The Effects of Footbath Management on Digital Dermatitis Distribution

Year 2021, Volume: 10 Issue: 2, 52 - 57, 24.12.2021

Oguzhan Kalyoncu Emre Gürdal Yalçın Alper Özturan İbrahim Akın

https://doi.org/10.53913/aduveterinary.993485

Abstract

Digital dermatitis (DD) is a common infectious disease that causes economic losses and lameness. In order to keep DD under control, the usage of footbaths is very important in intensive dairy farms. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between footbath usage and the number of active lesions related to DD. In total of 1527 cattle from 6 dairy farms were evaluated to assess and correlate, the prevalence of DD and footbath practices. Information about the farm structure and management practices of footbaths were obtained through a questionnaire. We inspected all cow feet on DD lesions during the milking time and scored the lesions using six M-stages. Thereafter, we performed a chi square test to investigate the relation between digital dermatitis prevalence and footbath practices. We observed DD lesions in 500 feet (8.2%) of 338 (22.1%) dairy cows. Farms using dry manure practices as a bedding material showed a higher digital dermatitis prevalence (p < 0.001). Farms using formalin footbath practices had the lowest digital dermatitis lesions, whereas copper sulfate (CuSO4) practice had the highest prevalence (p < 0.001). Periodically renewed footbaths showed a statistically lower DD prevalence in farms (p < 0.001). We concluded that the implementation of proper footbath design and optimization of footbath management might help to reduce the prevalence of digital dermatitis in dairies.

Keywords

cattle, footbath, digital dermatitis, formalin, cooper sulfate

Supporting Institution

TÜBITAK-The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey

Project Number

2209/ A, Application Number- 1919B011602116

Thanks

Authors would like to thanks to The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey for funding the research project 2209/ A, Application Number- 1919B011602116 and Aykut Göktürk Üner for their contributions to statistical analysis.

