Herd HEALTH The main one we deal with is high incidence of foot rot. On Fusobacterium necrophorum,” he says. the other hand, husbandry and These bacteria are almost environmental management always present in the environment. is a big part of the picture. If Signs of foot rot include swelling environmental issues are causing at the heel or between the claws, the problem, I would try to and the swelling sometimes breaks change those things. The vaccine open and drains. can be a good tool, but should be “The biggest thing in looked at as just one part of the preventing foot rot is managing total management.” the environment to reduce For treatment, he advises risks for foot rot. This means using an antibiotic with the eliminating mud as much as proper spectrum and durability possible, and reducing risks for of activity labeled for foot rot. trauma to the feet especially “LA-200 is an economical and between the toes. Rocky or frozen effective choice, especially if you conditions in which the skin may catch it early,” he says. be broken by sharp rocks or ice This is the key — catching it can predispose cattle to foot rot,” early, treating with the proper Raymond says. antibiotic and putting the animal “In the feed yard, we try where it’s clean and dry. to handle cattle with the least “Another antibiotic I often use amount of stress possible so they for foot rot is Excede. This factor are not scraping their toes on has a seven-day tissue level. We get concrete or getting abrasions on a longer duration of activity with the sides of their feet by being just one treatment. This is helpful jammed and struggling in the when treating cattle that may be alleyways,” Raymond explains. harder to access for additional “We use wood chips sometimes treatment, such as out on pasture. to improve the footing, and Excede is more expensive, so I use minimize any areas where there this drug when the animal’s value might be potential for trauma to is higher, or the condition is more the feet. We do everything we severe, or when I don’t think I’ll can to avoid muddy conditions, have another opportunity to treat keeping pen space as clean as we that animal,” Raymond says. can. This is a challenge in the There are some complications winter, but we remove mud and that can occur with foot rot. manure as quickly as possible.” In long-standing cases the Out in pastures, boggy infection may get into the joints, conditions should be addressed, and the animal may develop if possible. septic arthritis or cellulitis if the “We also try to select for cattle with good feet and leg structure. Just as in other diseases, there is a genetic predisposition for Hoof disease resistance. Some cattle have stronger immune response than others, and I don’t think foot rot is any different, but good foot and leg structure is also crucial,” he says. “Good husbandry practices Health and genetic selection that takes us the right direction in foot and leg structure are key factors, along Identify common foot problems with good nutrition to keep the and treat them accordingly. immune system, skin and feet healthy. A good mineral program is crucial for keeping the immune by Heather Smith Thomas system healthy. Our biggest issues here are selenium, copper and “The biggest thing zinc deficiencies — all of which are needed by the immune system in in preventing foot attle sometimes suffer foot probably because we’ve had a lot order to function correctly. Zinc rot is managing injuries or diseases, and of moisture,” Reppert says. “This and copper are also important to Ca lame animal may lose spring and summer stockmen foot health,” he explains. the environment weight if it spends most of its time are having more cases of foot There is a vaccine for foot lying down rather than grazing or rot than they ordinarily do.” rot. “We haven’t used it in our to reduce risks for going to feed or water. Moisture softens up the skin operation, but the literature on it foot rot. This means Assistant professor at Kansas and feet, and these tissues are is encouraging. One of the herds State University’s College of more readily nicked or scraped, I work with in our area has used eliminating mud as Veterinary Medicine and DVM, opening the way for pathogens it a lot and the owner feels like much as possible, MS, DACVIM Emily Reppert says that cause foot rot. it has reduced their incidence of environment can play a role in Director of research and foot rot. They are now treating and reducing risks hoof health — whether the weather veterinary services at Simplot only one or maybe no cases of for trauma to the feet and pastures are wet or dry. Livestock Co. Randall Raymond foot rot per year, compared with says foot rot can be caused by an average of about 20 cases per especially between Foot rot two different bacteria. “These year before they started using the the toes.” “This year, here in the Midwest, are opportunistic pathogens that vaccine,” says Raymond. we’ve been dealing with more require some trauma or break in “The vaccine would be worth — Randall Raymond foot rot than other years, the skin to enter the foot. looking at, if a person has a 56 / August 2015 Hereford.org infection gets into the tendon similar to those of dairy cattle,” sheath. “If these complications Reppert says. occur we may do additional Strawberry foot rot/hairy heel treatments,” he explains. warts is caused by a spirochete If the infection gets into the bacterium, according to Matt joint or tendon sheath, generally Miesner, DVM, MS, DACVIM, the animal has to be culled. and clinical associate professor “In seedstock animals with at the K-State College of high individual value that won’t be Veterinary Medicine. entering the food chain, we may “It is not necessarily between do joint flushes. It’s rare that we’d the toes but more in either have to get this aggressive, however, the front cleft or the back cleft because hopefully the producer between the heel bulbs,” Miesner noticed the condition and treated says. “It appears as a reddened, it before it gets to this point,” roughened, ulcerated, irritated Raymond says. area. It looks granular, like a Cattle out on range, however, strawberry, and is very painful. In Foot rot causes painful swelling between the toes. may not be seen often enough for other stages it may have long hair- the producer to know when the like structures that grow out from being fed a lot of concentrate they may also develop an abscess problem started. In some of these the heel. This would be something feeds like bulls on test, show in the crack if it is very deep,” animals, there may be extensive to check for if the animal is very animals that are pushed hard Reppert explains. “These animals damage by the time they are lame, before you assume that you nutritionally, and during times need a hoof trim, to get the toe brought in for treatment. are just treating a routine foot rot.” of year when there is a lot of as short as possible and relieve “In those cases, there may be Miesner adds, “I’ve seen this moisture as well.” pressure on the hoof wall.” no treatment that will completely condition in bulls that are housed The earlier cattlemen discover Professor and extension cure the problem. We try to get in groups or cattle confined in a a foot problem, the better. If it’s veterinarian at Iowa State the cow through that season, to feedlot situation. This disease is white line disease, it needs to University Jan Shearer says vertical wean her calf, and market her diagnosed with a biopsy of the be cleaned out and treated like wall cracks are more common in later,” he says. “Those that we lesion; the bacteria can be seen an abscess. “A good foot trim beef cattle than dairy cattle, but catch early and treat appropriately under a microscope.” can help eliminate some of that horizontal cracks are common probably have about a 90% success Treatment is different than soft white line and detect any in all cattle. These cracks run rate, if it’s truly foot rot.” for foot rot. “This disease does infection,” Reppert says. “At that parallel to the coronary band If surgery has to be performed not respond as well to systemic point a good foot trimmer or and often represent a benign in a severe case to remove a antibiotics. We usually use a veterinarian would be able to physiological change that creates damaged claw, the animal will formalin foot baths, thoroughly identify soft spots or any manure mild disruption of hoof horn be impaired and unable to travel rinsing the feet--an intensive and debris that is packing in formation. They can result in normally. “If the animal has high program to try to halt the along the white line. Those could severe lameness, however, if they value and genetic merit, however, infection. We may also use a be pared out. A large part of are deep. it could be confined and manage topical oxytetracycline spray, treatment in many cases will be to Rings around the hoof are to do all right. This might be and try to dry the foot. Moisture alter the diet a little, and change common because the hoof the case with a valuable cow in allows these bacteria to keep the environment.” wall grows at different rates an embryo flush program, or going,” he explains.