UNDERSTANDING DIGITAL DERMATITIS

UNDERSTANDING
DIGITAL DERMATITIS
in Cattle
Digital dermatitis is often referred to as hairy heel warts and is a common
infectious foot disease in dairy and beef cattle herds.
• Digital dermatitis has been reported on 70 percent of all U.S. dairies, and on
95 percent of large operations (500+ cows).a
• The size and scope of digital dermatitis within the beef industry is
undetermined but is a growing concern.
• The disease often leads to lameness, which decreases milk production and
fertility in dairy animals. In beef, lameness can account for 70 percent of all
sales of non-performing cattle.b
Description
Raw, bright-red or black circular growth above
the heel bulbs, with edges forming a white
opaque ring of hard, thick hairy, wart-like
growths or sores.
Pathogenesis
Weakening of the skin barrier, due to
mechanical irritation and hyper hydration.
Poor hygiene results in mixed infection with
different bacteria, among them Treponema
species, in a low oxygen environment.
Infection of the dermis leads to or results in
acute inflammation – ulcerative dermatitis.
Acute stage may develop into chronic forms
characterized by proliferation of the epidermis
(hairy warts).
Risk Factors
• Introducing new animals into the herd (biosecurity)
• Muddy pens, due to anaerobic
Poor Hygiene
environment
Biosecurity
• Immuno-compromised cattle
Environmental Extremes
• Poor hygiene and inadequate footbath
programs
• Ineffective claw maintenance programs
Digital
• Foot insult/injury, chemical/physical
Dermatitis
skin trauma
Develops
• Inadequate intake of micronutrients
Complications
• Toe ulcer/abscess
• Undermining of heel, spreading into
interdigital space
Prevention/Treatment
• Availa®Plus fed as a specific premix formula
• Improved management, hygiene
• Clean and dry environment
• Pay attention to biosecurity SOPs
• Footbath
• Topical treatment
Identification and Progression of Digital Dermatitis
An understanding of how to identify the presence and severity of digital dermatitis is key to keeping the disease under
control. Once the disease is introduced into a herd, it spreads rapidly and prevalence often exceeds 70%.
There are five stages of digital dermatitis originally identified by Döpfer et al., 1997, beginning with M0, which is normal
digital skin with no signs of dermatitis.
M1 Early/Subclinical
M3 Healing
• Small, circumscribed red to gray
epithelial defects
• Occurs within one to two days following
treatment with topical antibiotics
• Lesions are less than ¾ inch
(2 cm) in diameter
• Lesion becomes firm and scab-like
• After topical therapy, the lesion appears
to be no longer painful
• Can appear in the interdigital space
• Can also occur between acute
episodes of digital dermatitis lesions
or within the margins of a chronic
M4 lesion as an intermediate stage
M2 Painful/Acute Ulcer
M4 Chronic/Hairy Lesion
• Hyperkeratosis (thickened epithelium)
• Rapidly growing
• Bright-red active ulcer or red to
gray granulomatous digital skin
alteration
• Filamentous, scab-like or mass
proliferations, commonly called
“hairy warts”
• Lesions are greater than ¾ inch
(2 cm) in diameter
• Commonly found along the
coronary band at the skin/horn
border, in addition to around
the dew claws, in wall cracks and
occasionally as a sole defect
© Döpfer
© Döpfer
M4.1
© Döpfer
© Döpfer
• Chronic M4 lesion with an early or
intermediate M1 lesion within its
perimeter (reported by Berry et al.,
2012)
© S. Berry
Proper nutrition, including a diet containing the minerals found in Zinpro Performance Minerals®,
has been shown to improve animal productivity, welfare and overall health, resulting in greater
profitability.
Availa®Plus contains Zinpro Performance Minerals, and research shows that it is highly effective
at helping decrease the prevalence of digital dermatitis in dairy and beef cattle when it is fed in
conjunction with other trace minerals. This, in turn, significantly lowers the need for footbaths and
topical antibiotics.
a
b
Reference of Dairy Cattle Health and Management Practices in the Unites States, USDA/National Animal Health Monitoring System report, February 2009.
“Lameness in Beef Cattle.” The Beef Site, Sept. 17, 2011.
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