Effect of footbath width on faecal contamination by cattle

DAILY or twice daily disinfectant foot bathing for the control of digital dermatitis and other infectious causes of lameness has, from our anecdotal experiences on farm, become widespread practice, and we believe it is an effective measure. If digital dermatitis is considered to be ‘mastitis of the foot’, then regular disinfection to prevent infection from becoming established is a logical procedure, as is regular teat disinfection to prevent the formation of Staphylococcus aureus colonies at the teat end.

There are varied opinions on the best type of footbath to use, and on whether a prewash bath leads to more effective use of the chemical in the second bath, and on footbath dimensions. This has been …