Treatments of infectious bovine hoof diseases Dr. Matt Breed Dr. Chuck Guard Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University

Infectious Foot Diseases Foot Rot Foot Rot Fusobacterium necrophorum & Bacteriodes melaninogenicusFusobacterium necrophorum & Bacteriodes melaninogenicus Interdigital Dermatitis Interdigital Dermatitis Dichelobacter nodosusDichelobacter nodosus

Infectious Foot Diseases Digital Dermatitis, Hairy Heel Warts, Mortellaro Digital Dermatitis, Hairy Heel Warts, Mortellaro Cause not proven yet but spirochetes strongly incriminatedCause not proven yet but spirochetes strongly incriminated

Foot Rot Common in environment and manure Common in environment and manure Usually requires injury to interdigital skin Usually requires injury to interdigital skin Sudden onset, acute disease Sudden onset, acute disease

Interdigital dermatitis Chronic infection of interdigital skin Chronic infection of interdigital skin Moist caseous exudate, sour odor Moist caseous exudate, sour odor Skin responds by hypertrophy Skin responds by hypertrophy May spread to heels and undermine heel horn May spread to heels and undermine heel horn

Digital dermatitis Worldwide spread in last 25 years Worldwide spread in last 25 years Highly contagious within herd Highly contagious within herd Poor immune response to infection Poor immune response to infection Hair follicle primary site of infection in normal skin Hair follicle primary site of infection in normal skin

TREATMENT What are we trying to treat? What are we trying to treat? DISEASEDISEASE LESIONLESION LAMENESSLAMENESS Does treatment of disease improve lameness in a herd? Does treatment of disease improve lameness in a herd?

TREATMENT Do we treat the hoof lesion and/or something else? Do we treat the hoof lesion and/or something else? Environment, management, nutrition etcEnvironment, management, nutrition etc

Lesion Treatments TreatmentTypeFootrot Interdigital dermatitis Digital dermatitis TopicalAntibioticDisinfectant SystemicAntibiotic+++-- Foot baths Antibioticdisinfectant

Other areas of importance: Regular correct foot trimming Regular correct foot trimming Clean, dry, comfortable animals Clean, dry, comfortable animals

Other areas of importance: Counting lame cows: Counting lame cows: Same number as the farmerSame number as the farmer Which groupsWhich groups What lesions/diseases presentWhat lesions/diseases present Specific area on farm causing lamenessSpecific area on farm causing lameness

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