Antibiotics: In brief

Footrot and CODD are infectious causes of lameness and therefore antibiotics are an appropriate treatment. See below for more information about using antibiotics.

Using antibiotics to treat lameness

Following dosing instructions correctly is very important when using antibiotics. Underdosing (using less than recommended) is a waste of money, time and effort. It will not cure the animal and may lead to antibiotic resistance. Try the activity on the right to see if you can correctly work out an antibiotic dose.
Only treat affected sheep: treating healthy animals may lead to antibiotic resistance.
Your sheep will recover better and faster if you treat them promptly with antibiotics. Do not wait for them to become more lame. Treat with antibiotics within 3 days.
Consult your vet: Always consult your vet if you are unsure about anything concerning antibiotics.

Long acting antibiotics are the most effective to treat footrot. Some examples are Oxytetracycline (Tetroxy, Alamycin LA, Engemycin LA, Terramycin LA) or Amoxicillin (Bimoxy LA, Amoxypen LA, Clamoxy, Betamox LA, Duphamox) although we do not recommend any specific brand.

What to do next:

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