The role of foot conformation in susceptibility of Merino sheep to footrot

Footrot is an important cause of lameness in small ruminants. It exists in most countries and is a significant cause of production losses. While sheep with persistent footrot may develop misshapen hooves due to inflammation affecting the germinal tissues, the role of foot conformation as a factor affecting the susceptibility to footrot is unknown. Consequently, this study was undertaken to determine whether there is an association. The foot conformation of Merino sheep (n = 44) was assessed prior to infection with Dichelobacter nodosus in an experimental pen infection model. Associations between pre-infection foot conformation parameters and foot lesions that developed as a result of the infection were evaluated using univariable and multivariable logistic regression. Heel height (lateral digit), sole width (lateral digit) and interdigital skin height were significant in univariable models (P < 0.05) but lost significance in multivariable models. Foot conformation may affect the microenvironment and hence the microbial community on the interdigital skin; further studies are warranted with increased sample sizes to better understand the relationship between foot conformation parameters and the susceptibility to footrot in order to assess the potential for genetic selection.

Automated summary

Foot conformation parameters may be associated with susceptibility to footrot, potentially by affecting the microbial environment on the interdigital skin.