Foot care for cattle: many hoof problems can be avoided with good conformation and management practices.

More than 90 percent of lameness problems in cattle originate in the feet. Lameness takes a toll on herd production, whether in beef or

dairy cattle. Research at Michigan State University a few years ago

showed that lame cows were 16 times more likely to exceed herd average

for days open (being slower to breed back) and nine times more likely to

exceed herd average for services per pregnancy–and eight times more

likely to be culled than non-lame herd mates.

Wet weather/muddy ground creates more incidence of foot problems in

cattle. Sole injuries, infection of the skin around the hoof, and foot

rot are all more likely to occur when wet conditions soften up the

tissues and makes them more vulnerable to bruising and injury (nicks and

scrapes) that open the way for infection. The animal may need

antibiotics, medication to help relieve pain, and in some cases foot

trimming or surgery. Pain can also be caused by overgrown/misshapen

hooves or severe hoof cracks.

Foot rot

Foot rot occurs when bacteria found in soil or manure invade the

foot through a break in the skin (usually between the toes or at the

heel). The foot becomes swollen and inflamed (the skin around the hoof

becomes red), resulting in severe lameness. The swelling and lameness

come on very suddenly. The animal may be fine one day, and the next day

the foot is too sore to put weight on it.

Several bacteria can cause foot rot, but the most common culprit is

Fuso-bacterium necrophorum. Any scrape or injury to the skin can open

the way for bacteria to enter. A small scratch or puncture–from walking

through stubble or sharp gravel, ice or frozen mud-is all it takes.

These bacteria can live a long time in the soil, and seem to persist in

wet areas around springs or in swampy ground or wet pastures. The skin

around the feet become soft and tender when wet, so foot rot is a common

problem in wet weather or when cattle must walk through wet ground or

bogs.

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Once bacteria enter, inflammation starts quickly and the foot

becomes swollen-especially between the toes or at the heel, and around

the coronary band just above the hoof, depending on the site of entry.

The toes may be spread apart by the swelling. In severe cases the

swelling will extend upward to include the fetlock joint. On first

glance you may think the animal has a sprained or broken foot because of

the swelling and extreme lameness.

The animal may have a fever, and be too sore to travel to feed or

water. It spends most of its time lying down, losing weight. As the

infection becomes more chronic, the swollen area may crack and ooze,

spreading more bacteria around the pasture. In a long-standing case the

infection may invade the joints and produce a septic arthritis and

permanent crippling.

Many cases of foot rot eventually clears up without treatment, but

the animal is lame a long time and may lose a lot of weight–as well as

spreading bacteria during the time the foot is swollen and discharging.

It’s always better to treat it than wait to see if it will clear up

on its own. If you can clear it up quickly there will be less

contamination of pen or pasture, less weight loss, and much less risk

for permanent damage to the foot. With treatment, most cases heal

quickly, especially if you start treatment the first or second day of

lameness.

Long-acting oxytetracycline or procaine penicillin works well for

foot rot, and sulfa is also helpful in severe cases. Long-acting sulfa

boluses given in conjunction with oxytetracyline coverage for three to

five days will usually clear it up. Disappearance of lameness is a sign

of recovery. A long-standing case may need more extensive treatment,

however. It is sometimes necessary to clean the foot, apply local

antiseptics, and bandage the foot in conjunction with use of systemic

antibiotics. If joints or tendon sheaths are involved, the prognosis for

recovery is poor; surgery to remove the affected claw/ toe may be

necessary.

There is a vaccine (Fusogard) for control and prevention of foot

rot, and tests have shown a 64 percent reduction in cases when

vaccinated cattle were compared to non-vaccinated cattle. Label

recommendations for use of the vaccine suggest vaccinating cattle at six

months of age or older with an initial two-shot series 60 days apart,

with an annual booster thereafter. Total reliance on vaccine for control

of foot rot generally does not work, however; it is most effective when

used in conjunction with other preventative measures such as maintaining

good hoof health with proper nutrition and a clean, dry environment.

