Hoof wall forming pockets in sheep and goat feet | Sez the Vet

Check out this weeks episode to hear Dr Sez chat about this VERY common condition (and one rarely spoken about) that causes the hoof wall to pull apart from the sole, forming pockets of mud and stones.
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Note the opinions expressed are those of the authors, and this informative episode is not intended to replace individual advice given by a medical professional, for your specific case
Attributions:
Endeavour Audio by Ron Gelinas, retrieved rom • Ron Gelinas - Endeavou...

[@doreensmith8970]

I've been asking and googling this condition and all I ever hear or read is hoof rot, foot scald. So finally with your post I know and can treat. All of my Angoras, all related have this condition and it has plagued me for years! Thank you!!!

[@stillwatersfarm8499]

I’m having this issue with certain of my cashmere lines. I have never seen this in any of my dairy goats. They eat the exact same diet, and live in the same pens and pastures. I definitely think this is genetic. And they are definitely not being over-trimmed. It is hard to keep up with 50 head. What country are you in? I’m in the US, but I know our cashmere lines were imported from Australia and New Zealand, so this is very interesting.

[@doreensmith8970]

@@stillwatersfarm8499 I'm on the East Coast of USA. I'm not sure what to attribute it to. This only appeared maybe 5 years ago with only one but now all 4 have it, but not every hoof. I've upgraded the amount of grain and added free salt and mineral as well as better quality hay. I'm anxious to see if nutrition plays a part.

[@doreensmith8970]

And yes, mine are all related. This would definitely be a factor I'm sure.

[@melissagonella6137]

Yes, I concur with what many people have said. Super helpful.

[@PiecesOfAPromiseFarm]

Your videos are sooooo helpful! THANK YOU for posting about the hard to find goat issues that apparently only you know about! Now I can't stop watching your videos!

[@hokichikka]

Thanks so much, I wish I'd found this video sooner. I feel better knowing it's not just me having trouble understanding this. I have 2 unrelated sheep with the same thing. I previously had a South Suffolk wether who had much better hooves than the other two. He browsed more so had a more varied diet. I think his hooves grew slower. I've also wondered if too much food is a factor? Like laminitis in horses? My two have a lot of grass available to them and they are pretty big (some might say fat!). I am on the West Coast of the South Island so the climate and ground are quite wet, but not especially muddy. Sheep hooves do seem to grow fast here. My shearer didn't think their feet were too bad, so it must be pretty typical here. It would be super helpful to see a videos of the procedures you're suggesting, and also tools and techniques for removing mud. Is this condition more common on lifestyle blocks or not? Thanks again

[@Madidahoan]

Thank you! This is exactly what I was needing, and I was having a hard time finding videos about this specifically.

[@SeztheVet]

Oh I know, isn't a pain! For how common it is, its hard for people to find much of anything, online! Glad to help :)

[@jojof1433]

Thank you!!!! My vet didn’t explain very well what was actually happening

[@clf235]

I “pasture” my goat in a heavily wooded area, so ground stays damp all year. So I see hoof issues like this. One thing that does seem to help is to make the white line smooth after trimming. Seem reduce separation between trims. Just a few swipes with a small rasp will smooth it out after the trim of the hoof.

[@SeztheVet]

Brilliant, I absolutely agree. Once Theres a little crack there, it will continue to unzip, so to speak. Prevent the crack in the first place and you'll stop it from happening. Thanks for your comment!

[@Kathleen67.]

@@SeztheVet I found this very useful! Even though I am in Missouri in the USA, I am finding your content wonderful! Have you ever considered Celtic Sea Salt for minerals?

[@lianapalumbo8457]

Always so useful. Thank you ☺️

[@SeztheVet]

You’re welcome 😊

[@VikingGrazers]

Cheers Sez. My Icelandics in the UK have got Shelly Hoof atm. Feel awful about them having, almost as if it is my fault theyve got it. On another piece of land, where my male sheep graze alongside horses, I've noticed they have it a lot less. The land is better and grass shorter than the ewe grazing. The land my ewes are on is VERY wet currently and in the past 3 weeks it's been coming on more. There's thinking here, especially in Icelandic circles, it is due to the ground being so wet, as in Iceland the sheep spend all summer in the mountains on volcanic rock etc, and then house indoors on wooden slats over winter. I've found a salt lick with added zinc gets used a lot more than the others with selenium & cobalt. They've got access to a general purpose lick as well.

