Farm Animals

Cattle Digital Dermatitis Advanced Management

Digital dermatitis (Mortellaro's disease) is the most prevalent cause of lameness in dairy cattle worldwide, requiring systematic herd-level management combining foot bathing, treatment, and scoring.

Key Facts

Digital dermatitis affects up to 80% of dairy herds in intensive systems
The condition progresses through defined M-stages from early active lesions to chronic

Welfare Considerations

Digital dermatitis causes significant lameness pain affecting millions of dairy cows. Systematic herd management preventing and treating lesions reduces ongoing suffering at scale.

What You Can Do

Implement digital dermatitis scoring as part of routine herd lameness monitoring
Use sequential foot bathing protocols tailored to herd prevalence
Treat active lesions with topical antibiotics or copper sulphate compounds
Consult your vet and adviser on a herd-level control programme