Content
Foot rot in cows is a common cause of lameness and a sign of poor quality livestock management. The disease is very difficult to treat, since the pathogen thrives in dirty litter, and the recovered animal carries the bacteria for 4 years. As soon as the microorganisms “feel weak,” the infection not only renews, but also infects previously healthy livestock.
Causes of foot rot in cattle
The causative agent of the disease is the anaerobic bacterium Fusiformis nodosus. It enters the hoof through scratches, cracks or punctures. Keeps well in humid environments:
- manure;
- dirty litter;
- water-soaked pasture;
- a manure-filled paddock.
The pasture is infected by the animals themselves, who carry the bacteria. The factor that provokes infection is decreased immunity.
In fact, the true cause of foot rot in cows is an unbalanced diet and poor living conditions. Once the body’s protective functions weaken due to a lack of vitamins, micro- or macroelements, the bacteria become more active.
Grazing on waterlogged pastures often leads to cows contracting foot rot.
Symptoms of foot rot in cows
Most owners don't pay enough attention to training their cows to show their hooves. Although animals require hoof horn trimming every 6 weeks. If cattle are accustomed to having their hooves cared for by their owner, they will not resist having their soles examined. Thanks to this, the appearance of foot rot can be noticed in the early stages. But in most cases, the owner realizes the problem when the cow has already begun to limp.
Early symptoms of foot rot in cows:
- softening the sole;
- detachment of the side walls of the horn shoe;
- areas of wet erosion on the skin of the corolla;
- inflammation of the interdigital gap;
- characteristic unpleasant odor from the hoof.
Sometimes the initial stage of hoof rot can be noticed only during trimming of the overgrown horny shoe.
With moderate severity, the shoe begins to peel off from the heel side. The skin is peeling off on a significant portion of the sole. At the last stage, the hoof shoe is completely separated from the base of the skin on the front wall and on the sole.
Lameness begins as soon as the rot reaches the living part of the hoof. However, sometimes the disease may not be visible externally. Only a small hole with a foul-smelling exudate oozing indicates the site of infection.
The photo below shows a severe stage of foot rot in a cow:
At an advanced stage of the disease, the animal actually walks on live meat
Diagnosis of the disease
Symptoms of foot rot are similar to other hoof diseases:
- necrobacteriosis;
- pododermatitis;
- inflammation of the interhoof gap;
- a hint;
- aseptic dermatitis;
- foot and mouth disease
Wounds caused by foot rot often become infected with other bacteria. In this case, the disease occurs as a mixed infection.
Diagnosis is carried out in the laboratory by culturing samples. Only a presumptive diagnosis can be made on site. But many hoof infections are treated with similar methods, so the fight against foot rot can begin without waiting for test results. Therapy can always be adjusted later.
How to cure foot rot in a cow
Using old “folk” methods to treat foot rot in cows is long and tedious. But even today these methods are popular due to the low cost of medicinal ingredients:
- tar;
- creolina;
- potassium permanganate;
- copper sulfate;
- iodoform;
- copper sulfate;
- formaldehyde;
- zinc sulfate.
All these drugs have not only an antibacterial effect. They dry out wet areas of the hoof. The use of these agents and their mixtures is justified, since new effective drugs most often represent a complex composition of these ingredients. Sometimes with the addition of antibiotics. When using “pure” drugs of the “old” therapy, cows must be kept exclusively on dry bedding, which is technically impossible. And this is the disadvantage of this method of treatment.
Antibiotics are recommended for use. But injections or oral administration of medications only act on secondary infections. The bacterium that causes foot rot is anaerobic. This means that it does not come into contact with blood, which carries oxygen and antibiotics.The habitat of Fusiformis nodosus is already dead. You can only influence the causative agent of the disease “from the outside.” Most often, foot rot is cured even without the use of antibacterial agents.
Preparing the hoof for treatment
Before applying any drug, remove as much dead parts of the hoof as possible. Sometimes you have to cut before bleeding occurs. To trim a cow's hooves, use:
- hoof knife;
- mites;
- sometimes a grinder.
To use the latter you need to have experience and a special circle.
Wash the skin between the fingers well with soap and water. The scabs are removed.
Bleeding is a common occurrence when treating foot rot in cows.
