Characterization of hoof injuries in sheep (Ovis aries) in the State of Tocantins, Brazil

Abstract

The aim of this study was to characterize and establish the prevalence of foot lesions and stages of footrot in sheep flocks in the State of Tocantins, Brazil, during dry and moist seasons. A total of 339 sheep (Ovis aries) were examined during the period of September 2014 to May of 2015. Procedures for animal examination and age estimation were performed. All animals were divided in three groups: G1, G2 and G3 using the Egerton's modified score system for footrot. Foot lesions were classified as: double sole (DS), overgrowth (OG), white line disease (WLD), moderate interdigital dermatitis (MID), severe interdigital dermatitis (SID), horizontal crack (HC) and other injuries (OI). No significant difference was observed when comparing the same group in different periods, however there was difference between groups in the same period. In dry and moist season, G1 was greater than G2 and G3. The most prevalent lesion per limb observed in dry and moist season was OG. This difference was also observed for DS, OG+WLD, OG+MID, OG+SID, OG+HC and OI. The only lesion that was more prevalent in dry season when compared to moist season was OG+DS. This exploratory study provides key insight into the prevalence of foot lesions of sheep in two distinct seasons, and the occurrence of concomitant lesions. Animals of all ages were classified as moderate to severe footrot according to the modified Egerton scoring system, during moist season.