foot rot

[C-CROSS]

One thing you may be overlooking not thinking antibiotics work is footrot caused by Haemophlius, in which it will clear up in one day.  I work for a vet and if it clears in one day it is usually caused by Haemophlius.

 

[farmin female]

One thing you may be overlooking not thinking antibiotics work is footrot caused by Haemophlius, in which it will clear up in one day.  I work for a vet and if it clears in one day it is usually caused by Haemophlius.

What is Haemophlius?

Another reason for treating with new and stronger antibiotics is that not everyone has their cattle in a pen next to the house.  In our situation we do not have the time to corral cattle repeatedly to treat a case of foot rot.  Got other fires to put out so a 1 shot deal works well.

 

[oakie]

o you are in for some fun.  We run alot of cows and 75 boer goats, so I think I can shed some light on your situation since footrot/scald is in full swing right now.  I have heard it all as far as remedies go.  What actually works is a zinc sulfate foot bath. It's $40/bag. They need to soak until it starts to burn.  DO NOT use koppertox or anything like that, the wax coats it so that it can't breathe and dry out.  I don't need LA200 if I use zinc sulfate.  I have used it before, BUT it will wipe out the bugs in the stomach so you need to give a shot of thiamine/vitamin D. Another product that seems to work is durasole. It's a horse product for thrush, it works good for scald. Don't get it on your hands they will sluff skin wherever it touches.  In order for footrot to be present, two types of bacteria have to be present. One causes footscald, the other combines with that one and they produce rot. So it is good to use the horse treatment, durasole in case scald breaks out.  I'm willing to bet you are dealing with scald and not rot.  You treat it the same as you do rot. The zinc sulfate will get rid of it also.  Alot of people also put LA200 on the infected area, I didn't see any results that made it worth the effort or money.  LA200 or Nuflor will NOT kill it on their own, you need to use a topical. Cows aren't the same as goats but to keep the rot and scald down I run them through a footbath once a month when I worm. If you do have rot the best way to get rid of it is to open it up (trim the foot) and then soak it. Cows are a bit different. I would just soak it in the zinc (a really hot batch since you won't do it routinely) and then drench it with durasole. If you don't see results in three days then try nuflor or LA.  I think there is a product called LA 300 and I have heard it will wipe out any infection very quickly. I haven't tried this one yet, so I can't attest to it.  For goats to prevent footrot people feed organic iodide (I'm pretty sure that's right, double check for cattle though) and just keep the minerals up. We rarely see it in the cattle and they are knee deep in mud and crap right now.  We feed free choice loose minerals year round though with an eleveated level of copper. If you don't see results in three days try something else but this will work. I had a nanny that could hardly walk on monday (I like to wait until I have at least 10 with it before I run the entire herd through the footbath) I treated her tuesday with a trim and zinc sulfate (a very hot batch). She's up on the mountain today with a small limp compared to the deer on ice look she had monday. Best of luck, I haven't read the other directions but this one works.

 

[oakie]

k, I'm up to speed on all of the responses now. Koppertox will NOT NOT NOT work.  You do have to cut out the rot to get air and topicals to the infected area. DO NOT use anything with glycerine, vaseline, any sealing ingredient, you need to get oxygen to the area to dry it out. It's a bacterial infection.  You can jack them up full of nuflor, la or whatever and it won't nip it for longer than two weeks if it does happen to do something, you have to treat the area along with the antibiotics if you want it gone. It's also important to get rid of the dead tissue if you want it gone. I completely agree with this, especially on the mineral deficiency part. http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/400/400-310/400-310.html  I don't completely agree with the La and nuflor but if it is said to work and if the zinc didn't for whatever reason fix it the first time then give it a try.  I wouldn't rush out and dump money on antibiotics before trying the zinc though. 

 

[oakie]

The article doesn't say anything about it, but once an animal gets footrot they will almost always be more susceptible to it. The spring would be a good time to cull if you don't want to deal with it again. You could up the copper( or feed boluses, after you check their blood levels) or feed iodide(if they are deficient in it) and see if it helps but it's easiest to get rid of the animal that is most susceptible. I bought a group of does this summer who were covered in koppertox, really spendy girls does, the guy didn't know how to treat it besides koppertox and LA so he sold out, they are always the first ones to get the rot. If they weren't so valuable they would be gone.

 

[hamburgman]

Those bacteria are anaerobes and strict ones at that, hence why you don't seal the infected areas over.

