A Cross-Sectional Epizootiological Study and Risk Assessment of Foot-Related Lesions and Lameness in Intensive Dairy Sheep Farms.
Authors: Moschovas Marios, Kalogianni Aphrodite I, Simitzis Panagiotis, Pavlatos Georgios, Petrouleas Stavros, Bossis Ioannis, Gelasakis Athanasios I
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary Whilst foot lameness in dairy sheep is increasingly recognised as a welfare and production concern, little epidemiological data exists to guide farm management decisions. Moschovas and colleagues conducted a cross-sectional survey across six intensive dairy sheep farms in Greece, examining 600 multiparous ewes to establish prevalence rates of foot-related disease and identify associated risk factors. Infectious footrot and ovine interdigital dermatitis (OID) dominated the clinical picture, affecting 8.0% and 21.3% of the population respectively, though white line disease (37.7%) and hoof wall cracks (15.3%) were substantially more common as subclinical lesions; overall clinical lameness was recorded in 9.0% of animals. Age emerged as a significant risk factor for infectious footrot development, whilst body condition score showed a strong positive association with OID prevalence—findings that implicate both management practices and metabolic status in disease aetiology. For practitioners working with intensive dairy sheep operations, these results underscore the importance of age-stratified monitoring protocols and proactive body condition management as cornerstones of foot health strategies, whilst the high prevalence of subclinical lesions suggests that routine foot examination protocols should extend beyond lame animals to capture early-stage pathology before clinical signs develop.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Foot lesions in dairy sheep are multifactorial; while infectious footrot causes most lameness cases, managing white line disease and hoof cracks is equally important for overall foot health
- •Body condition score and age management are critical—higher BCS sheep showed increased interdigital dermatitis, suggesting nutritional and selective breeding strategies may reduce foot disease burden
- •Husbandry practices appear to be modifiable risk factors; intensive farms should prioritize housing conditions, hygiene, and milking protocols as part of preventive foot health programs
Key Findings
- •Overall prevalence of foot-related lameness was 9.0%, primarily associated with infectious footrot
- •Ovine interdigital dermatitis was the most prevalent infectious foot disease at 21.3%, followed by infectious footrot at 8.0%
- •White line disease and hoof wall cracks were the most prevalent non-infectious lesions at 37.7% and 15.3% respectively
- •Infectious footrot and ovine interdigital dermatitis prevalence increased significantly with age and body condition score, indicating host-related factors and husbandry practices are important determinants