LIVESTOCK
From page 38
sore leg will rest the leg with the tip of the foot on the ground when standing. With severe lameness it will hold the affected leg off the ground completely. Lameness in the feet might be more obvious when the animal is walking or trotting on a hard surface rather than on soft ground. The lameness may be more evident when the animal sets off after it ' s been standing or lying for a while, and it might improve a little as the animal moves. Some types of joint problems such as arthritis can be like this. The lame animal may spend more time lying down; it may be reluctant to move about. It often takes an expert to identify the site of the problem in cases of mild lameness and lameness affecting more than one leg. If an animal is very lame, it will be in a lot of discomfort and it will probably be in pain. It will be reluctant to move and to eat, it will be miserable and it will lose weight. If you can ' t deal with it effectively yourself, you must call a vet. In sheep a common cause of lameness in summer is a tick lodged between the animal ' s toes. Good livestock management is based on closely observing your animals and the environment in which they live, in order to prevent injury or disease or to spot it as soon as it occurs. There are recommendations to maintain healthy hooves and legs amongst all of your animals: ❑ All walking surfaces should be kept clean and provide a comfortable walking surface. ❑ Foot baths should be properly maintained and a good hoof care programme followed. ❑ Early detection and treatment of lameness is crucial. ❑ Lameness prevalence should continuously be monitored and management changed when needed. ❑ Proper hoof trimming
routines should be applied, depending on the breed of animal. ❑ Records should be kept so that results can be measured. Lameness can be a costly disease both in money and in animal welfare. The monetary costs of the disease consist of loss of milk or meat yield, treatment costs, decrease in reproductive efficiency, and premature culling. If you are riding the animal or using it in some form of traction the productivity will be affected.
40 www. sasmallholder. co. za