Lameness in Cows & Sheep

Lameness in cows and sheep

In our flocks and herds lameness is an issue that is very damaging to the productivity of affected animals, takes significant time and expense to treat and leads to higher incidences of culling.

Unfortunately, and perhaps unsurprisingly, there isn’t a single solution to all. However, it should be a regular and ongoing conversation between farmers and our vets. Recording and monitoring cases, as well as examining cases to ascertain the cause of lameness, will allow us to advise you on the best control, prevention and treatment options and keep you informed with the most up to date advice and research.

Use of pain killers

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs work really well in cattle and sheep. The option of products with short meat withdrawals and zero milk withdrawals also makes them extremely convenient to use.

The idea that welfare and production appear in two separate sections of a farm health plan is one which we should be moving away from an we would encourage you to make use of our farm vets’ expertise on welfare matters to get your flock or herd working for you in the way you want.

If you have further concerns or queries about your flock or herd, then please give us a call