Holistic
Approach
Remember dry skin is resistant to infection so try to keep cow’s
feet as dry as possible. Concentrate on making cubicles dry and comfortable
and ensuring the buildings are well ventilated.
Automatic scrapers have been shown to worsen digital dermatitis as
they create a wave of faeces washing over the cows’ feet.
Foot bathing must be the major control.
Antibiotics
Antibiotics must only be used as treatment for digital dermatitis.
Individuals – scrub the skin
and lesion thoroughly.
Apply oxytetracycline spray.
Alternatively, apply the content of a milking cow mastitis tube
and bandage over the lesion.
Herd treatment – not recommended.
No product is licensed for this use.
There is a risk of environmental contamination.
Antibiotics tend to be expensive.
Disinfectants
There are many alternatives, which appear as good as each other.
The two commonest solutions are
3-5% Formulin. Suggested regime - treat for 7 days the 7 days rest
or treat 3 times each week.
10% Copper Sulphate
Footbath as often as possible so make it easy.
Place the footbath at the exit of the parlour and use one with a
comfortable walking surface in its base.
Ensure the feet are clean before footbathing by using a pre-treatment
footbath as they enter the parlour or hose the feet off in the parlour.
It is important to footbath dry cows and in calf heifers to reduce
the infection load on their feet and reduce the severity of clinical
signs at and after calving.
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