Acta Vet. Brno 2006, 75: 277-281
Maggot Debridement Therapy in the Treatment of Footrot and Foot Scald in Sheep
In sheep with acute and chronic interdigital skin inflammation, maggot therapy was used for the debridement and speeding up the healing process. Sheep were housed at the university farm Zemplínska Teplica and before using maggot therapy, they were unsuccessfully treated by a footbath containing 10% copper sulphate and topical application of oxytetracycline solution in alcohol. Six non-pregnant Valachian sheep between two to four years of age, weighing 43 to 57 kg were treated with maggots of Lucilia sericata (Meigen) (Diptera: Calliphoridae). The larval population should be 8-12 per square centimetre of wound, but all affected tissues were trimmed away before their application. The effect of a single application for 3-6 days was evaluated. Debridement was rapid and selective. The treatment was well tolerated by animals. New layers of healthy tissue were formed over the wounds. It was observed that maggots of L. sericata are capable of cleaning the wounds after single application.
