Recognition of the lesions of footrot can be challenging under some circumstances:
- when seasonal and pasture conditions are cold, dry, wet or muddy
- when the lesions are long standing and healing has commenced
- when there have been repeated episodes of footrot with partial healing
- when severe lesions become overgrown by hard horn
The images on this page have been contributed by experienced veterinarians to illustrate some of these problems.
Figure 1. Misshapen hoof, overgrowth of hard horn – the result of a chronic severe (underrun) footrot lesion. Photo: B Edmonson
Figure 2. Misshapen hoof, overgrowth of hard horn, the result of a chronic footrot lesion. Photo: B Edmonson
Figure 3. Misshapen hoof, overgrowth of hard horn which has been reflected to reveal a partially healed severe (underrun, Score 4) footrot lesion, with impacted soil. Photo: B Edmonson
Figure 4. Hard horn at toe has been pared to reveal a chronic active severe (underrun, Score 4) footrot lesion. Horn has regrown at the heals and over the posterior sole to cover previously underrun areas. The interdigital skin is relatively normal. Photo: B Edmonson
Figure 5. Score 4 lesion with regrowth of horn and impaction of faeces, mud and soil. The interdigital skin is relatively normal. Photo: B Edmonson
Figure 6. Severe (underrun, Score 3c) footrot lesions, partially healed, with overgrowth of dysplastic crumbly horn, which has been pared. Photo: B Edmonson
Figure 7. Severe (underrun, Score 3b-3c) footrot lesions affecting both feet, partially healed, with overgrowth of horn, which has been pared. Photo: B Edmonson
Figure 8. Severe (underrun, Score 3c) footrot lesion, partially healed, with overgrowth of horn, which has been pared. Photo: B Edmonson
Figure 9. Severe (underrun, Score 4) footrot lesions in both digits, partially healed, with overgrowth of horn, which has been pared. Photo: B Edmonson
Figure 10. Severe (underrun, Score 3b) footrot lesions in both digits, which have reactivated following placement of sheep on wet straw for a few days. There is an acute inflammatory exudate. Overgrown horn has been pared to reveal the lesions. Same mob of sheep as in Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9, which are images taken before the sheep were placed on wet straw. Photo: B Edmonson
Figure 11. Severe (underrun, Score 3c) footrot lesion which has reactivated following placement of sheep on wet straw for a few days. There is an acute inflammatory exudate. There is also a Score 2 lesion (inflammation of the interdigital skin). Same mob of sheep as in Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9, which are images taken before the sheep were placed on wet straw. Photo: B Edmonson
Figure 12. Severe (underrun, Score 3c) footrot lesion, partially healed, with regrowth of horn and impaction of faeces and soil in pockets in the horn. The interdigital skin is relatively normal. Photo: B Edmonson
Figure 13. Severe (underrun, Score 4) footrot lesion, healed, with regrowth of horn in multiple layers and impaction of faeces and soil in pockets in the horn. There have been repeated episodes of active inflammation and healing. The interdigital skin is relatively normal. Photo: B Edmonson
Figure 14. Score 2 lesion, severe and long standing, with hyperplasia and papillary fibrosis of interdigital skin. Photo: B Edmonson
Go back to: Introduction to foot scores
Footrot @ Sydney 