[@roogullifarm4800]

Thank you. I've wondered about this for a while. How do you clean out the pocket? Do you wash or scrape or is it a case of cutting away the outside part? Does it need to be dry before hoof cement goes in?

[@SeztheVet]

Good question. Cleaning it out too intensely with a blade risks penetrating the pocket even deeper and even knicking the soft tissue. I clean the bulk of it our with a blade, then spray to clean. It is a bit of a faff around as, yes, it does need to be try for the putty to hold.

[@katieward2584]

Thanks for this video! So helpful. Is the Keratex Hoof Putty OK to use on goats?

[@mj-ls7qr8xp3n]

Thank you!

[@SeztheVet]

You're welcome!

[@anneylonen183]

Thank you so much for this. I have this in my 2 goats, third one is different colour and she doesn't have this. Other 2 goats are white. Just ordered them hoof putty and go get some mhetionine, biotine zinc supplement. Before this video I just clipped the outer line away as much as I could, cleaned them daily with bethadine (iodine cleaner for cuts and stuff) and applied some antibiotic paste to prevent dirt going there. But they are bad, thank God only in one hoof, hope they will get better with your advises♥️🙂 Also will get some water pipes on the ground that brings the moisture away from their home, I think this started because of the wet autumn. But now after watching this, I think they have hope 🙂

[@SeztheVet]

Good luck! I continuously toy with the idea of formulating a small ruminant hoof supplement here in NZ, as there is nothing for ruminants at the correct doses for the rumen anatomy. Lots for horses, but the doses are all out of wack. If you have access to dose rates and are keen to source the individual products then that's amazing :) Foot rots tricky becuase they will often overlap as well in a really poor qualiyt foot. Good luck!!

[@cooganbeggs4942]

Hi Sez great info as usual 🙏 are you able to recommend a supplement for hoof health?

[@SeztheVet]

Not at this stage cobair! Which is frustrating. I am in the process of putting one together specifically for ruminants here in NZ. But otherwise Methionine is the one I mentioned in the video, which can have a beneficial effect. Biotin has also been shown to improve horn production, as has zinc. Copper, Cobalt and Manganese can all have a negative impact on hoof quality when deficient, but require diagnostic tests to diagnose and supplement appropriately. Methionine, Biotin and Zinc chelate is a good combo.

[@SeztheVet]

I remember seeing one for ruminants (goats I think from memory) available over seas, but it's not available here in NZ I dont believe.

[@cooganbeggs4942]

@@SeztheVet Many thanks Sez …appreciate the useful information as usual. Id be interested in a supplement if you end up developing something. Loving your channel 👍

[@SeztheVet]

@@cooganbeggs4942 I've had quite a few enquires, so will make sure to post something on the channel when its ready. Thanks for the kind words!

[@GETTHENOD]

What trace elements/minerals/vitamins in particular help promote good hoof health? I know you mentioned one, but I am not sure how to spell that one. I've only ever had this issue with the purebred Merinos. None of them are related. They just seem to have the worst hooves of the lot. And it always happens during the wet months. I deliberately keep them out of boggy areas, but as soon as we have constant rain I always know the Merinos will be going lame with Shelly hoof. Preventative trimming seems to help more than anything else I've done. After the first couple rains I'll neaten the hooves and usually that prevents it for most of them bar one in particular who gets it very bad. I'd be interested to trial this hoof putty on her that you speak of. Is that a vet applied mixture or can any one do it? Thanks :-)

[@meganexelby1062]

Yes! We have a big shelly hoof problem here with milking sheep on wet mucky clay... What particular supplements can help?

[@SeztheVet]

Methionine is the one I mentioned in the video. Biotin has also been shown to improve horn production, as has zinc. Copper, Cobalt and Manganese can all have a negative impact on hoof quality when deficient, but require diagnostic tests to diagnose and supplement appropriately. Methionine, Biotin and Zinc chelate is a good combo. The hoof putty is usually purchased from equine farriery stores.

[@heathertaylor5405]

This was excellent, thank you! My sheep all suffer from this, I always thought it was a symptom of footrot. Would having a variety of "salt" licks available help with the nutrient deficiencies?

[@SeztheVet]

Its always helpful to have a salt lick, so long as it is labeled for sheep (as they don't tolerate some minerals in as high concentrations as cattle). But if you are dealing with a severe deficiency, q lick is unlikely to touch the sides unfortunately

[@aranyasheepfarm]

How to identify whether a sheep is pregnant or not

[@aranyasheepfarm]

Please do video on this topic

[@SeztheVet]

I'll add it to the list thanks!

