Literature study Bovine Digital Dermatitis

Abstract

Bovine Digital Dermatitis is a multifactor disease which causes superficial epidermitis of the digit at the coronary margin. It is likely to be caused by Spirochetes (Treponema spp). The presence of a lesion is not always accompanied by lameness, but it can cause considerable pain and discomfort that can reduce feeding, the milk production and the reproductive performance of the cow. Risk fac-tors of getting BDD are breed, parity, stage of lactation ,calving season, housing system, heifer and adult buying, and footbath use. There are a lot of treatment options for BDD the main treatment groups are: (1) systemic antibiotics, (2) individual topical treatment, and (3) mass topical therapy using a footbath. But it is unlikely that the use of systemic antibiotics will be economically viable as a method of control of Bovine digital dermatitis, only in small numbers of animals. For topical treatment a lot of options are available from Foam till antibiotic spray. Foot bathing is an important key factor in controlling the disease, this is effective when its regularly repeated. Environmental condition seems to be a important factor for the prevalence of the disease, liquid manure and moist are factors for developing Bovine Digital Dermatitis. The introduction of BDD into a dairy herd can lead to an ongoing struggle for control and treatment of lesions in combination with a production loss.