Foot Rot and Pink Eye in Cattle on the Rise
Eric Mousel, Extension Beef Production Specialist, U of M
Mercedes Moffett, Extension Educator
Summer is off to a soggy start for us here in northern Minnesota and things are running a little behind this year. Unfortunately, one thing I have been noticing that has yet to run behind schedule this year is foot rot. I’ve heard from numerous producers that problems with foot rot in range cattle are popping up. Our lovely wet weather that keeps coming is to blame. High humidity and wet ground are probably the biggest factors here in the north. These conditions have combined to create a good environment for damaging the skin between the cloves and for the growth of the foot rot-causing bacteria Fusobacterium necrophorum.
Treatment of foot rot is critical to avoid bigger problems in cattle, such as when the infection moves from being localized in the foot and leg to a systemic infection that can debilitate the animal. Surprisingly, this does happen a lot, especially in range cattle. This is because we don’t watch them as closely when they are out on grass and don’t catch the problem early or have the tools or facilities to get them off of grass and treat them quickly and effectively. Foot rot needs to be dealt with in a timely (and safe) manner to prevent any long-term wrecks.
Fortunately, foot rot is pretty easy to treat. There is a whole list of antibiotics, ointments, and salves that you should discuss with your veterinarian about using to treat foot rot. Livestock-grade penicillin seems to work well as long as the problem is observed and dealt with early. If the localized infection has been there for a while when you notice it, you will probably need something with a little more punch to it. I always recommend (and I do it myself) to talk with your vet about the proper dosage, mostly because I don’t want to have to catch her twice, so you want to make sure you get it stamped out the first time.
Aiming towards preventative measures is also going to be key. Nutrition plays a large role in overall animal health. Including iodine has been shown to help prevent foot rot. The inclusion of zinc has also been shown to help with skin integrity, making it harder for pathogens to penetrate the skin which leads to the infection. Again, talking with your veterinarian and nutritionist is going to be crucial to determining the appropriate levels for your herd.
Another bovine ailment that seems to be cropping up this year, maybe a little more than in recent years past, has been pinkeye. This is another one that it is hard to tell for sure why folks are seeing more than normal, but it likely has to do with wet, humid, warm conditions that make a better environment for the growth of the primary cause of pinkeye, Moraxella bovis, and the primary transmission vector, the common face fly. For pinkeye to get started, the eye of the animal must become irritated in some fashion- by being scratched, getting something stuck in it, or some other irritation that causes the eye to weep. Tall pasture grass is a prime culprit for scratched eyes. Once the weeping begins, face flies are attracted to the moisture. The flies then transfer M. bovis to the irritated eye of the animal and pinkeye sets in. The problem is that pinkeye can spread rapidly throughout a herd so once an animal has it and is not treated quickly, others are sure to get it.
Treating pinkeye is an onerous task at best. Unfortunately, pinkeye is not quite as easy to deal with as foot rot and is a lot more contagious. Getting on top of the problem quickly is of paramount importance. Once pinkeye gets started, the first thing to do is to make sure all of your fly control gadgetry is in place and working. Those fly tags you snapped on before cattle were turned out on grass probably are about used up. Replacing fly tags is no fun because you have to gather and work cattle; out on grass, and nobody likes doing that; but it’s probably going to have to be done. Assuming everything was poured before they went to grass, you may also have to look into rubs, oilers, or dusters if you aren’t currently using them to provide a little extra incentive for flies to find another place to reside.
Pinkeye vaccinations are available, but they are area-specific so you will have to talk to a vet to figure out which one is going to work best for you. Additionally, you will have to gather and work cattle to administer a vaccine, which may work out alright if you need to retag anyway. Similarly, keeping grass short by grazing or haying will help tremendously with keeping pinkeye under control.
Treating cattle that already have pinkeye is going to be a little involved. Primarily because an antibiotic is going to need to be administered and the animal will likely need to have the infected eye covered with a patch (unless you catch it very early). Oxytetracycline antibiotics do work, although resistance in some areas is pretty common. Therefore you will need to have a vet prescribe an antibiotic known to work in your area. Pinkeye-infected eyes become very sensitive to sunlight, so an eye patch is the best way to keep the sun and flies out of the eye while it heals. Applying eye patches to cattle is like nailing a 2x4 to a concrete ceiling, but it can be done. You can probably take the adhesive that comes with a pack of eye patches, throw it in the garbage, and replace it with a construction adhesive like Liquid Nails, or something similar. That usually works pretty well, sometimes too good as you may have to physically pull the patch off later, but that is better than having it fall off 10 minutes after you stuck it on and let the animal go.
Overall, keep an eye out for ailments within the herd. If something does seem to be flaring up, make a point to talk to your local veterinarian about what is the best-proposed treatment plan.