Using old remedies
For treatment, almost all drugs are used undiluted. Tar and creolin are liquid fractions. They lubricate all affected areas. The main effect of these substances is drying. They do not kill bacteria.
Copper sulfate is poisonous, so the powder is used in cases of deep holes in the hoof. Pure copper sulfate should not be applied to the bleeding areas of the hoof. The same applies to zinc sulfate and formaldehyde. 10% solutions are used to treat skin and wound surfaces.
A tampon is placed between the fingers. If there is a deep wound in the hoof that needs filling, that will also be packed. The entire hoof is covered with a thick bandage.
An advanced version of the bandage: insulating plastic “horseshoes”, not suitable if the skin above the sole is also damaged
New drugs
Technically, their use is the same as when treating hooves with “folk” remedies. But the new drugs contain the same ingredients. They can be in different concentrations and forms.
Fuzolin is produced in the form of a suspension. Its composition:
- probiotic based on Bacillus subtilis;
- probiotic based on soil mesophilic bacterium Bacillus licheniformis;
- glycerol;
- phenol;
- tar;
- methylene blue.
The last ingredients of “Fuzolin” are among the usual means of combating foot rot, which have been used “from time immemorial.” The effectiveness of the drug can be ensured by aerobic bacteria competing with anaerobic bacteria.
Concentrated suspension. To use it, it must be diluted according to the instructions. "Fuzolin" is also recommended for use for preventive purposes.
It is unknown why, on most sites you cannot find the composition of the drug Fuzolin, the manufacturer himself does not hide it
In the video below, a cow owner demonstrates the effects of the Intra Top-Hoofs gel. Compound:
- aloe vera 5%;
- copper 4%;
- zinc 4%;
- substances that bind the entire complex into a single whole.
The manufacturer claims that the gel has good wound healing properties. Copper and zinc preparations are “traditional”, that is, in another form they have also long been used to treat rot and necrobacteriosis in ungulates.
Use of antibiotics
Effective for secondary hoof infections with bacteria susceptible to antibacterial drugs. Since drugs are administered by injection, the secondary microflora must be aerobic.
For hoof rot, use:
- Bicillin-5 intramuscularly, once at a dose of 40-50 thousand units per 1 kg of weight.
- Biomycin subcutaneously in the form of a 10% emulsion at a dose of 0.6 ml per 1 kg of weight. The drug is diluted on semi-liquid sterile agar, 3% sterile glycerol solution or normal horse serum. The required dose for the cow is administered 6 ml at several points.
- Oxytetracycline.
For severe foot rot, oxytetracycline and bicillin-5 are most effective. They not only have an antibacterial effect.These drugs stimulate the regeneration of the soft tissues of the hoof.
Prognosis and prevention
With the initial form of foot rot, the prognosis is favorable. Severe forms often result in the cow losing her hoof shoe. Theoretically, this can be cured, but growing a new horn will take about a year. This is not economically profitable. If infection gets on the exposed bone, it will lead to sepsis. The second option to save the cow is surgery. The affected finger must be cut off. But surgical intervention is only possible if the cow’s second hoof is healthy. With severe rot, this is impossible. Conclusion: if the disease is advanced, the animal is sold for meat. Losses can be avoided if preventative measures are taken.
Prevention
Cows are bought only from prosperous farms. Before access to the general herd, hooves are treated with a 10% solution of formaldehyde or vitriol. If a sick animal arrives, it is immediately isolated and treated until complete recovery.
A disinfection bath is installed at the entrance to the barn. For filling, use 10% solutions of copper sulfate, formalin or Fuzolin. It should be remembered that such baths do not treat foot rot. They serve only for prevention. For private owners, this method may not be suitable.
Keeping the barn clean and dry is a must for any cattle owner. The task is not easy, but doable.
To maintain good immunity, cows are provided with a balanced diet and high-quality feed.
Another preventive measure available only to large farms: pasture reclamation.The blight bacterium cannot survive in relatively dry soil, making it safe for livestock to graze in the spring.
Conclusion
Foot rot in cows is ubiquitous. Many livestock owners even believe that this is a necessary evil. But the disease can be successfully combated if you pay enough attention to the legs and living conditions of the cow.
