-wide association with
footrot in hair and wool sheep
(recently published)
University of Maine Foot Health Project (2010-2014)
Teaching producers how to eliminate footrot
• First genome-wide study examining footrot susceptibility
using hair sheep and the first to identify multiple genome-
wide significant associations with footrot.
• Results provided insight into mechanisms that may affect
footrot susceptibility and resistance
• Results provided a foundation for developing predictive
genetic marker tests for selection of sheep before infection
and disease transmission occur.
• More research is needed.

36. A few other diseases that
can affect the hooves of
sheep and goats
• Laminitis
• White line disease
• Blue tongue
• Foot-and-mouth disease

37. Laminitis
(founder)
• Laminitis is a metabolic disorder that affects
the soft tissue structures of the hoof.
• Acute laminitis occurs if the animal ingests
feeds high in energy and carbohydrates,
resulting in a condition called ruminal acidosis.
• Subclinical laminitis is by far the most common
form of laminitis. It occurs when animals are
overfed for a prolonged period of time.
• Chronic laminitis develops if acute or subclinical
laminitis is not recognized early enough. This
occurs when the hoof wall and sole horn
formation is disturbed.
• Treat with proper nutrition and environment,
anti-inflammatories, and corrective hoof
trimming (Vx).
Images: Lifestyle Vet Auckland NZ

38. White line disease or “shelly hoof”
• Defect of the hoof wall
• Hoof wall pulls away from sole of
foot forming pockets where mud
and stone can get stuck.
• Not usually painful but can lead to
serious problems.
• Can come and go.
• Poorly understood, multi-factorial:
nutrition, genetics
• Careful hoof trimming and removal
of foreign material. Treat infections.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07STUxJCAAc

39. Best management
practices: hoof health
• Strict biosecurity.
• Regular checking of hooves, trimming as
needed.
• Hygienic environment (dry)
• Culling animals with hoof problems.
• Proper nutrition: energy , protein, vitamins,
and minerals (esp. zinc).
• For chronic problems, periodic foot bathing
or walk-thru foot baths (wet or dry).
• Large flocks/herds: vaccination to reduce
incidence and severity of disease (vaccine
availability?)

40. Thank you.
Questions?
Comments?
SUSAN SCHOENIAN
Sheep & Goat Specialist Emeritus
University of Maryland Extension
sschoen@umd.edu
www.sheepandgoat.com
www.sheep101.info
www.wormx.info
www.baalands.com
Facebook @MDSmallRuminant
2024
https://www.slideshare.net/schoenian