Foot rot is a disease that affects the hooves of goats, sheep and cattle and makes the animals lame. Affected animals cannot easily graze and gradually loose their appetite and weight while lactating animals will produce less milk.
Foot rot prevention
Foot rot disease is caused by a bacteria that enters the soft tissue of the hooves through wounds. Wet weather helps spread the disease.
Since the disease is caused by bacteria, keeping the animals shade clean at all times is key in preventing the disease.
Do not allow animals to stand in dung and urine for long times.
Remove spilt dung and food often from animal pens.
Keep animals in dry places and don’t tie them in wet and muddy places.
Be careful when purchasing new animals and check that the hooves are not affected.
Segregate newly purchased animas from the herd and observe them for lameness or any sign of disease.
Foot rot treatment
If you notice any sign of foot rot in your animas, you can use locally available ingredients to treat them.
Before applying home made herbal medicine, clean the affected hooves with plenty of clean water.
Mix few table spoons of turmeric powder with coconut oil to make a paste. Apply this paste on the affected hooves.
You can also make a herbal medicine using plant materials. Neem leaves and custard apple leaves have antiseptic and healing properties.
Preparing herbal medicine
The back of trees like jack fruit and guava are important ingredients in preparing herbal treatment for foot rot disease. Dry small pieces of the back of guava and jack fruit until they are brittle and easy to grind. Grind these pieces into powder. Take 3 handfuls of leaves of neem tree or custard apple and put them in a vessel, add 3 handfuls of dried back powder of a guava or jack fruit tree.
Add 1 to 2 table spoons of salt, boil these ingredients with little water to make a paste.
Apply the cool paste on the affected hoof 3 times a day for 7 days. Make fresh paste every day.
The other herbal medicine is made by mixing 1 table spoon of neem oil and mix it with 1 table spoon of coconut oil. This is applied to the affected parts of the hoof once a day. If the animal doesn’t get better after 7 days, contact a veterinarian.