 

[ejoe326]

I completely disagree that Nuflor will not kill it on it's own.  We had one cow that was a repeat, since been shipped, that I had the vet look at because he was here for something else.  He confirmed foot rot  which I knew but thought couldn't hurt to have him look.  She always was awful in the chute and it was her front foot so she loved to kick with the back.  After nearly taking his head off when the rope slipped, I said hit her with Nuflor and get her out of here.  The Nuflor worked, I don't remember how long but it was far less than a week, and she was fine until she shipped.  I know there are others where we were in the field until late, knew we had foot rot, and treated only with Baytril and it worked.  Yes it is ideal to clean it out but that's not always possible. 

After running cows for 30 years I've learned there aren't many times to say something won't work in general when it didn't work for you.  C Cross I agree the times through the chute factors into the price I'm willing to pay for something like Baytril, Zactran, Zuprevo, etc.

 

[oakie]

I completely disagree that Nuflor will not kill it on it's own.  We had one cow that was a repeat, since been shipped, that I had the vet look at because he was here for something else.  He confirmed foot rot  which I knew but thought couldn't hurt to have him look.   She always was awful in the chute and it was her front foot so she loved to kick with the back.  After nearly taking his head off when the rope slipped, I said hit her with Nuflor and get her out of here.  The Nuflor worked, I don't remember how long but it was far less than a week, and she was fine until she shipped.  I know there are others where we were in the field until late, knew we had foot rot, and treated only with Baytril and it worked.  Yes it is ideal to clean it out but that's not always possible. 

After running cows for 30 years I've learned there aren't many times to say something won't work in general when it didn't work for you.  C Cross I agree the times through the chute factors into the price I'm willing to pay for something like Baytril, Zactran, Zuprevo, etc.


If you have nuflor on hand, go ahead and give it a try. It won't hurt anything to try it out. It has not worked for us (except for pneumonia) and we are in one of the most footrot prevelant areas in the state, we also gave them sulfa bolouses.  If you are only treating one cow the cheapest way to go about it would be the zinc sulfate. If that doesn't work then try the nuflor. Another thing to consider is that nuflor has a 38 day withdrawl.  Like I said before, we have over 250 head of cows, lots of mud and wetness this time of year, nuflor will keep it at bay for about 2 weeks and then it resurfaces.  We have found that having minerals mixed specifically for our area keeps the footrot and coccidia in check.  You might want to check your mineral program if you are seeing it in more than one cow every now and then. We randomly bled some of ours to see what we were deficient in and came up with our mineral program. A veterinarian did all of the blood analysis and mineral mixing

 

[CAB]

I completely disagree that Nuflor will not kill it on it's own.  We had one cow that was a repeat, since been shipped, that I had the vet look at because he was here for something else.  He confirmed foot rot  which I knew but thought couldn't hurt to have him look.   She always was awful in the chute and it was her front foot so she loved to kick with the back.  After nearly taking his head off when the rope slipped, I said hit her with Nuflor and get her out of here.  The Nuflor worked, I don't remember how long but it was far less than a week, and she was fine until she shipped.  I know there are others where we were in the field until late, knew we had foot rot, and treated only with Baytril and it worked.  Yes it is ideal to clean it out but that's not always possible. 

After running cows for 30 years I've learned there aren't many times to say something won't work in general when it didn't work for you.  C Cross I agree the times through the chute factors into the price I'm willing to pay for something like Baytril, Zactran, Zuprevo, etc.


If you have nuflor on hand, go ahead and give it a try. It won't hurt anything to try it out. It has not worked for us (except for pneumonia) and we are in one of the most footrot prevelant areas in the state, we also gave them sulfa bolouses.  If you are only treating one cow the cheapest way to go about it would be the zinc sulfate. If that doesn't work then try the nuflor. Another thing to consider is that nuflor has a 38 day withdrawl.  Like I said before, we have over 250 head of cows, lots of mud and wetness this time of year, nuflor will keep it at bay for about 2 weeks and then it resurfaces.  We have found that having minerals mixed specifically for our area keeps the footrot and coccidia in check.  You might want to check your mineral program if you are seeing it in more than one cow every now and then. We randomly bled some of ours to see what we were deficient in and came up with our mineral program. A veterinarian did all of the blood analysis and mineral mixing

Are you talking about goats or cattle? From what I am reading, they are caused by different bacteria.

