How to prevent and treat foot rot in cattle? Practical methods every cattle farmer must read

With the rapid development of the livestock industry in recent years, cattle farms and individual cattle raisers have increased noticeably in various places, and foot rot in cattle is a common, frequently occurring disease with a relatively long treatment time. Below, let us take a look at the causes, clinical symptoms and treatment measures of foot rot in cattle.

Clinical symptoms of foot rot in cattle

The injured area bleeds and swells, then the skin at the affected site becomes moist and erosive, discharging a foul-smelling secretion. If it persists too long, it can cause local suppuration and form ulcers, and under the scab there is often an accumulation of more purulent secretion. Both the skin and subcutaneous tissue are affected, the skin becomes highly thickened, and the surface forms uneven large and small papillae. It is characterized by being fragile and easily damaged, bleeding, and discharging foul-smelling purulent secretion.

Causes of foot rot in cattle

1. The pen is unclean and damp, and the cattle hooves are soaked in manure and urine for a long time.

2. Long-distance transport, moving between barns, friction from ropes, stimulation by sharp objects such as cuts from glass or wire, and cattle stepping on each other, etc.

3. The hooves of cattle are affected by mechanical external forces or chemical factors, etc., causing skin damage and loss of protective capacity.

Treatment measures for foot rot in cattle

1. Remove the cause, keep the affected area clean, reduce stimulation from secretions, promote the resolution of inflammation, and pay attention to hoof care. Shave the hair at the affected area, wash with soapy water or benzalkonium bromide, and adopt different treatment measures according to different conditions.

2. In the early stage of the disease, use drugs that are antiseptic, astringent and stop exudation. Gentian violet, 1% potassium permanganate solution, or iodine tincture for fresh wounds, etc. can be applied and then bandaged.

3. For suppurative cases, thoroughly flush with 3% hydrogen peroxide, or 1% potassium permanganate or benzalkonium bromide solution, remove necrotic tissue and purulent secretion, apply antibiotic ointment to the affected area, then bandage with a bandage soaked in iodine tincture.

4. When the affected tissue is ulcerated and the skin tissue is overgrown, first remove the necrotic tissue, excise the excessive growth, and use ground potassium permanganate powder or 10% copper sulfate, etc. for cauterization, so as to achieve the purposes of stopping bleeding, reducing inflammation and astringing. If there is excessive bleeding, perform cautery to stop the bleeding when necessary.

5. In addition to local therapy, attention should be paid to systemic symptoms. When there is obvious functional impairment at the affected area, analgesic drugs can be injected intramuscularly together with local blocking with procaine penicillin, or therapies such as calcium chloride can be used. Traditional Chinese medicine can also be used: 10% gambier, 20 g anti-inflammatory powder, 0.2 g borneol, 5 g dragon's blood, 2 g myrrh, 2 g frankincense, and a little musk. Mix, grind finely, sift, apply to the clean wound and bandage.