Animal Health & Welfare

When To Use Vaccination

Vaccination may be appropriate if, despite foot paring and bathing, footrot has not been brought under control and reduced to the level of scald. It will not eliminate scald itself, so foot paring and foot bathing will still be necessary but it will reduce the severity of infection and improve welfare.

Vaccination Technique

• Use the vaccine Footvax to control the problem
• Plan the timing of vaccination to give protection when needed - antibodies are highest 3-12 weeks after vaccination. The critical vaccination time is usally before the onset of warm and wet weather
• Two doses are required for maximum protection. These can be given 1-6 months apart
• The injection site is in the neck, 2-3 inches behind the ear, and the dose rate is 1ml. As the vaccination is viscous it is easier if the bottle is immersed in hot water prior to use
• In any case vaccination pre-lambing may result in antibodies concentrating in colostrum where they will be wasted, so vaccinate after lambing for summer months, and before tupping for autumn problems. As a guide, it is best to avoid vaccinating four weeks either side of lambing
• Try not to vaccinate within two months of shearing or showing sheep, as a lump at the vaccination site often occurs and this can easily get cut off causing further problems
• Give any booster injection on the other side of the neck as vaccination can cause localised inflammation
• Absesses from the use of dirty needles is a problem during vaccination against the agents involved in lameness, so frequently changing the needle is a sensible policy
• The vaccine gives protection for about 12 weeks.
  

Key Points When Vaccinating

• Treat all of the flock, including the tups – treating only the affected animals will not protect the others
• Vaccination should be performed in conjunction with paring and foot bathing as it will not combat scald
• Quarantine new sheep coming in and vaccinate before mixing them with the flock. Never buy lame sheep
• After vaccinating, segregate sheep that are still lame for antibiotic treatment and foot bathing then put them back with the main flock when cured
• Cull ewes not responding to treatment

There is currently one vaccine available in the UK for the prevention of footrot, but alone it will not prevent lameness in a flock. The greatest benefit is achieved when vaccination is used as part of a programme whch includes foot bathing, foot paring and segregation as necessary, antibiotic therapy and culling of chronic cases.

Additional information from Defra on methods to prevent and treat lameness can be found using the link to the right under ‘related internet links’.