A Cross-Sectional Epizootiological Study and Risk Assessment of Foot-Related Lesions and Lameness in Intensive Dairy Sheep Farms
Marios Moschovas,
Aphrodite I. Kalogianni,
Panagiotis Simitzis,
Georgios Pavlatos,
Stavros Petrouleas,
Ioannis Bossis,
Athanasios I. Gelasakis
Affiliations
Marios Moschovas
Laboratory of Anatomy and Physiology of Farm Animals, Department of Animal Science, School of Animal Biosciences, Agricultural University of Athens (AUA), Iera Odos 75 str., 11855 Athens, Greece
Aphrodite I. Kalogianni
Laboratory of Anatomy and Physiology of Farm Animals, Department of Animal Science, School of Animal Biosciences, Agricultural University of Athens (AUA), Iera Odos 75 str., 11855 Athens, Greece
Panagiotis Simitzis
Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, Department of Animal Science, School of Animal Biosciences, Agricultural University of Athens (AUA), Iera Odos 75 str., 11855 Athens, Greece
Georgios Pavlatos
Laboratory of Anatomy and Physiology of Farm Animals, Department of Animal Science, School of Animal Biosciences, Agricultural University of Athens (AUA), Iera Odos 75 str., 11855 Athens, Greece
Stavros Petrouleas
Laboratory of Anatomy and Physiology of Farm Animals, Department of Animal Science, School of Animal Biosciences, Agricultural University of Athens (AUA), Iera Odos 75 str., 11855 Athens, Greece
Ioannis Bossis
Laboratory of Animal Husbandry, Department of Agricultural Sciences, School of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Athanasios I. Gelasakis
Laboratory of Anatomy and Physiology of Farm Animals, Department of Animal Science, School of Animal Biosciences, Agricultural University of Athens (AUA), Iera Odos 75 str., 11855 Athens, Greece
Foot-related lameness, foot-diseases and lesions are emerging issues in dairy sheep; however, relevant epizootiological studies are scarce, and risk factors have not been elucidated. The objectives of this cross-sectional study were (i) to address this dearth of knowledge by investigating the epizootiology of lameness-related foot-lesions and diseases, and (ii) to assess the impact of potential risk factors on foot health, in intensive dairy sheep farms. Thirty farms were assigned in two representative clusters using a multivariate statistical analysis. Three farms per cluster and 100 multiparous milking ewes per farm (total n = 600) were selected and enrolled in the study. Foot-related lameness, ovine interdigital dermatitis (OID), infectious footrot (IFR), white line disease, hoof wall cracks, as well as health and welfare traits were recorded. Overall prevalence of foot-related lameness was 9.0% and was primarily associated with IFR; however, additional infectious and non-infectious foot diseases and lesions also contributed. Among infectious foot diseases, OID was the most prevalent (21.3%) followed by IFR (8.0%); WLD and hoof wall cracks were the most prevalent non-infectious foot-lesions (37.7% and 15.3%, respectively). IFR and OID prevalence increased with age (p p < 0.01), respectively, suggesting that host-related factors and husbandry practices are important determinants of its occurrence.
