Goat Hoof Health

Presentation for 2023 Ontario Goat Hoof Health Clinics

1. Goat hoof health and management SUSAN SCHOENIAN Sheep & Goat Specialist Emeritus University of Maryland Extension [email protected] |Facebook @MDSmallRuminant sheepandgoat.com | sheep101.info | wormx.info

2. Hoof health Hoof health is an important aspect of goat management. Hoof health can affect an animal’s performance, health, and welfare. Hooves should be check regularly for disease and excess growth. Animals with excessive or abnormal hoof growth and chronic hoof disease should be culled.

3. Why do you need to trim hooves? To prevent lameness. To allow air to reach the hoof, to eliminate the bacteria that can cause infections. To create a flat sole surface, removing trapped mud and feces and reducing the possibility of disease. To promote proper hoof growth and body soundness.

4. How often should you trim hooves? It depends. The need varies from never to every couple of months. The need for hoof trimming is affected by different factors.

5. Factors affecting hoof growth GENETICS Individual Breed or type Color of hooves (?) Structure of hooves ENVIRONMENT Soil moisture and characteristics Terrain Climate, season, and rainfall Housing Diet

6. Special consideration for dairy goats New Zealand study Published 2023 Eighty 5-month-old housed Saanen cross does Hoof growth rate was similar in front and hind hooves, and slowed when the goats were pregnant. Front hooves grew 4.39 mm per month; hind hooves grew 4.20 mm per month. Trimming goats early in life had only minor effects on hoof growth (5 vs. 13 mos.) Trimming every 4 months was not sufficient to prevent hoof overgrowth, the development of poor conformation, and detrimental changes in joint positions, particularly in the hind hooves.  Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030222007354

7. When should you trim hooves Not during late gestation. In conjunction with other management tasks. Before show, not day of show. Preferably not in the milking parlor. When hooves are soft.

8. What you need to trim hooves Hoof shears Hoof knife Small brush Disinfectant Pump or spray bottle Tight-fitting gloves Method of restraint Time (labor-intensive)

9. Tools for trimming hooves Hand-held hoof trimmers (shears) Hoof knife Hoof rasp Power trimmers (e.g., PowerParer ®) Electric hoof knife (e.g., Hoof Boss)

10. Proper restraint of goats for hoof trimming While goat is on its side or rump. While goat is standing on the ground with its head secured. On a milking or fitting stand. On an elevated platform in a head lock. In a turn or tilt table or squeeze (manual or automatic). Tipping goats on their rumps or using a deck chair doesn’t work as well for goats as sheep.

11. Hoof Anatomy

12. Proper hoof trimming Clean hooves with tip of closed shears, hoof knife and/or small brush. Trim excess growth; small pieces at a time. After you’ve finished, spray hooves with zinc sulfate solution Disinfect tools between animals Some animals may need multiple trimmings to get their hooves shaped right so they’ll grow right. Avoid overzealous hoof trimming (drawing blood).

13. Trimming procedure for a goat’s hoof

14. Primary diseases affecting hooves of goats Hoof abscess Foot scald Foot rot

15. Moisture/Trauma Softening, damage to hoof keratin or interdigital skin Invasion by Actinomyces pyogenes or other anaerobes Invasion by Fusobacterium necrophorum or other facilitator Invasion by Dichelobacter nodosus with aprB2 Invasion by Dichelobacter nodosus with aprV2 FOOT SCALD BENIGN FOOT ROT VIRULENT FOOT ROT diagram depicting differences among foot abscess, foot scald, and either benign or virulent foot rot Benign and virulent strains of  D. nodosus  differ in a gene that codes for a protease (an enzyme that degrades protein) in the bacterium.  Virulent strains express a very invasive form of the acid protease 2 gene called called AprV2, whereas benign strains express a far less intense variant of this protease called AprB2 . FOOT ABSCESS = Source: Michigan State University (interdigital dermatitis)

16. About the bacteria that causes hoof disease The causative organism of foot scald ( Fusobacterium necrophorum ) lives in the soil for extended periods of time OUTSIDE THE ANIMAL. The causative organism of foot rot,  Dichelobacter nodosus , has a more limited life span outside of the animal such that soil that has not had infected sheep or goats on it for 2 weeks is considered CLEAN .  This 2-week isolation period is an important factor to understand when implementing an eradication plan. There are at least 20 strains of D. nodosus , with varying pathogenicity.

