Sheep 2024 Lameness Reference Card

Lameness Reference Card

Causes	Description	Photo
Foot Scald	The skin between the claws is swollen, red and may be covered by a thin layer of white discharge, may be only slightly lame
Foot rot	More severe than foot scald, often effects more than one foot, may have a smell and may attract flies, will be more lame than a sheep with foot scald
Contagious Ovine Digital Dermatitis (CODD)	Severe lameness, typically affecting one claw of one foot. Small ulcers develop at the coronary band, the whole hoof capsule may detach.
Foot abscess	Sheep will be lame with obvious acute pain, foot will be swollen, in some cases there may be a purulent discharge above the hoof or between the toes, usually only one foot affected
Shelly hoof/ white line disease	In severe cases, there will be lameness, separation of the horn from the hoof, with a visible white line
Granuloma	Painful, red swelling from growing tissue caused by over-trimming or chronic irritation from untreated lesions or chemical irritation.
Injury	May be acute or chronic, hooves likely look okay
Swollen joints/ Joint ill	Lameness, with potentially multiple legs or joints affected, early signs include hot/swollen joints, likely seen in lambs, hooves themselves may look okay.
Other causes	Other disease such as sore mouth or grain overload may cause transient lameness