[@MrDac0wgirl]

This was very helpful thanks. I have this on some of my sheep, and the soles are in bad condition. The soles look frayed, but it's not foot rot. Does shelly hoof affect the soles too?

[@SeztheVet]

Hi, no shelly hoof doesnt affect the soles, sounds like something else going on there.

[@fsbjewellery]

Do you have suggestions of where to get a hoof putty to use to fill in the gap if needed? I try to trim the wall back, but to do it well it often is quite a bit taken off on some of the sheep. I had one ewe with a 'hang nail' as well so she's got no hoof wall over the front of one claw currently.

[@SeztheVet]

Hi Nikita, the hoof putty is usually purchased from equine farriery stores.

[@saintbeans]

Thanks so much for this! It's a major battle for me. It happens in all of mine, even ones with very thick nails. I agree its environmental and could be something in the soil as well. I think I need the hoof putty is there one you recommend in NZ? I've also been thinking what they really need is some kind of hoof block glued on like they have for cows. I wonder if that has been tried? Could you please recommend some supplements for sheep (including wethers so low calcium) available in NZ. Mine get some sheep nuts but only once a week at most. I've asked the vet many times what I can feed them, no luck lol.

[@SeztheVet]

In my experience hoof blocks don't work very well as the sole is so much softer than cattle feet, so struggle to stay on any longer than a few days. Others may have better luck. I use them to relieve pressure on a painful toe, but to keep one one long term while a steely hoof pocket grows out would be a non starter I think. Hoof putty you pick up from equine farriery stores. Supplements are an ongoing battle for me, and I'm looking at creating on myself. There's one overseas for ruminants but not here in nz. You can have your vet run some tests to look for deficiency In copper cobalt and zinc. Other beneficial elements are biotin and methionine. Sorry I don't have a clearer answer there for you.

[@saintbeans]

@@SeztheVet Thanks, a vet brand for ruminants sounds like a good idea.

[@YOYO-ew8mp]

Hi, our goats are really bad and now im not sure if it shelly hoof or foot rot though there is no smell so thinking more shelly hoof. The hoof wall was wet, bending and has a pocket right up to half a centemeter from correnett band (horse term) so i cut it away as it was impacted with dirt. My farrier has done this with horses b4. I cant seem to find any1 to help with a small herd. One goat is walking on soles as hoof wall is either not there the whole way round or only part way round. Can you help please? Should i make a fake hoof wall?

[@YOYO-ew8mp]

ps. our vets dont know about goats and are guessing as much as i am and tell me so, they even gave me coxidiosis treatment that cant be used in dairy goats Im on my own

[@danielwolf2163]

Okay so I'm in the United States, upstate New York which is like by Niagara Falls not New. The issue with the sheep I have the one sheep is not pharmacological it's I think it's got to be DNA / hereditary. So there's one babydoll sheep and there's no issue there, there's another Dorset sheep and there's no issue with that 122 dorset's came in together, and I'm having issues with the one dorsett with exactly what you're talkin about. Now the one footwear I did cut it all the way back and eventually took a year for it to grow back in and it seems to be doing okay now but one of her other feed is doing it and I'm just going to cut it out all the way you know remove the loose hoof horn all the way and I don't need putty that usually grows back in at this point. But it's interesting to hear what you saying I'll take pictures next time so I can share.

[@SeztheVet]

Yes there certainly does appear to be a genetic predisposition as well. Thanks for sharing

[@valeriedale8528]

We seem to have the opposite problem with a couple of our goats in that the hoof at the back appears to grow over the pad. We try to carefully trim it but not knowing where the hoof ends and the pad starts makes it very tricky. If we don't trim enough it then seems to grown out to the inside and starts to push against the other hoof. Any ideas please

[@SeztheVet]

Hi val, yes what you're describing it just the heal too long. Some individuals the heal grows raised than the toe or vise versa. Unfortunately once it spurts out to the side you'll have to keep on top of some very regular trimming of that heal so it grows back out to the correct angle again. A very common mistake it is, to leave the heal too long. A relatively benign one though, if you get on top of it :)

[@mj-ls7qr8xp3n]

Thank you!

[@SeztheVet]

You're welcome!