17. Foot abscess Occurs when Actinomyces spp. bacteria (or other anaerobes) invade tissue already weakened by an interdigital infection. Causes lameness, pain, swelling, and heat. Affects mostly mature and heavy animals. Usually only one hoof or digit is affected. Trim affected hoof (avoid over-trimming) and clean abscess to allow drainage. Administer antibiotics and anti-inflammatories under advice of veterinarian (Vx).

18. Foot scald Also called interdigital dermatitis, benign footrot, or strip Caused by Fusobacterium necrophorum . An inflammation and redness between the toes (claws). No (or minimal) involvement of the hoof. Can be precursor to footrot and foot abscesses. Outbreaks occur during periods of wet weather. Need to identify risk factors and reduce or eliminate them. Similar treatment as footrot.

19. Footrot Footrot is caused by the interaction of two anaerobic gram-negative bacteria: Dichelobacter nodosus (formerly Bacteroides nodosus ) Fusobacterium necrophorum There are two kinds of footrot: Benign Virulent Footrot is highly contagious!

20. Benign footrot “not harmful” Caused by a more benign strain of D. nodosus . Similar to foot scald (or interdigital dermatitis) – can be difficult to differentiate between the two. Some odor Occurs mostly seasonally when conditions are wet. Usually controllable with foot bathing or moving to dry area.

21. V irulent Footrot “Extremely severe or harmful” Caused by more virulent strain of D. nodosus . Affects the horny tissue of the hoof, causing separation of hoof from underlying tissue Usually both toes are affected Has foul odor Significant welfare issue. Control and eradication can be difficult and time-consuming.

22. Sources of footrot PRIMARY In the hooves of infected goats SECONDARY On contaminated equipment. In contaminated bedding at sales, fairs, and during transport. In the hooves of sheep and cattle. On pasture and in barn lots. On footwear. From service personnel

23. How do hoof diseases get established? Irritation of interdigital tissue caused by moisture or trauma allows entry of F. necrophorum . Other disease-causing bacteria invade tissue already weakened by interdigital dermatitis. Predisposing factors: Warmth (>45°F, 7°C) + moisture Overgrown hooves Abnormal hoof growth Infection or exposure does not provide natural immunity.

24. Preventing footrot Strict biosecurity - written biosecurity plan recommended. Do not buy animals from herds with a history of foot diseases or noticeable lameness. Do not buy animals with unknown origins and histories. All newly-acquired animals should be suspected of having footrot and be quarantined before being introduced to the farm and other animals.

25. Quarantine Quarantine all new animals for at least 30 days. Quarantine animals returning from a show or exhibition. Quarantine area should be away from the main herd. Quarantined animals should be taken care for last.

26. During quarantine Observe all new animals for lameness (as well as other problems). Carefully inspect each hoof. Trim hooves, if necessary. Soak or spray each foot with a solution of 20% zinc sulfate. Another option is to give all new entries an injection of a long-acting antibiotic (Rx) from the Macrolide family (Vx).

27. At the end of the quarantine period Re-trim (if necessary) and thoroughly examine hooves for signs of infection. If there is any evidence of footrot infection, all animals in the group should be foot bathed with a 10% solution of zinc sulfate. No animal should be released until and unless it is CLEAN.

28. How do you get rid of footrot if you already have it? Hoof trimming Foot soaking (bathing) Separation of clean and infected (or exposed animals). Clean, dry places Topicals Antibiotics Culling Do not sell animals with footrot except to a terminal market (immediate slaughter). Methods may vary by size of herd.

29. Day 0 Trim, inspect, and score hooves of all goats Separate goats into clean and infected groups Foot bath all goats. After soaking put goats in drying area After drying, put groups into separate “clean” pastures (or barn areas). Day 7 Repeat foot bathing and drying protocol Observe animals and check for limpers Check and trim feet of limpers in clean group and move them to infected group. Day 14 Inspect all goats. Trim hooves (if necessary). Move infected animals that have recovered to clean group and vice versa. Repeat foot bathing and drying protocol. Move groups to separate “clean” pastures (or barn areas). Day 21 Repeat foot bathing and drying protocol. Observe animals and check for limpers. Check and trim feet of limpers in clean group and move them to infected group. Day 28 Inspect all goats. Score each hoof. Repeat foot bathing and drying protocol CULL any animal that is still infected. 4-week protocol for eradicating footrot University of Maine Sheep Foot Health Project (2010-2014).

