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Pododermatitis in cattle is an inflammation of the skin at the base of the animal’s hoof. The disease can proceed in an acute form and become chronic with untimely treatment or incorrect diagnosis.
What is pododermatitis
Pododermatitis is a non-contagious disease that has different types and characteristics depending on the characteristics of the animal’s body, its care, maintenance and feeding. This disease affects the skin of the foot. Sometimes this disease can also develop on the horns of a cow.
The main cause of the disease is soft tissue damage and infection penetration through the wound surface.
Also contribute to the development of the disease:
- wounds, ulcers, abrasions and other mechanical damage to the limb of a cow;
- infection;
- dirty floors in the stall;
- rheumatism in history;
- metabolic disease;
- deficiency of vitamins and microelements in feed;
- unbalanced nutrition;
- weak immune system.
All these reasons together contribute to the development of pododermatitis in an animal.
Forms of the disease
Inflammatory processes in the hoof area are observed in cows quite often, since the tissue is located under the horn capsule and is often exposed to external influences.
The forms and course of pododermatitis in animals are varied. They are divided into acute and chronic, deep and superficial. By the area of the lesion – into limited and diffuse, by the degree of the inflammatory process – into aseptic and purulent.
Aseptic pododermatitis
Aseptic pododermatitis is a serous, serous-hemorrhagic, serous-fibrous inflammation of the skin of the hoof.
Occurs after injury during grazing, long haul, transportation of the animal, during which the sole is compressed, injured. Often the thinning of the sole during prophylactic hoof trimming contributes to the damage.
The inflammatory process begins in the vascular layer of the epidermis. Developing, inflammation passes to the papillary and producing layers. The exudate that accumulates in this case exfoliates the hoof capsule, it undergoes deformation.
In acute pododermatitis, the prognosis is favorable, provided that the disease is treated in the initial stage.
Purulent pododermatitis
Purulent pododermatitis is a purulent inflammatory process of the base of the skin of the hoof of an individual. It develops as a complication after aseptic pododermatitis, also occurs with cracks, wounds, creases of the horn of the hoof wall.
With superficial pododermatitis in an animal, purulent inflammation develops in the papillary and producing layers of the epidermis. The exudate exfoliates the horny sole and breaks out.
If the deep layers of the sole are affected, phlegmon of the corolla, damage to the hoof joint, and tendons may develop.
The prognosis is unfavorable if the cow has deep purulent pododermatitis in the history of the disease, and therapeutic assistance was not provided on time.
Symptoms of the disease
The first signs of pododermatitis in cattle of a purulent form include:
- the animal raises the injured limb, does not step on it, prefers to lie down;
- lameness is noticeable during movement, the individual lags behind the herd.
On examination, detachment of the stratum corneum is observed, pus and blood are released from the cracks, hairs fall out. The inflamed area is edematous, on palpation the cow mumbles, groans, shudders.
With aseptic pododermatitis in a cow, the body temperature slightly rises. If you cut off the dead stratum corneum, bleeding increases, and the injured area becomes dark red. This is due to rupture of the vessels of the papillae. The cow’s appetite is reduced only with the development of diffuse pododermatitis on several limbs at the same time.
With a severe, advanced form of pododermatitis in a cow, milk yield is significantly reduced, exhaustion develops.
Diagnostics
An accurate diagnosis can be made by a veterinarian. The owner of a cow may confuse pododermatitis with some diseases that have similar symptoms and external signs, especially at the initial stage of the development of the disease: foot-and-mouth disease, necrobacteriosis, corolla phlegmon and others.
Examining the animal, the doctor will detect an increased pulsation in the area of the digital arteries, an increased local temperature, an unpleasant smell of exudate, and a sharp pain reaction of the cow to pressure.
Bacterioscopic examination can confirm the preliminary diagnosis. For analysis, biomaterial is taken from infected areas of the skin of the cow’s hoof.
A laboratory study of the blood of the animal is also carried out. With pododermatitis, the analysis will show an increased level of leukocytes, ESR, hemoglobin may be somewhat underestimated.
Treatment of pododermatitis
Before starting treatment, the cow’s hoof should be thoroughly cleaned of dirt with soapy water. Then treat with an antiseptic and make conduction or circular anesthesia. Apply a tourniquet to the area of the metatarsus. The task of the veterinarian is to ensure a good discharge of purulent exudate, cleansing of necrotic tissues. After treatment, the wound is irrigated with an antibiotic solution and a bandage with ointments is applied. In this case, the pastes of Vishnevsky, Teymurov, Konkov are effective. With a favorable course of the healing process, the bandage is changed after 5 days. Vaseline, tar, grease should be applied over the bandage.
A good result is achieved by applying a plaster bandage. After surgical treatment of the wound surface, it is treated with Ostrovsky powder or another disinfectant. Then a ready-made gypsum is applied from a non-shrinking medical bandage.
Prevention
The basis of prevention is the proper maintenance, care and feeding of the cow:
- regular bedding change;
- daily cleaning of the premises;
- timely maintenance of the stall;
- balanced feeding with the addition of vitamins and trace elements;
- inspection of animals;
- hoof trimming and cleaning.
Pruning is done once a year for the entire dairy herd. When keeping cows on deep litter – 1 time in 1-3 months, if animals are kept on hard floors – 4 times a year, before and after the pasture season.
Experienced owners give cows foot baths twice a week. This requires two large containers. One is filled with water to clean the hooves from manure and dirt, and the second is filled with a disinfectant solution. You can use ready-made concentrates or apply solutions of formalin, copper sulfate. Passability of cows through such baths is up to 200 heads.
Conclusion
Pododermatitis in cattle is relatively easy to recognize and quickly treat, provided the owner responds in a timely manner. However, it is better to prevent it by observing precautionary measures. With proper care and feeding, the development of pododermatitis in a cow is unlikely.