19/01/2022
๐
๐จ๐จ๐ญ ๐ซ๐จ๐ญ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ฅ๐
Foot rot is usually characterised by acute inflammation(swelling) of the skin between the hooves of cattle. It is accompanied by swelling, lameness and, in most cases, a foul-smelling necrotic lesion (dead tissue) of the interdigital skin.
๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ
A number of bacteria usually present in the environment can cause infection of bovine feet. Healthy skin is resistant to bacterial organisms, while diseased or injured skin is susceptible to infection. High rainfall with wet faeces and mud can soften the interdigital skin, making it susceptible to injury.
Infectious agents gain entry through the skin as a consequence of injury caused by sharp pieces of stone, metal, wood, stubble or thorns. Other factors that may encourage damage to the interdigital skin include irritation and erosion of the interdigital skin caused by the constant exposure of feet to mud and manure.
๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ
The most obvious clinical sign of foot rot is lameness, which worsens as the disease progresses. There is inflammation and tissue death, resulting in swelling and pain. There is usually a bad smell associated with foot rot.
Cattle may stand with the foot raised, be reluctant to move, lose their appetite, lose weight, and have a low-grade fever and reduction in milk yield. Hind feet are affected most often and cattle tend to stand and walk on their toes. If left untreated, lameness becomes increasingly severe, with infection extending to the joints and other deeper structures of the foot.
Diagnosis of foot rot is made by observing the animal and physically examining the foot for the characteristic gross lesions. Cattle producers often diagnose any lameness associated with foot swelling as foot rot, but a more careful examination may reveal other causes of the swelling and lameness, such as injury or foreign bodies.
๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ
Ideally, move the animals to a paddock or yard that is not waterlogged and is free of abrasive footings. Clean the affected foot of mud and any loose tissue. Prompt diagnosis and therapy are essential to achieve a satisfactory response. The application of local treatments to the foot may assist; however, the treatment of choice is injectable antibiotics administered for 3-5 days.
In feedlot cattle, feed additives may be a better option for treatment (provided the animals are eating), especially if large numbers of cattle are involved.
Cases that cannot be treated or fail to respond to treatment should be culled.
๐๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง
=>Fill mud holes and stagnant pools drained or fenced off.
=>Remove manure frequently.
=>In areas where cattle walk frequently, such as in lanes or gateways, grading or filling in low areas to provide a well-drained pathway for walking may help to prevent foot rot cases. =>Building a concrete slab or establishing slabs around feed bunks and water troughs will help keep feet dry.
=> Animals may also be walked through a foot bath containing copper sulfate, zinc sulfate or formalin.
=>Footbaths are more commonly used in dairies and may be impractical for most beef herds.
