Interdigital dermatitis in cattle is caused by the anaerobic bacterium ''

Dichelobacter nodosus ''Dichelobacter nodosus'', formerly ''Bacteroides nodosus'', is a Gram-negative, obligate anaerobe of the family Cardiobacteriaceae. It has polar fimbriae and is the causative agent of ovine foot rot as well as interdigital dermatitis. It is t ...

''. This is also the agent of

footrot Foot rot, or infectious pododermatitis, is a hoof infection commonly found in sheep, goats, and cattle. As the name suggests, it rots away the foot of the animal, more specifically the area between the two toes of the affected animal. It is extrem ...

in sheep, but strains appear to be different and there is no cross-infection. Interdigital dermatitis is different from

in cattle and both conditions may occur concurrently. The condition most commonly occurs in farms with a high stocking density or where cattle traffic is high and is most prevalent in Winter. __TOC__

Clinical signs and diagnosis

Interdigital dermatitis appears as an infections of the skin between the claws and is usually very mild. There may be fluid or a scab in that area, and there is rarely lameness. There is then progression to the heels which become raw and cattle will experience pain. Chronic cases will show changes of the hoof including hyperplasia of the interdigital tissues and muscle atrophy in the affected limb. The horn may become underrun.Interdigital Dermatitis - Cattle
reviewed and published by

WikiVet WikiVet is a wiki of veterinary content based on the MediaWiki platform. The website is a collaborative initiative between various veterinary schools, and its content covers the entire veterinary curriculum. WikiVet is part of the WikiVet Educatio ...

, accessed 11 October 2011. Diagnosis is principally based on history and clinical signs. It is very rare that attempts are made to

isolate Isolate may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Isolate'' (film), a 2013 Australian film * ''Isolate'' (Circus Maximus album), 2007 * ''Isolate'' (Gary Numan album), 1992 Language * Isolating language, with near-unity morpheme/word ...

the bacteria.

Treatment and control

The skin should be cleaned and kept dry, and topical

antibiotics An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the treatment and prevention o ...

can be applied to the area. Systemic antibiotics are not needed. Control relies on prompt detection, isolation and treatment of affected cattle. Footpaths should be kept as dry as possible and slurry build-up should be avoided. Regular footbaths should be organised, using

formalin Formaldehyde ( , ) (systematic name methanal) is a naturally occurring organic compound with the formula and structure . The pure compound is a pungent, colourless gas that polymerises spontaneously into paraformaldehyde (refer to section Fo ...

copper sulphate Copper sulfate may refer to: * Copper(II) sulfate, CuSO4, a common compound used as a fungicide and herbicide * Copper(I) sulfate Copper(I) sulfate, also known as cuprous sulfate, is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula Cu2 SO4. I ...

or a

thymol Thymol (also known as 2-isopropyl-5-methylphenol, IPMP), , is a natural monoterpenoid phenol derivative of ''p''-Cymene, isomeric with carvacrol, found in oil of thyme, and extracted from ''Thymus vulgaris'' (common thyme), ajwain, and vario ...

-based disinfectant. In 2013, a safer and alternative to chemicals for hoof baths called Thymox Technology was proven, through field testing, to kill the main bacteria causing digital dermatitis.

References

Bovine diseases Bacterial diseases {{Veterinary-med-stub