References

• Akin, I., & Akin, T. (2018). Economic impact of digital dermatitis treatment on a dairy farm: an application of the break-even analysis. Ciência Rural, 48.
• Apley, M. D. (2015). Clinical evidence for individual animal therapy for papillomatous digital dermatitis (hairy heel wart) and infectious bovine pododermatitis (foot rot). Vet Clin North Am Food Anim Pract, 31(1), 81-95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvfa.2014.11.009
• Ariza, J. M., Bareille, N., Oberle, K., & Guatteo, R. (2019). Current recommendations for footbath solutions renewal rates in dairy cattle: the need for adaptation? Animal, 13(6), 1319-1325. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1751731118002847
• Blowey, R. (2005). Factors associated with lameness in dairy cattle. In Practice, 27(3), 154-162.
• Blowey, R. W., Carter, S. D., White, A. G., & Barnes, A. (1994). Borrelia burgdorferi infections in UK cattle: a possible association with digital dermatitis. Vet Rec, 135(24), 577-578.
• Blowey, R. W., & Sharp, M. W. (1988). Digital dermatitis in dairy cattle. Vet Rec, 122(21), 505-508. https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.122.21.505
• Bruijnis, M. R., Beerda, B., Hogeveen, H., & Stassen, E. N. (2012). Assessing the welfare impact of foot disorders in dairy cattle by a modeling approach. Animal, 6(6), 962-970. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1751731111002606
• Bruijnis, M. R., Hogeveen, H., & Stassen, E. N. (2010). Assessing economic consequences of foot disorders in dairy cattle using a dynamic stochastic simulation model. J Dairy Sci, 93(6), 2419-2432. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2009-2721
• Bruijnis, M. R., Hogeveen, H., & Stassen, E. N. (2013). Measures to improve dairy cow foot health: consequences for farmer income and dairy cow welfare. Animal, 7(1), 167-175. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1751731112001383
• Cha, E., Hertl, J. A., Bar, D., & Grohn, Y. T. (2010). The cost of different types of lameness in dairy cows calculated by dynamic programming. Prev Vet Med, 97(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2010.07.011
• Cheli, R., & Mortellaro, C. (1974). La dermatite digitale del bovino. Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Diseases of Cattle, Piacenza, Milan, pp.208-213.
• Cook, N. B., Rieman, J., Gomez, A., & Burgi, K. (2012). Observations on the design and use of footbaths for the control of infectious hoof disease in dairy cattle. Vet J, 193(3), 669-673. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2012.06.051
• Cramer, G., Lissemore, K. D., Guard, C. L., Leslie, K. E., & Kelton, D. F. (2008). Herd- and cow-level prevalence of foot lesions in Ontario dairy cattle. J Dairy Sci, 91(10), 3888-3895. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2008-1135
• Doane, M., & Sarenbo, S. (2014). Exposure of farm laborers and dairy cattle to formaldehyde from footbath use at a dairy farm in New York State. Sci Total Environ, 487, 65-71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.04.007
• Döpfer, D., Anklam, K., Mikheil, D., & Ladell, P. (2012). Growth curves and morphology of three Treponema subtypes isolated from digital dermatitis in cattle. Vet J, 193(3), 685-693. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2012.06.054
• Dopfer, D., Holzhauer, M., & Boven, M. (2012). The dynamics of digital dermatitis in populations of dairy cattle: model-based estimates of transition rates and implications for control. Vet J, 193(3), 648-653. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2012.06.047
• Ettema, J., Ostergaard, S., & Kristensen, A. R. (2010). Modelling the economic impact of three lameness causing diseases using herd and cow level evidence. Prev Vet Med, 95(1-2), 64-73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2010.03.001
• Evans, N. J., Timofte, D., Isherwood, D. R., Brown, J. M., Williams, J. M., Sherlock, K., Carter, S. D. (2012). Host and environmental reservoirs of infection for bovine digital dermatitis treponemes. Vet Microbiol, 156(1-2), 102-109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetmic.2011.09.029
• Fjeldaas, T., Knappe-Poindecker, M., Boe, K. E., & Larssen, R. B. (2014). Water footbath, automatic flushing, and disinfection to improve the health of bovine feet. J Dairy Sci, 97(5), 2835-2846. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2013-7531
• Flemming, C. A., & Trevors, J. T. (1989). Copper toxicity and chemistry in the environment: a review. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution, 44(1), 143-158. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00228784
• Gillespie, A. V., Carter, S. D., Blowey, R. W., Staton, G. J., & Evans, N. J. (2020). Removal of bovine digital dermatitis-associated treponemes from hoof knives after foot-trimming: a disinfection field study. BMC Vet Res, 16(1), 330. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-020-02552-8
• Gomez, A., Cook, N. B., Rieman, J., Dunbar, K. A., Cooley, K. E., Socha, M. T., & Dopfer, D. (2015). The effect of digital dermatitis on hoof conformation. J Dairy Sci, 98(2), 927-936. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2014-8483