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Heel warts

Often called hairy heel warts, “strawberry heel,” or

digital dermatitis, this problem is caused by bacteria that infect the

soft tissue of the foot. It generally occurs between the toes or up the

front or back of the foot. Young cattle seem most susceptible because

they have not developed any immunity to the bacterial infection. Moist

conditions can predispose cattle to heel warts if these bacteria are

present; if the foot is wet the skin is more soft and tender, and more

vulnerable. Best prevention is a clean, dry environment, and healthy

feet.

This condition is treated with antibiotics and a topical antiseptic

on the affected area. The foot may have to be sprayed daily for about

five days with the antiseptic, or wrapped. There is a vaccine for heel

warts, to prevent this infection, but it only works if the animal is not

already infected. For best protection the animal is given a three-shot

series (once a week) the first year, and then an annual booster

thereafter.

Sole abscesses

Bacteria may enter the hoof itself through a crack or bruise,

usually on the bottom of one of the digits. A bruised sole (as from

stepping on a sharp rock, or from uneven weight bearing due to misshapen foot) may eventually become an abscess. Sometimes the layers of the sole

will separate and a “false sole” develops–with pus in between

the layers. The infection may eventually break out the side or at the

heel.

With an abscess, initially there is no swelling above the hoof,

since the infection is confined to the hoof itself. If a lame animal

does not have a swollen foot, an abscess (rather than foot rot) should

be suspected and the bottom of the claws/toes should be carefully

inspected. A crack or bruise should be probed with a hoof knife to find

the abscess and open it up. In some cases it may need to be flushed and

drained. The infection creates a foul-smelling fluid that will be

obvious when the abscess is located and opened.

Treatment generally consists of paring away all the affected horn

tissue around the abscess, and minimizing the weight bearing in that

area until new horn can grow and fill in the hole. This can be

accomplished by paring the affected claw so that the sound one bears the

weight, or by gluing a “shoe” or wood block to the sound claw

to build it up so it bears all the weight.

Laminitis

Lameness can also be due to laminitis (inflammation of the lamina-

the interfacing tissues that connect the sensitive inner parts of the

hoof and bone to the outer insensitive horny shell). Laminitis is often

due to digestive problems that upset the balance of rumen bacteria,

creating toxins that can enter the bloodstream and cause serious changes

in the hoof. Most common causes of laminitis are grain overload–as when

cattle are put on grain too fast (not allowing a gradual period of

adjustment to the higher grain ration) or changes in diet are too

sudden, such as changing from barley to hull-less barley or wheat (feeds

that contain less roughage).

Just as in a horse with laminitis, the feet become very tender due

to the ensuing inflammation. If the affected lamina separate, disrupting

the connection of bone to hoof horn, the feet become deformed as the

bone shifts and growth patterns change-with toes becoming overlong and

curling upward. An animal that has foundered will always tend to go lame

easily, due to sole bruising.

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Hoof cracks

Sometimes called “sand cracks,” this problem seems to

occur most often in heavy, older cows or bulls (rarely in calves or

heifers) and most often in feet that are allowed to grow too long. Most

common is a crack up the center of the toe. This is sometimes due to

poor hoof horn that tends to become dry and brittle; the hoof loses its

ability to stay hydrated and flexible. Sometimes a dietary deficiency

(forages low in copper or zinc) can lead to loss of hoof quality, and

subsequent cracking.

In some geographic regions, high levels of iron, molybdenum or

sulfur may tie up copper and accentuate copper deficiency. Forages

growing on alkali ground may also be low in copper and zinc. If a herd

is having trouble with hoof cracks, mineral supplementation (especially

the use of chelated zinc and copper, which seems to be better utilized

by the body) may help.

Excessive selenium in the diet can also lead to hoof cracks, and in

severe cases, loss of the entire hoof wall. Many areas of the country

are deficient in selenium, but there are a few places where selenium

levels are high enough to be toxic, causing loss of tail hair and severe

hoof cracks. Over-supplementing with selenium can also cause hoof

cracks, since the window of “healthy” levels for this

important trace element is small. Too much is just as detrimental as too

little.

