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Digital dermatitis
Digital dermatitis is an infection of the skin of the foot, most often just above the heel, on the back of the finger. It forms a red, raw sore, very painful at the slightest contact. It is today one of the most common causes of lameness in...
What is it?
Digital dermatitis is an infection of the skin of the foot, most often just above the heel, on the back of the finger. It forms a red, raw sore, very painful at the slightest contact.
It is today one of the most common causes of lameness in indoor dairy herds. Unlike the whitlow, it settles in the flock and returns in waves.
It is contagious: it is transmitted from one animal to another through the contaminated environment, and once it enters a farm, it requires collective and sustainable management, not just the treatment of lame cows.
Commonly observed signs
These signs are neither exhaustive nor specific. Only a veterinarian can establish a diagnosis.
Related signs — each one links to its page:
Lameness of varying intensity: some cows limp clearly, others walk only on the tips of their hooves to spare the heel.
On examination of the raised foot, a round or oval sore, bright red, granular like a strawberry, located on the back of the foot between the heels.
The lesion is extremely sensitive: the cow quickly withdraws its foot as soon as it is touched.
Some lesions are covered in thick scabs with long bristling hairs in a crown, others are gray and smooth, less painful but still active.
Unpleasant odor from the foot.
In the herd: several animals affected at the same time, drop in milk production and animals lying down longer.
More discreetly, the cows trample in the milking parlor and are reluctant to move forward in the corridors.
When to consult without delay
This list does not replace veterinary advice. It gathers situations that justify a prompt consultation.
Causes and risk factors
The infection is associated with spiral bacteria from the treponeme group, which penetrate the weakened skin and settle deep there.
The skin of the heel must first be softened and damaged by prolonged contact with slurry and humidity: it is maceration which opens the door.
These bacteria survive in the deeper layers of the skin, which explains relapses: the lesion can heal on the surface and reactivate later.
Buildings where feet remain permanently in slurry: scraping too far apart, saturated corridors, dirty cubicles.
Overcrowding: more animals than sleeping places, therefore more time standing in the corridors.
Purchase of animals without foot examination or observation period upon arrival.
Trimming carried out without disinfection of equipment between animals.
High production dairy herds, whose feet are put under greater strain.
Transmission
Transmission occurs through the contaminated environment: slurry, mud, damp floors in corridors and the waiting area.
Introduction to a breeding facility unharmed is most often done by purchasing a carrier animal, including an animal that does not limp.
Undisinfected trimming equipment and gloves between two animals carry the infection from one foot to the other.
Heifers raised in a contaminated building can be affected even before their first birth.
Diagnosis and care
Diagnosis is the veterinarian's responsibility, based on clinical examination and laboratory tests. Care is decided case by case.
The diagnosis is made on the lifted and cleaned foot: the lesion is recognizable by its appearance and its location at the back of the heel.
The veterinarian distinguishes digital dermatitis from interdigital whitlow, sole ulcer and other horn lesions, which do not require the same treatment.
It also assesses the extent in the herd: it is the number of animals affected, more than the isolated case, which guides the action to be taken.
Regular visits to the milking parlor to observe the backs of the feet make it possible to identify beginning lesions without lifting each animal.
Treatment
The standard treatment is local: careful cleaning of the lesion, drying, then application of a local antibiotic product prescribed by the veterinarian, sometimes maintained by a dressing left in place for a few days.
An anti-inflammatory may be prescribed when the pain is severe.
General treatments are not the rule and are a veterinary decision.
The treated cow must be placed on a clean, dry surface: applying a treatment then putting the animal back in the slurry amounts to doing nothing.
Individual treatment alone is never enough in an affected herd: it must be accompanied by a resumption of floor hygiene and regular monitoring of the feet.
Treatment depends on the cause and the animal's condition: it must be determined by a veterinarian. No self-medication.
Prevention
Keeping feet clean and dry is the most effective measure: frequent scraping of the corridors, regular cleaning, correctly maintained and sufficiently stocked cubicles.
Ensure a sleeping place per cow: a lying cow is a cow whose feet are drying.
Quarantine and examine the feet of any purchased animal before introducing it into the herd.
Disinfect trimming instruments and change gloves between animals.
Regular functional trimming by a trained person, at least once a year and systematically when drying off, with examination of each foot.
The footbath is a collective control tool: its principle is to pass previously clean feet through a disinfectant bath daily or several times a week. The product, frequency and renewal of the bath are decided with the veterinarian; a dirty bath no longer disinfects anything.
Monitor the herd's gait: a cow that walks on tiptoe or hesitates to turn signals pain even before it is clearly limping.
Possible complications
Transition to the chronic form with lesions which constantly return to the same place despite treatment.
Extension of the lesion to the space between the fingers and to the horn rim, with lasting deformities of the claw.
Chronic lameness and prolonged pain: this is a major animal welfare problem, recognized as such in European assessments.
Decrease in production, loss of body condition and lengthening of the interval between two calvings, because a cow in pain expresses her heat poorly.
Early cull of productive animals.
When to see a veterinarian
Several cows begin to limp or walk on the tips of their hooves in the same herd.
You discover a bright red and very painful sore on the back of one foot.
The lesions return despite treatments already applied.
A recently purchased cow becomes lame within weeks of its arrival.
The herd's production drops without any other explanation and the animals lie down more than usual.
Prognosis
An injury treated early and properly usually heals within a few days, with rapid pain relief.
At the herd level, the disease is not easily eliminated once established: the realistic objective is to maintain few active lesions, thanks to hygiene, trimming and early detection.
Farms that sustainably improve floor cleanliness and sleeping comfort see a marked reduction in the number of cases.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the disease always come back despite treatment?
Because bacteria persist deep in the skin and in the breeding environment. Local treatment cures the current lesion; without clean floors, dry litter and regular trimming, a new lesion will appear. It is long-term control, not one-off eradication.
Can a cow that doesn't lame be a carrier?
Yes. Lesions that are not very painful, dry or covered with crusts, go unnoticed even though they contribute to contamination of the herd. This is why we examine the feet when trimming and purchasing, not just animals that are lame.
Is it dangerous for humans?
No, this disease is not transmitted to humans. It is still recommended to wear gloves when caring for the feet and to wash your hands, as with any handling in breeding.
When is the best time to spot lesions?
In the milking parlour, the back of the feet is clearly visible without immobilizing the animal: a regular glance at the heel allows you to identify beginning lesions. Observing the movement of the herd, at a calm moment, usefully completes this identification.
References
EFSA — Autorité européenne de sécurité des aliments
Content reviewed by the TunisieVet editorial team · Updated 09 August 2026
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