Foot rot

Symptoms

· Inflamed foot.
· Pus between the two parts of the hoof
· The hoof smells bad.
· Parts of the flesh may die and turn black.
· The animal becomes lame.
· The animal does not put its weight on the foot.

Foot rot

If you see sores in the mouth of animals with foot rot, the problem may be foot-and-mouth disease (see Infectious diseases, page 62).

Causes

· Bacteria, fungi.
· Animals that are kept in a wet place often suffer from foot rot.

Prevention

· Keep animals in a dry place.

· Dig a shallow pit across the road where the herd of animals must pass on its way to and from the pasture. Fill this with water to make a mud-bath. Sprinkle any of the following disinfectants in the pit. Drive the animals through the pit twice each day. You can also put any of these disinfectants in the wet, muddy area near drinking troughs. (Northern and Western India)

Prevention

Disinfectants:

· 2-3 liters of kerosene. (Cambodia. 1, 2)

· 200-300 ml of any strong disinfectant, e.g., floor cleaning fluid, lime (calcium hydroxide) water. (Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand. 1, 2, 3)

· 2-3 handfuls of copper sulfate dissolved in a bucket of water. (Sri Lanka)

· 3-5 kg of pounded fresh neem leaves.

Disinfectants

Treatment

Wash the foot thoroughly with clean water, remove dead tissue and apply one of the following remedies. Move the animal to a dry place.

· Pound 3 handfuls of Pterocarpus macrocarpus bark together with 3 fistfuls of small pieces of Eupaiorium odoratum (fresh whole plant). Add 1-2 tablespoons of salt. Boil with enough water to make a paste. Apply on the rotten hoof 3 times a day for 7 days. (Thailand. 1. 2.3)

· Use the A-B-C treatment for wounds (see Wounds).

· Dig a small pit in clean, hot sand in a river bed or on the beach. Put the affected hoof in the pit and cover it up to the fetlock with hot sand. Keep it there for 10-20 minutes. The heat will help heal the wound. Do this once a day in the afternoon when the sand is hot, until the hoof is cured. (India. 1, 2, 3)

Treatment

· If you see maggots in the wound, take equal amounts of fresh Annona squamosa and neem leaves. Pound to make a paste (add a little water if necessary). Apply this to the wound twice a day for 2-3 days. Tie a cloth around the hoof to hold the paste in place. Keep the animal confined for this time. (For other treatments against maggots, see Wounds, page 78). (India. 1, 2)

Treatment 2