Research Article
Khadim Hussain Dar, Mehraju
Abstract
The present study was conducted to evaluate the comparative efficacy of different treatment regimens for the management of acute footrot in sheep. This study was conducted on 36 adult sheep of both sexes living at an altitude of 1800-2000 meters above sea level, aged between 2.49 ± 1.6 years and weighing 36.7 ± 0.9 kg. Footrot was diagnosed on the bases of physical and clinical analysis and then confirmed laboratorically. The animals were randomly divided into 3 equal groups. The animals of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd group were administered dicrysticin- SLDV@ 2.5 g/animal intramuscularly (IM), oxytetracycline @ 20 mg/kg body weight (b.wt) IM, and enrofloxacin @ 5 mg/kg b.wt. IM, respectively on the days 1st, 2nd and 3rd, besides this the animals in 1st and 2nd group were given melonex @ 0.2 mg/kg b.wt and esgipyrin-N @ 3 ml/animal IM for three days. Along with the above medications animals of all the groups were given 10% copper-sulfate footbath. The mean recovery time in days was shortest in group 2nd (3.03 ± 0.64) followed by group 1st (4.10 ± 0.31), and longest in group 3rd (4.48 ± 0.79) respectively. The mean ± SE values of rectal temperature and ruminal motility showed significant (p<0.05) differences. Therefore administration of parenteral antibiotics and analgesics in association with footbath is highly effective treatment for the footrot in sheep.