• Hoff, B., Boermans, H. J., & Baird, J. D. (1998). Retrospective study of toxic metal analyses requested at a veterinary diagnostic toxicology laboratory in Ontario (1990-1995). Can Vet J, 39(1), 39-43.
• Holzhauer, M., Döpfer, D., de Boer, J., & van Schaik, G. (2008). Effects of different intervention strategies on the incidence of papillomatous digital dermatitis in dairy cows. Vet Rec, 162(2), 41-46. https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.162.2.41
• Holzhauer, M., Hardenberg, C., Bartels, C. J., & Frankena, K. (2006). Herd- and cow-level prevalence of digital dermatitis in the Netherlands and associated risk factors. J Dairy Sci, 89(2), 580-588. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(06)72121-X
• Krull, A. C., Cooper, V. L., Coatney, J. W., Shearer, J. K., Gorden, P. J., & Plummer, P. J. (2016). A Highly Effective Protocol for the Rapid and Consistent Induction of Digital Dermatitis in Holstein Calves. PLoS One, 11(4), e0154481. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0154481
• Laven, R. A., & Logue, D. N. (2006). Treatment strategies for digital dermatitis for the UK. Vet J, 171(1), 79-88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2004.08.009
• Nuss, K. (2006). Footbaths: the solution to digital dermatitis? Vet J, 171(1), 11-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2005.02.010
• Palmer, M. A., Donnelly, R. F., Garland, M. J., Majithiya, R., & O'Connell, N. E. (2013). The effect of slurry on skin permeability to methylene blue dye in dairy cows with and without a history of digital dermatitis. Animal, 7(10), 1731-1737. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1751731113001274
• Potterton, S. L., Bell, N. J., Whay, H. R., Berry, E. A., Atkinson, O. C., Dean, R. S., . . . Huxley, J. N. (2012). A descriptive review of the peer and non-peer reviewed literature on the treatment and prevention of foot lameness in cattle published between 2000 and 2011. Vet J, 193(3), 612-616. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2012.06.040
• Read, D. H., & Walker, R. L. (1998). Papillomatous digital dermatitis (footwarts) in California dairy cattle: clinical and gross pathologic findings. J Vet Diagn Invest, 10(1), 67-76. https://doi.org/10.1177/104063879801000112
• Relun, A., Guatteo, R., Auzanneau, M. M., & Bareille, N. (2013). Farmers' practices, motivators and barriers for adoption of treatments of digital dermatitis in dairy farms. Animal, 7(9), 1542-1550. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1751731113000803
• Relun, A., Lehebel, A., Bareille, N., & Guatteo, R. (2012). Effectiveness of different regimens of a collective topical treatment using a solution of copper and zinc chelates in the cure of digital dermatitis in dairy farms under field conditions. J Dairy Sci, 95(7), 3722-3735. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2011-4983
• Reneau, J. K., Seykora, A. J., Heins, B. J., Endres, M. I., Farnsworth, R. J., & Bey, R. F. (2005). Association between hygiene scores and somatic cell scores in dairy cattle. J Am Vet Med Assoc, 227(8), 1297-1301. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.2005.227.1297
• Rodríguez-Lainz, A., Hird, D. W., Walker, R. L., & Read, D. H. (1996). Papillomatous digital dermatitis in 458 dairies. J Am Vet Med Assoc, 209(8), 1464-1467.
• Scholey, R., Ollier, W., Blowey, R., Murray, R., & Carter, S. (2010). Determining host genetic susceptibility or resistance to bovine digital dermatitis in cattle. Advances in Animal Biosciences, 1(1), 2-2.
• Solano, L., Barkema, H. W., Mason, S., Pajor, E. A., LeBlanc, S. J., & Orsel, K. (2016). Prevalence and distribution of foot lesions in dairy cattle in Alberta, Canada. J Dairy Sci, 99(8), 6828-6841. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2016-10941
• Solano, L., Barkema, H. W., Pajor, E. A., Mason, S., LeBlanc, S. J., Zaffino Heyerhoff, J. C., . . . Orsel, K. (2015). Prevalence of lameness and associated risk factors in Canadian Holstein-Friesian cows housed in freestall barns. J Dairy Sci, 98(10), 6978-6991. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2015-9652
• Solano, L., Barkema, H. W., Pickel, C., & Orsel, K. (2017). Effectiveness of a standardized footbath protocol for prevention of digital dermatitis. J Dairy Sci, 100(2), 1295-1307. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2016-11464
• Speijers, M. H., Baird, L. G., Finney, G. A., McBride, J., Kilpatrick, D. J., Logue, D. N., & O'Connell, N. E. (2010). Effectiveness of different footbath solutions in the treatment of digital dermatitis in dairy cows. J Dairy Sci, 93(12), 5782-5791. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2010-3468
• Sullivan, L. E., Evans, N. J., Blowey, R. W., Grove-White, D. H., Clegg, S. R., Duncan, J. S., & Carter, S. D. (2015). A molecular epidemiology of treponemes in beef cattle digital dermatitis lesions and comparative analyses with sheep contagious ovine digital dermatitis and dairy cattle digital dermatitis lesions. Vet Microbiol, 178(1-2), 77-87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetmic.2015.04.011