30. Foot bathing Many ways to create foot baths. Long handling chutes will make process more labor efficient for larger herds. Zinc sulfate is preferred solution for foot bathing: mix 8.5 pounds of zinc sulfate in 10 gallons of water + 1 cup of laundry detergent (as a wetting agent) Copper sulfate and formaldehyde have also been used in footbaths, but are not preferred. Create a “soak” pad in bottom of footbath (wool or sawdust) to prevent splashing and loss of solution. Goats should stand in foot bath for at least 5 minutes, preferably longer. Put animals in drying area after soaking. Put animals in clean pasture or lot after soaking.

31. Use of clean pastures or lots The bacteria that causes footrot has a limited lifespan outside the hoof (animal). A clean pasture (or lot) is one that has not had infected (or exposed) goats (or sheep) on it for at least two weeks. This 2-week isolation period is an important factor to consider when implementing a footrot eradication plan.

32. Hoof lesion scoring Foot scoring is a means of objectively describing the severity of lesions Used in diagnosis and to determine impact of treatment Needed to make genetic selection decisions Different scales are used (e.g., 0-5, 1-3).

33. Treating footrot with drugs Antibiotic containing penicillin or tetracyclines. Long-acting antibiotic of the macrolide family (10-14 days): gamithromycin ( Zactran ®) or tulathromycin ( Draxxin ®) Anti-inflammatory medications for pain relief. Must work with veterinarian (Vx) to use these drugs (Rx).

34. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37106937/ Selecting for foot health and foot Studied mostly in other species. Breed differences identified in sheep. Moderate heritability has been estimated for ovine footrot, generally between 0.20 and 0.30 depending on breed and phenotypic scoring method. Research is being used to develop EBVs and marker-assisted selection for sheep. In dairy goats Moderate heritability suggests selection against claw disorders and lameness is possible in dairy goats. There are weak to strong genetic and phenotypic correlations between lameness and claw disorder traits with milk traits. More research is needed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37106937/

35. Genome-wide association with footrot in hair and wool sheep (in press) University of Maine Foot Health Project (2010-2014) Teaching producers how to eliminate footrot First genome-wide study examining footrot susceptibility using hair sheep and the first to identify multiple genome-wide significant associations with footrot. Results provided insight into mechanisms that may affect footrot susceptibility and resistance Results provided a foundation for developing predictive genetic marker tests for selection of sheep before infection and disease transmission occur. More research is needed.

36. A few other diseases that can affect the hooves of goats Laminitis White line disease Blue tongue Foot-and-mouth disease

37. Laminitis (founder) Laminitis is a metabolic disorder that affects the soft tissue structures of the foot Acute Laminitis occurs if the animal ingests feeds high in energy and carbohydrates, resulting in a condition called ruminal acidosis.  Subclinical laminitis is by far the most common form of laminitis in goats. It occurs when goats are overfed for a prolonged period of time. Chronic laminitis develops if acute or subclinical laminitis is not recognized early enough. This occurs when the hoof wall and sole horn formation is disturbed.  Treat with proper nutrition and environment and antibiotics and anti-inflammatories (Vx). Images: Lifestyle Vet Auckland NZ

38. White line disease or “shelly hoof” Defect of the hoof wall Hoof wall pulls away from sole of foot forming pockets where mud and stone can get stuck. Not usually painful but can lead to serious problems. Can come and go. Poorly understood, multi-factorial: nutrition, genetics Similar treatment as other diseases. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07STUxJCAAc

39. Best management practices: hoof health Strict biosecurity. Regular checking of hooves, trimming as needed. Hygienic environment (dry) Culling animals with hoof problems. Proper nutrition: energy , protein, vitamins, and minerals (esp. zinc). For chronic problems, periodic foot bathing or walk-thru foot baths (wet or dry). Vaccination to reduce incidence and severity of disease (vaccine availability?)

40. Thank you. Questions? Comments? SUSAN SCHOENIAN Sheep & Goat Specialist Emeritus University of Maryland Extension [email protected] www.sheepandgoat.com www.sheep101.info www.wormx.info Facebook @MDSmallRuminant