Treatment of virulent footrot with lincomycin and spectinomycin.
A mixture of lincomycin and spectinomycin was investigated as a treatment for footrot in sheep. In a controlled clinical trial 92.5% of acute and chronic cases of virulent footrot were cured following a single intramuscular injection of a mixture containing 50 mg lincomycin and 100 mg spectinomycin/ml at a dose rate of 1 ml/10 kg bodyweight. No improvement in clinical response was observed in groups of sheep treated on 3 successive days with this dose rate nor in another group treated once at a dose rate 1 ml/3.3 kg bodyweight. Cure effectiveness of each of the 3 treatment groups relative to untreated controls was 89%, 95% and 95%. Efficacy of lincomycin/spectinomycin was compared with that of penicillin/streptomycin in the treatment of footrot on 2 farms in south western New South Wales. Assessments made 14 to 17 d after treatment showed that on one farm all 122 ewes treated with lincomycin/spectinomycin had recovered while 170 of 175 ewes treated with penicillin/streptomycin recovered in the same period. On the second farm 87 of 90 ewes treated with lincomycin/spectinomycin recovered, compared with 184 of 190 sheep in the same flock treated with penicillin/streptomycin. Supportive footbathing did not seem to improve the clinical response in either treatment group and the paring done was sufficient only to establish diagnosis and to remove grossly overgrown horn.
Venning
C M
CM
Department of Animal Health, University of Sydney, Camden, New South Wales.
Curtis
M A
MA
Egerton
J R
JR
D000818:Animals; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005535:Foot Rot / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008034:Lincomycin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D010406:Penicillins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000198:Spectinomycin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013307:Streptomycin / Q000627:therapeutic use
D010406:Penicillins; D000198:Spectinomycin; D008034:Lincomycin; D013307:Streptomycin