Volume VII Number 4 August 1999

Foot Rot Takes Economic Toll Throughout the Year




Lame cattle lose money. In fact, a University of Nebraska study documented that the total loss for each lame animal in the study was $121 per head. When you consider that lame cattle accounted for 16 percent of cattle treated for health problems in a similar study, those loses really add up.

"The economic implications associated with foot rot and other causes of lameness (toe abscesses, swollen joints, muscle damage, mechanical injury to the hoof, etc.) is a serious issue that cannot be overlooked in any operation," says Dr. Adrian Liem of ImmTech Biologics.

Foot rot, also known as necrotic pododermatitis or foul foot, is a very serious, annoying problem, especially after it has started in a herd or becomes "seeded" in the soil. According to Dr. Liem, "The bacterium Fusobacterium necrophorum has been reported as the main culprit associated with this aggravating, persistent problem." Feet infected with the bacterium become the source of infection for other cattle by spreading the bacterium in the environment.

The bacterium thought to be the main culprit
of foot rot, Fusobacterium necrophorum, can
survive off the animal from one to ten months.
"Once loss of skin integrity occurs, bacteria gain entrance into subcutaneous tissues, begin rapid multiplication and production of toxins that stimulate further continued bacterial multiplication and penetration of infection into deeper structures of the foot."

Foot rot occurs in all ages of cattle with increased incidence during wet, humid conditions. However, it can also occur in hot and dry conditions because the bacterium may live in loafing areas, which are often crowded and extremely wet from urine and feces, according to Dr. Gary Anderson, President of ImmTech.

The first signs of foot rot, following an incubation period of five to seven days, are lameness, acute swelling of interdigital tissues and swelling evenly distributed around the hairline of both hooves. Eventually, the interdigital skin cracks open, revealing a foul-smelling, necrotic, core-like material.

Since the bacterium can survive off the animal in the dirt for anywhere between one and 10 months, prevention is essential. Most foot rot prevention measures are centered around the prevention of mechanical damage to the foot caused by frozen or dried mud, brush-hogged weeds, brush and stubble and minimizing time cattle spend in wet areas says feedlot veterinarian Jim Unwin, DVM in Oakland, Neb. Another preventative measure Unwin uses is a subcutaneous, inactivated bacterin called Fusogard from ImmTech Biologics.

"If there is a history of foot rot in the system, we're recommending the 2-dose bacterin be used in all incoming animals. We'll vaccinate the incoming animal with a 2 mL dose and repeat it when we reimplant the cattle," says Unwin.

The bacterin is administered subcutaneously and showed to be less than five percent reactive as far as injection site problems, according to Dr. Scott MacGregor, a feedlot veterinarian from Jerome, Idaho.

If foot rot is observed in an animal, penicillin or an oxytetracycline usually work well if treatment is started early. Sulfonamides also have been used successfully. However, producers should consult their veterinarian before determining the best course of treatment for foot rot and other lameness-related issues.
 








  

   
   

   


   

   		
  
   



  

    



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