Cattle Digital Dermatitis: Control Strategies and Herd Management

Digital dermatitis (Mortellaro's disease) is now the most common cause of cattle lameness in housed systems. Effective control requires a comprehensive herd approach combining treatment, footbathing, and biosecurity.

Key Facts

Digital dermatitis affects up to 70% of cattle in some herds at some point
It is caused by polymicrobial infection dominated by treponeme bacteria
Footbathing with copper sulphate or formalin is the cornerstone of prevention
Individual topical treatment (oxytetracycline or copper sulphate paste) is effective for active lesions
Purchased cattle are the primary route of introduction to clean herds
Lesions cause significant lameness and pain, particularly at stage M2 (active, ulcerative)

Welfare Considerations

Digital dermatitis lesions at the ulcerative stage are acutely painful, causing severe lameness that significantly impairs mobility and access to resources. The chronic, recurring nature of the disease means affected cattle may experience repeated painful episodes throughout their productive life. Effective control requires treating individual cases promptly while implementing herd-level prevention. Herd health planning with a vet should include explicit digital dermatitis targets and protocols.

What You Can Do

Implement a consistent footbathing programme with appropriate solutions and frequencies
Treat all M2 lesions promptly with topical antibiotic or copper sulphate paste
Quarantine and examine purchased cattle for digital dermatitis before mixing
Set a herd digital dermatitis prevalence target as part of a written herd health plan
Train staff in lesion identification and scoring using the M-stage scoring system