Why use footbaths to prevent lameness?

Lameness is one of the problems that most affect animal welfare in cattle. These can be caused by various factors, such as poor cleaning in the facilities, poor diet, excessive physical activity and overcrowding.

Lameness can negatively affect cattle health, welfare and productivity, which can be detrimental to farmers. However, there are solutions to prevent and treat lameness in cattle.

What are the factors that influence lameness?

There are various causes that can cause lameness in cattle, one of the main ones being poor hygiene in the facilities. If the alleys and livestock premises are not cleaned regularly, droppings and organic matter can accumulate, causing infections in the cattle's feet. Another common cause of lameness is a poor diet. An unbalanced or low nutrient diet can negatively affect cattle's hoof health. Excess physical activity can also be a cause of lameness. This can cause increased pressure on the hooves and increase the risk of injury. Finally, overcrowding in pens and stalls can also be a contributing factor to the development of lameness. This is because it can cause a greater spread of the agents that can affect the health of the hooves.

A foot bath is an effective tool to prevent lameness. This is a hoof cleaning process that helps remove organic matter and lameness-causing agents that can accumulate on the hooves. Dipping the hooves in a foot bath removes infection-causing agents and reduces the risk of lameness. In addition, the use of a footbath can be a way of detecting problems in cattle's hooves early, since during the cleaning process signs of lesions or infections can be observed.

How to make a good footbath?

There are several cleaning products that are used to make hoof baths, however, many of them can be harmful to both animal and human health. Some products may contain chemicals that can cause skin irritation, respiratory problems, or can even be toxic if ingested.

Today we have Phytogrape pediluvios, a highly effective cleaning product for hoof baths, which has been specifically formulated for use in cattle, goats and sheep. Phytogrape foot baths formula is safe for animals, does not contain toxic substances and is easy to use. For its use, it would only be necessary to dissolve the product between 5 and 10% in water and pour it into a footbath where the animals will pass. If greater effectiveness is desired, it is recommended to remove organic matter before going through the footbath. It can also be used in automatic dosers of milking robots.

In conclusion, the use of footbaths with Phytogrape pediluvios can be an excellent way to prevent and treat lameness in cattle, one of the problems that most affect animal welfare. Combined with good housekeeping in alleys and livestock rooms, it can reduce the incidence of lameness in cattle and improve their welfare and productivity.