What Causes Digital Dermatitis?
Digital dermatitis is primarily caused by bacteria from the Treponema genus, a group of spirochaetes. These long, thin organisms with hair-like filaments penetrate the outer skin of the hoof, burrow into the deeper skin layers, and multiply within the tissue.
Early-stage infections cause acute, intense pain because the bacteria are actively invading living tissue. As the infection becomes chronic, the lesion changes character but remains a reservoir of bacteria that can reinfect the same animal or spread to others.
The disease was first described in the early 1970s by Italian veterinarian Dr. Mortellaro. It has been in dairy barns ever since.
How Are DD Lesions Classified?
The M-stage classification, developed by Dr. Dopfer (University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine), is the standard framework for describing digital dermatitis. The "M" stands for Mortellaro. Five stages describe the full progression of the disease.
No Lesion
Normal digital skin. Most common in calves and pre-partum heifers. Increasingly rare in adult dairy cows.
How Does Digital Dermatitis Spread Between Cows?
Spread happens through contact with DD bacteria in manure and contaminated environments. Any surface that carries infected material from one hoof to another is a risk.
Footbaths are a particular concern. A poorly managed footbath stops being a prevention tool and becomes a transmission vector. If the solution is not refreshed and the bath is heavily contaminated, cows walk through it and pick up bacteria rather than killing them.
Feedlots have also seen increasing DD cases. These farms often purchase cows from auction sales, and cattle are transported on liners where close contact makes spreading easy. Purchased cattle are a real route of entry for DD into a clean herd.
DD bacteria have also been found in elk and sheep, though the primary concern in dairy hoof care is cattle.
DD lesions at the heel are distinct from foot rot, which causes swelling between the toes and a foul smell. DD can also develop on top of an open interdigital corn lesion. If finding DD in several cows, also look for interdigital dermatitis. Both conditions are often found in the same herd.
Where on the Hoof Is DD Found?
The most common location is the skin at the back of the heel, between the heel bulbs. It also occurs in the interdigital space between the two claws, and along the coronary band at the front of the hoof. Treponema bacteria have also been found in association with sole ulcers and toe necrosis, though the heel bulb region is where the disease classically starts.
How to Treat Digital Dermatitis
This disease is relatively easy to treat when caught early. For years, tetracycline-based products such as Tetra 1000 mixed with iodine cream were the standard treatment. Since 2006, Diamond Hoof Care has treated digital dermatitis without antibiotics using Intra Hoof-fit Gel.
Diamond Hoof Care has treated digital dermatitis without antibiotics for nearly two decades, long before antimicrobial stewardship became a regulatory priority in Canadian dairy.
The Treatment Protocol
For a detailed walkthrough including what to watch for at Day 3, see how to best treat strawberry foot in cattle.
Video: Non-Antibiotic Treatment Explained
Dr. Menno Holzhauer from the Dutch Animal Health Service and Pieter Kloosterman, trainer at the Hoof Trimming Training Center, explain the use of non-antibiotic products.
Intra Hoof-fit Gel
Intra Hoof-fit Gel
The first and only non-antibiotic topical medication for digital dermatitis treatment registered with a DIN in Canada. Developed by Intracare BV (Netherlands) and exclusively distributed in Canada by Diamond Hoof Care Ltd. since 2006.
View ProductFrequently Asked Questions About Digital Dermatitis
DD is classified using five M-stages developed by Dr. Dopfer. M0 is healthy skin with no lesion. M1 is a small, early red or gray defect under 2 cm. M2 is the active, painful ulcerative stage, over 2 cm and highly contagious. M3 is the healing stage after treatment, where a firm scab forms. M4 is the chronic stage: thickened or proliferative tissue that can reactivate into M2.
Dry the hoof skin with a cloth, never water. Brush Intra Hoof-fit Gel directly onto the lesion. Wrap severe cases and leave the wrap for 3 to 4 days. Check at Day 3: most cows will have healed. Re-apply the gel without a wrap to any remaining cases. A small number may need one more wrap application at Day 7. This antibiotic-free protocol has been in use since 2006.
For a full step-by-step guide, see how to best treat strawberry foot in cattle.
Yes. DD spreads through contact with infected manure and contaminated surfaces. A footbath that is not refreshed regularly can become an infection source instead of a prevention tool. Purchased cattle and cattle transported on liners from auction sales are a common entry point for DD into a herd. Research shows M4 lesions account for over 88% of digital dermatitis transmission in a herd. Not because M4 is more acutely infectious, but because chronic lesions persist for months and go untreated (Worby et al., 2017).
An active M2 lesion looks like a raw strawberry: red, moist, painful, and often surrounded by a fringe of long hairs. This is why the disease is also called hairy warts. Chronic M4 lesions are grayish and proliferative, with a roughened wart-like surface. Early M1 lesions are small, under 2 cm, and easy to miss without regular inspection.
With timely treatment, most M2 lesions transition to the M3 healing stage within one to two days of the first Intra Hoof-fit Gel application and wrap. A typical acute case is effectively treated within 7 days. Chronic M4 lesions take longer, are harder to resolve fully, and can reactivate into M2 if the herd reservoir is not managed. Healing time depends on stage caught, application accuracy, and whether the underlying conditions have been corrected.
How to Prevent Digital Dermatitis
A clean, dry environment with good ventilation is the foundation. Managing DD prevention means managing the conditions that let Treponema bacteria survive and spread.
If possible, reduce the risk of buying the disease into a herd. Ask where cattle come from and whether the herd of origin has active DD.
Both Intra Hoof Sol Spray and Hoof Sol Bath are registered with Health Canada as Veterinary Health Products (VHP). Weekly hoof spraying sessions with Intra Hoof Sol Spray are effective as part of a prevention protocol. For farms running a footbath, Hoof Sol Bath is the registered option.
Copper sulphate and formalin were common footbath ingredients for years. Farmer safety, environmental impact, and questions about efficacy are reasons to choose registered alternatives.
Diamond Hoof Care has supported Canadian dairy farms with antibiotic-free hoof care since 2006. This side-by-side chart compares digital dermatitis, foot rot, interdigital dermatitis, and other common cattle hoof diseases, so you can sort one from another at the chute before you reach for a treatment.
Download Free Chart