 

[CAB]

One thing you may be overlooking not thinking antibiotics work is footrot caused by Haemophlius, in which it will clear up in one day.  I work for a vet and if it clears in one day it is usually caused by Haemophlius.

I've never heard of Haemophilus causing Footrot in cattle. Below is a link to things that can be atributed to Haemophilus.

http://www.vetmed.vt.edu/education/Curriculum/VM8304/vet%20pathology/CASES/Haemophilus%20somnus%20Disease%20in%20Cattle.htm

 

[3dfarms]

Let us know what you chose and how it works.

 

[blackdiamond]

Austrailia has developed a genetic test for footrot susceptibility in sheep...  Matter of time before the other species follow suit.

 

[oakie]

Austrailia has developed a genetic test for footrot susceptibility in sheep...  Matter of time before the other species follow suit.

what is the cost/head out of curiosity? I have a doe that had it in her fronts, I treated those and they are over it and it's re-emerged in her backs (was in a hurry and didn't bother with them the first time). So I'm wondering if the kids would be as susceptible or if the sire would help that out.

 

[oakie]

I completely disagree that Nuflor will not kill it on it's own.  We had one cow that was a repeat, since been shipped, that I had the vet look at because he was here for something else.  He confirmed foot rot  which I knew but thought couldn't hurt to have him look.   She always was awful in the chute and it was her front foot so she loved to kick with the back.  After nearly taking his head off when the rope slipped, I said hit her with Nuflor and get her out of here.  The Nuflor worked, I don't remember how long but it was far less than a week, and she was fine until she shipped.  I know there are others where we were in the field until late, knew we had foot rot, and treated only with Baytril and it worked.  Yes it is ideal to clean it out but that's not always possible.  

After running cows for 30 years I've learned there aren't many times to say something won't work in general when it didn't work for you.  C Cross I agree the times through the chute factors into the price I'm willing to pay for something like Baytril, Zactran, Zuprevo, etc.


If you have nuflor on hand, go ahead and give it a try. It won't hurt anything to try it out. It has not worked for us (except for pneumonia) and we are in one of the most footrot prevelant areas in the state, we also gave them sulfa bolouses.  If you are only treating one cow the cheapest way to go about it would be the zinc sulfate. If that doesn't work then try the nuflor. Another thing to consider is that nuflor has a 38 day withdrawl.  Like I said before, we have over 250 head of cows, lots of mud and wetness this time of year, nuflor will keep it at bay for about 2 weeks and then it resurfaces.  We have found that having minerals mixed specifically for our area keeps the footrot and coccidia in check.  You might want to check your mineral program if you are seeing it in more than one cow every now and then. We randomly bled some of ours to see what we were deficient in and came up with our mineral program. A veterinarian did all of the blood analysis and mineral mixing

Are you talking about goats or cattle? From what I am reading, they are caused by different bacteria.

I keep cross referencing, sorry about that. I am just talking in general. What I am suggesting worked on both species along with sheep. We used to run a pasture with about 50 cows with 100 sheep. That group seemed to always have one or two in it with footrot. One in particular I remember was a big red simmental bull. He got it to the point of lying down next to the creek. We shot him full of LA, boluses, you name it. He would start to get better for about a two week period and then get the rot again. So since the property had a sheep setup we ran him through the metal footbath and made him stand in it.  That brought him out of it, he was sound until we sold him a few months later. With the minerals we haven't had anything for a couple of years, but we did have some before that, like one or two a month.  We'd get them in and hit them with LA and sulfa but the zinc always seemed to dry it out and get rid of it.  The problem with the antibiotics is that it wipes out the stomach bugs and can take a little while to get them back to eating and digesting like they should. Zinc won't affect that so I would choose that any day.  If you don't have footbath access we use a 2 gallon roundup sprayer and spray it between their toes. It washes them out and you won't get kicked. Do it until they start to kick and act like it's burning.  Goats are pretty much the same method of treatment. I've heard about every remedy for footrot in them and only one has worked.  The LA  was the remedy (and thiamine) I tried last year on the goats, along with bleach and betadine and trimming. That was a long, expensive winter. I stopped messing with the bleach treatments and just started using the LA and thiamine and got the same results that came from the bull, the buck would be good for about three or four days and then crippled up after about a week. It didn't work as long on the buck.


fusobacterium necrophorum (I think that's how you spell it) causes footrot in cattle. When combined with dichelobactor (sp) it can cause it in goats. It only needs the one gram negative bacteria to produce footrot in cattle, both types in goats.