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A nutritional strategy to help control digital dermatitis in growing animals
Digital dermatitis (DD) is a multifactorial disease with infectious, immune and environmental components. This condition has been reported in intensively managed cattle in all parts of the world with higher prevalence in housed versus grazing cattle. Previously recognized only as a disease of mature cattle, there is an increasing awareness of this condition in growing cattle. Depending on stage and severity of DD lesions, impact on cattle ranges from minor discomfort to severe and debilitating lameness. Chemical or physical trauma to the digital skin, low oxygen environment and presence of the causative agent(s) are needed for development of DD. Improving skin integrity and/or enhancing immune response in the presence of the causative agent will help reduce incidence and severity of DD. One means to enhance disease resistance of cattle is to provide them with an adequate supply of zinc, manganese, copper, cobalt and iodine. In study one, a study in which DD lesions were experimentally induced, feeding steers a strategically formulated trace mineral premix (DD Formula) reduced acute DD prevalence (P = 0.11) and DD lesion size (P = 0.11). The DD Formula was designed to supply higher levels of amino acid complexes Zn, Mn, and Cu (Zinpro Performance Minerals), and a higher level of iodine than is typically fed to growing cattle. In study two, a study in which DD lesions were naturally induced, feeding a modified version of the DD Formula to heifers had no effect (P > 0.15) on DD prevalence. In this study, heifers had DD lesions when enrolled in the study and feeding rate of the DD Formula per unit of body weight was less than in study one. In study three, heifers began treatments prior to developing DD lesions and the dosage of the DD Formula per unit of body weight was similar to feeding rate in study one. In this study, feeding the DD Formula to heifers in which DD lesions were naturally induced decreased (P< 0.05) DD prevalence. The DD Formula reduces DD prevalence when fed at the proper dose and fed prior to appearance of DD lesions.
Keywords: digital dermatitis, cattle, trace minerals