Many dairy farmers use a range of different footbath solutions to help control lameness, often switching from one to the other with little difference in performance. Many solutions arrive on the market with the promise of treating all lameness problems but fail to live up to expectations. So how do farmers decide what will work against their lameness problems, especially the complex digital dermatitis problem? One option is to listen to other farmers. However as every farm is different often what works on one farm will frustratingly not work on another. Another option is to consider independent peer reviewed scientific evidence.
Dorte Dopfer
Highlights from the International Conference on Lameness in Ruminants 2013
The University of Bristol hosted the 17th International Symposium and 9th International Conference on Lameness in Ruminants in August 2013 where researchers and veterinarians from the world of lameness shared the latest research and knowledge about lameness.
Roger Blowey, the highly respected veterinarian, described how the Digital Dermatitis (DD) associated treponeme bacteria can alter gene transcription to assist their own survival. As Nick Evans, University of Liverpool, explained “these bacteria can then fly under the immune radar”.