Cattle Farming

Cattle Digital Dermatitis Treatment and Prevention

Digital dermatitis is the most prevalent infectious foot disease in dairy cattle globally, causing significant lameness and pain.

Key Facts

Digital dermatitis affects 70-90% of dairy herds in the UK
The condition causes painful erosive lesions at the back of the foot
Topical oxytetracycline or copper-based treatments are effective for active lesions
Footbathing with copper sulphate or formalin controls infection pressure in herds
Biosecurity to prevent introduction to naive herds is the most effective control

Welfare Considerations

Digital dermatitis causes acute and chronic pain. Active lesions with exposed tissue cause intense local pain visible through the cow's reluctance to weight-bear. The high prevalence across dairy herds means this is a significant population-level welfare problem. Systematic footbathing, early treatment, and biosecurity to prevent herd introduction provide both individual and population welfare benefits.

What You Can Do

Support dairy welfare standards with digital dermatitis monitoring requirements
Advocate for footbath provision to be mandatory in dairy welfare assurance
Choose dairy products from farms with documented digital dermatitis control programmes