Abstract
Simple SummaryDespite improvements in modern livestock management, intensification of farming systems has led to the emergence of infectious and husbandry-related health and welfare challenges. Among them, foot pathology-associated lameness is one of the most significant, as it has been strongly associated with adverse consequences in the well-being of animals, and the productivity and the overall profitability of the farms. The objective of this article is to review the current status of knowledge regarding foot-related lameness in sheep, emphasizing on the etiology, risk factors, diagnostic capabilities and control strategies of foot problems in dairy sheep.During the last twenty years, considerable research efforts have recognized the consequences of foot-related lameness primarily in cattle, and meat and wool sheep. Despite the lack of extensive epidemiological studies, field observations and isolated research reports in dairy sheep have suggested that the problem might be more severe in semi-intensive and intensive farming systems. Footrot, contagious ovine digital dermatitis, ovine interdigital dermatitis, white line disease, and pedal joint abscess are the most common causes of foot-related lameness. Dichelobacter nodosus, Fusobacterium necrophorum, Treponema spp., and Actinomyces pyogenes are the most significant foot-related lameness-associated pathogens. Despite a documented hereditary predisposition, environmental factors are the most important in determining the occurrence of foot-related lameness. Moist and warm environment, increased parity and milk yield, inappropriate housing conditions and infrastructures, inadequate hygiene status, imbalanced nutrition, and insufficient foot care are the most critical risk factors. Furthermore, a foot-lameness control plan should include targeted implementation of claw trimming and footbathing, evidence-based planning of hygiene measures in preventive veterinary practices (i.e., antibiotic administration, vaccinations against footrot), selective breeding to footrot resistance, and, most importantly, the continuous training of farming personnel. Controlling foot-lameness in dairy sheep is critical in determining the well-being of animals, and strongly affects the farm’s profitability and sustainability.
Highlights
Sheep farming is one of the earliest agricultural activities worldwide [1,2]
Other less common causes of lameness include injuries and foreign bodies, ergotism [49], fescue toxicosis with gangrenous necrosis and sloughing of the hoof [50,51], dermatophilosis or strawberry footrot caused by Dermatophilus congolensis [52], and post-dipping lameness in adult sheep caused by Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae [53]
The most critical omissions include: (i) Purchase of breeding stocks from flocks infected by footrot or Contagious Ovine Digital Dermatitis (CODD) or with increased prevalence of foot-related lameness; (ii) lack of quarantine and regular examination of new-entry breeding stocks; (iii) inadequate disinfection of clothes, vehicles, trimming equipment, and pens used for lame animals; (iv) no separation of lame animals; and (v) maintenance of chronically infected, lame animals [37]
Summary
Sheep farming is one of the earliest agricultural activities worldwide [1,2]. It has evolved through centuries, from the extensive to the semi-extensive system, mainly in Europe, Asia, and Africa following migratory population patterns and socioeconomic evolution of rural areas. Foot pathology-associated lameness is considered one of the most significant It has been strongly associated with adverse consequences in the well-being of animals, and the productivity and the overall profitability of dairy sheep farms [3]. Considerable research efforts have focused on the investigation of foot-related lameness and its epizootiology, pathogenesis, diagnostic capabilities, and the impact on production, health and welfare status, as well as on the development of effective treatments and application of sustainable preventive measures. The majority of relevant research efforts have focused primarily on cattle [4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11], meat and wool sheep [12,13,14,15], and dairy goats [16,17], highlighting the impact of foot-related lameness on several production traits in these species [12,13,14,15]. The description of systemic diseases that may manifest lameness among other clinical symptoms is beyond the scope of this review
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