A welfare guide to common skin conditions in cattle including ringworm, mange, lice, and photosensitization, with emphasis on recognition and treatment.
Key Facts
Skin conditions in cattle cause pain, pruritus, and welfare compromise — they are often undertreated as cosmetic problems rather than recognized as genuine welfare harms.
Ringworm (Trichophyton verrucosum) in cattle causes crusty, circular lesions, particularly in young cattle in winter housing — it is highly contagious to both cattle and humans (zoonotic).
Sarcoptic mange in cattle (Sarcoptes scabiei) causes severe pruritus and skin thickening — it is notifiable in the UK and requires compulsory treatment with authorized acaricides.
Photosensitization (sunburn affecting white-skinned areas) occurs secondary to liver disease or ingestion of photodynamic plants — affected areas develop painful erythema and sloughing.
Lumpy skin disease is an exotic notifiable disease causing nodular skin lesions and severe systemic illness — its westward spread in Europe makes UK biosecurity vigilance increasingly important.
Treatment of skin conditions typically requires topical or systemic treatments plus addressing the underlying cause — environmental improvements (ventilation, stocking density) reduce transmission.
Welfare Considerations
Bovine skin conditions cause real, often chronic pruritic suffering that is frequently dismissed as cosmetic. Ringworm affects animal welfare and human health. Lice infestation causes intense irritation. Mange requires compulsory treatment as a notifiable disease. Prompt veterinary diagnosis, appropriate treatment, and improved housing conditions reduce the unnecessary welfare burden of skin disease in cattle.
What You Can Do
Seek veterinary diagnosis for any cattle with crusty lesions, excessive rubbing, or skin thickening
Report suspected sarcoptic mange to your vet and APHA immediately — it is a notifiable disease
Implement louse control programs in housed cattle, particularly young stock in winter
Improve ventilation and reduce stocking density in housed cattle to reduce ringworm transmission