Content
Cattle pododermatitis is an inflammation of the skin at the base of an animal's hoof. The disease can proceed in an acute form and turn into a chronic one with delayed treatment or incorrect diagnosis.
What is pododermatitis
Pododermatitis is a non-communicable disease that has different types and characteristics depending on the characteristics of the animal's body, its care, maintenance and feeding. In this disease, the skin of the foot is affected. Sometimes this disease can develop on the horns of a cow.
The main cause of the disease is damage to soft tissues and the penetration of infection through the wound surface.
Also, the development of the disease is facilitated by:
- wounds, ulcers, abrasions and other mechanical damage to the cow's limb;
- infection;
- dirty floors in the stall;
- history of rheumatism;
- metabolic disease;
- deficiency of vitamins and microelements in feed;
- unbalanced diet;
- weak immune system.
All these reasons together contribute to the development of pododermatitis in an animal.
Forms of the disease
Inflammatory processes in the hoof area are observed in cows quite often, since the tissue is located under the horny capsule and is often exposed to external influences.
The forms and course of pododermatitis in animals are varied. They are divided into acute and chronic, deep and superficial. By the area of the lesion - into limited and diffuse, by the degree of the inflammatory process - into aseptic and purulent.
Aseptic pododermatitis
Aseptic pododermatitis - serous, serous-hemorrhagic, serous-fibrous inflammation of the skin of the hoof.
It occurs after injury during grazing, long haul, transportation of an animal, during which the sole is compressed, injured. Thinning of the sole during preventive hoof trimming often contributes to the damage.
The inflammatory process begins in the vascular layer of the epidermis. As the inflammation develops, it spreads to the papillary and producing layers. The exudate that accumulates at the same time delaminates the hoof capsule, it undergoes deformation.
In acute pododermatitis, the prognosis is favorable, provided that the disease is treated at the initial stage.
Purulent pododermatitis
Purulent pododermatitis is a purulent inflammatory process of the base of the skin of the hoof of an individual. It develops as a complication after aseptic pododermatitis, and also occurs with cracks, wounds, creases of the horn of the hoof wall.
With superficial pododermatitis in an animal, purulent inflammation develops in the papillary and producing layers of the epidermis. The exudate exfoliates the stratum corneum and breaks out.
If the deep layers of the sole are affected, corolla phlegmon, damage to the hoof joint, tendon may develop.
The prognosis is unfavorable if the cow has a deep purulent pododermatitis in the history of the disease, and therapeutic assistance was not provided on time.
Signs of the disease
The first signs of pododermatitis in purulent cattle include:
- the animal raises the injured limb, does not step on it, prefers to lie down;
- lameness is noticeable during movement, the individual lags behind the herd.
On examination, detachment of the stratum corneum is observed, pus, blood are released from the cracks, hairs fall out. The inflamed area is swollen; on palpation, the cow moans, groans, shudders.
With aseptic pododermatitis, the cow's body temperature rises slightly. If you cut off the dead stratum corneum, bleeding increases, and the injured area becomes dark red. This is due to the rupture of the vessels of the papillae. The cow's appetite is reduced only with the development of diffuse pododermatitis on several limbs at the same time.
With a severe, advanced form of pododermatitis, the cow's milk yield is significantly reduced, and exhaustion develops.
Diagnostics
A veterinarian will help establish an accurate diagnosis. A cow owner may confuse pododermatitis with some diseases that have similar symptoms and external signs, especially at the initial stage of the disease: foot and mouth disease, necrobacteriosis, corolla phlegmon, and others.
Examining the animal, the doctor will find increased pulsation in the area of the digital arteries, an increased local temperature, an unpleasant smell of exudate, a sharp painful reaction of the cow to pressure.
A bacterioscopic examination can confirm the preliminary diagnosis. For the analysis, a biomaterial is taken from the infected areas of the cow's hoof skin.
A laboratory study of the animal's blood is also carried out. With pododermatitis, the analysis will show an increased level of leukocytes, ESR, hemoglobin may be somewhat underestimated.
Pododermatitis treatment
Before starting treatment, the cow's hoof should be thoroughly cleaned of dirt with soapy water. Then treat with an antiseptic and do a conduction or circular anesthesia. Apply a tourniquet to the metatarsal area. The task of the veterinarian is to ensure a good discharge of purulent exudate, cleansing of necrotic tissues. After treatment, the wound is irrigated with an antibiotic solution and a bandage with ointments is applied. In this case, the pastes of Vishnevsky, Teymurov, Konkov are effective. With a favorable course of the healing process, the bandage is changed after 5 days. Vaseline, tar, grease should be applied over the dressing.
A good result is achieved by applying a plaster cast. After surgical treatment of the wound surface, they are treated with Ostrovsky powder or other disinfectant. Then, a ready-made gypsum is applied from a non-crumbling medical bandage.
Prophylaxis
The basis of prevention is the correct maintenance, care and feeding of the cow:
- regular litter change;
- daily cleaning of the premises;
- timely maintenance of the stall;
- balanced feeding with the addition of vitamins and minerals;
- inspection of animals;
- trimming and cleaning hooves.
Pruning is carried out once a year for the entire milking herd. When keeping cows on deep litter - once every 3-4 months, if animals are kept on hard floors - 2 times a year, before and after the grazing season.
Experienced owners give the cows a foot bath twice a week. This requires two large containers. One is filled with water to remove manure and dirt from the hooves, and the other is filled with a disinfectant solution. You can use ready-made concentrates or apply solutions of formalin, copper sulfate. The passability of cows through such baths is up to 200 heads.
Conclusion
Pododermatitis in cattle is relatively easy to recognize and quickly cured, provided the owner responds in a timely manner. However, it is better to prevent it by taking precautions. With proper care and feeding, cows are unlikely to develop pododermatitis.