Hoof cracks are often more unsightly than damaging, but if they

become deep, or the hoof wall starts to split at the toe, they can lead

to infection of the deeper tissues and severe lameness. Toes that grow

overlong often tend to crack, so keeping the foot trimmed (if it

can’t wear normally) can usually keep cracks from becoming a

serious problem.

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In some cases a hoof sealer or hoof glue can be used to protect the

outer surface of the foot and prevent cracking. There are some bovine

hoof products that form a bond with the hoof wall to create a tough,

outer surface that repels moisture and makes it stronger. It keeps the

hoof from getting soft in wet conditions and holds in natural

moisture–to keep the foot from drying out and cracking in dry

conditions.

Preventing foot problems

Many problems can be avoided by selecting cattle with good foot and

leg conformation, so that hooves grow in proper alignment and balance

and wear normally. A tendency toward foot problems is sometimes

inherited, due to poor foot/leg angles or to inability to grow tough

hoof horn. Just as in horses, whether an individual has tough, resilient

hooves or poor quality hoof horn is partly due to genetics. If you have

a lot of hoof problems (such as toe cracks) in your herd, check to see

if the problem animals are related. You may have used a bull whose

daughters have less than average hoof quality.

If cattle are kept on soft pastures and never have a chance to

travel on firm or rocky ground to wear the feet, periodic hoof trimming

may be necessary to keep hooves from growing too long. Footing is an

important issue for healthy feet. Abrupt changes in footing can create

problems, as when cattle are brought from a wet, swampy pasture to a

pen/pasture with rocky conditions or even into an auction or feed yard

with rough concrete around the feed bunks for good traction. The

abrasive footing may quickly wear away the soft feet and leave them

vulnerable to bruising or infection, creating serious lameness. If the

sole is worn away and infection affects the bone, the animal may not

recover.

Proper nutrition is also important for healthy hoof growth, to

avoid poor hoof horn and cracking that opens the way for infection.

Nutrient imbalances and deficiencies can lead to poor horn growth or

dry, brittle feet that are prone to cracking. Hoof health is affected by

some of the trace minerals like zinc, copper, manganese and selenium. If

these are inadequate (or diet is low in vitamins A, D and biotin), hoof

horn may be adversely affected and not grow properly. Fatty acids in

diet also play a role in growing healthy, resilient hoof horn that does

not dry out and crack. Green forage plants generally contain all the

elements of diet needed for hoof health, unless soils are very deficient

in certain minerals.

A dry, clean environment will also prevent many foot problems.

Environmental conditions can predispose even a healthy hoof to

problems–if cattle are in wet pastures year round, or spend the winter

in a muddy pen or must travel over sharp rocks. Providing mounds of dry

ground in wet pens (higher areas that stay well drained) can help

prevent foot rot, for instance, enabling cattle to stand in dry areas

instead of having their feet constantly in mud.

Another management technique that can provide drier footing in wet

pens and boggy gateways is use of a porous high-strength filter fabric

to hold a layer of gravel near the ground surface (similar to what is

used in highway construction). The porous fabric allows water to drain

down through it, but it holds the crushed rock or gravel in place so it

doesn’t keep sinking down into the mud, keeping the top layer of

soil drier. These filter pads can be used in feeding areas, travel

lanes, gateways, etc.–wherever cattle tend to “bog down” in

wet weather.

The geotextile or grid fabric can be installed by excavating the

top six to eight inches of soil in the pen/ roadway and putting the

filter pad at that level. Then four to six inches of crushed limestone

or similar rock can be placed on top of the fabric, and topped with two

to three inches of finer material such as fine crushed rock. This

creates an effective “drain” for moisture, keeping the top dry

and healthier for hooves. Buildup of manure on top of the fine gravel

(as in a pen or feed yard) can be easily scraped up and periodically

removed without damaging the filter.

Any management procedure that helps eliminate hoof damage and aids

hoof health can help prevent foot rot, sole bruising, etc. If pens are

clean and free of sharp stones or frozen, rough mud, many hoof injuries

and infections can be prevented. Covering frozen ground with straw, and

keeping pens well drained in wet weather can help prevent foot injuries.

Concrete slabs at feed bunks or water troughs (areas that tend to get

very boggy) can help keep feet clean and dry.

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