Last year I participated in a Small Ruminant Foot Health Webinar Series where I was introduced to the topic of using zinc sulphate foot baths to control hoof rot and scald in sheep and goats. It seemed like a lot of work and expense so we did not do it at the time and have continue to use zinc sulphate topically as well as injected antibiotics to control the hoof rot and scald in our animals (mostly scald in the goats). But it keeps coming back so at the start of mud season this year we will follow their protocol. Hopefully it will work because we will not be culling the animals it does not work on. All the goats today got hoof trimming and time in the warm foot bath.
No problems with that here (knock wood) but I’m pretty sure we don’t get the rainfall you all get. Love how the patient is standing so nicely for the soak! Hope it works for you all.
Tammy
Thanks Tammy! So far it is helping but we shall see if it lasts. The goats were only somewhat cooperative. I think that the water was warm helped.
>
looks like that goat isn’t minding the footbath so much! that’s a lot of work every seven days for the four weeks, but will be worth it if it resolves the issue, eh?
It is a lot of work. We got the second bath done last week and two more to go!
>
Hi, I’ve just been reading your article. We have a problem with foot rot with our goats, could you get back to me to let me know where you got your tray from, I’m finding it really hard trying to do our goats in a cat litter tray. Really need some help thank you. Natalie
Hi Natalie,
We are using a stock water tank. It is about 5 feet long and 2.5 feet wide, maybe 8 inches tall. I have barriers on both sides to help. The webcast site has plans for building a tank but I never looked at them.
Donna
Aww thank you for getting in touch so soon, I don’t have or know anyone with one of those tanks, I will ask around and have a look at the website, it’s just that your set up and your goat look relaxed while doing it. 😎