Cattle Digital Dermatitis Welfare

Digital dermatitis (Mortellaro disease) is a painful bacterial infection of the bovine foot causing lameness in dairy and beef cattle worldwide, with significant welfare impact and management challenges.

Key Facts

Digital dermatitis affects up to 80% of dairy herds in some countries and is now the leading cause of lameness in dairy cattle
It is caused by Treponema spirochetes in combination with other bacteria in a complex community
Active lesions appear as strawberry-like proliferative ulcers on the skin above the hoof, causing severe pain
Affected cows shift weight off the painful foot, reduce feed intake, and show reduced milk production
Treatment with oxytetracycline spray or bandaging and topical antibiotics is effective for active lesions
Footbathing with copper sulfate or formalin reduces transmission and early lesion development
Once infected, cattle carry Treponema bacteria long-term and can relapse without complete elimination

Welfare Considerations

Digital dermatitis causes acute and chronic pain that profoundly affects daily life. Cows with active lesions walk differently, rest more, and access feed and water less — all reducing caloric intake and welfare. The pain is sufficient to cause behavioral changes visible to trained observers well before formal lameness scoring identifies a problem. Regular footbathing and active lesion surveillance form the core of a welfare-centered control program. The challenge is herd-level management: in herds where the pathogen is established, individual treatment without population-level biosecurity and hygiene changes produces only temporary benefit. Culling badly affected cows before prolonged suffering develops is an important welfare decision.

What You Can Do

Implement regular herd footbathing programs as a primary prevention measure
Train stockpeople to identify early digital dermatitis lesions during routine handling
Treat active lesions promptly with topical oxytetracycline to reduce pain duration
Improve housing hygiene to reduce bacterial load in passageways and lying areas
Work with a hoof trimmer and veterinarian to develop a herd-level digital dermatitis control plan