Pharmacological Evaluation of Calotropis procera Latex in the Management of Foot Rot in Goats in Zamfara State

Foot rot, a painful and economically significant infectious disease of small ruminants caused primarily by Dichelobacter nodosus and Fusobacterium necrophorum, causes severe lameness and production losses in goat herds in Zamfara State, North West Nigeria. Access to conventional antimicrobial foot bathing solutions and injectable antibiotics is limited in remote pastoral areas. Calotropis procera, commonly known as sodom apple or ushar, is a native shrub distributed widely in arid and semi-arid zones of Nigeria and its latex is used traditionally by Fulani herders to treat livestock wounds and hoof infections. This study evaluated the pharmacological activity of Calotropis procera latex formulated as a topical preparation against foot rot in naturally infected goats in Gusau and Talata Mafara, Zamfara State. Forty goats with confirmed clinical foot rot were randomly assigned to four groups: untreated control, oxytetracycline-based foot bath, latex preparation at 50 percent concentration, and latex preparation at 100 percent concentration. Lameness scores, wound healing progression, and bacteriological cure were assessed on days 0, 7, 14, and 21. Both latex concentrations significantly reduced lameness scores and promoted wound healing compared with controls. The 100 percent latex group achieved bacteriological cure in 70 percent of cases by day 21, compared with 80 percent for the oxytetracycline group. Mild local irritation was observed in 20 percent of animals in the 100 percent group. These findings support the preliminary efficacy of Calotropis procera latex as an accessible alternative treatment for foot rot in small ruminants in Zamfara State. Keywords: Calotropis procera, foot rot, goats, Zamfara State, traditional medicine.