Crop Comments: Does foot rot start within the soil?
Just as summer 2026 was getting started, I stumbled into three situations where cattlemen reported incidence of foot rot in their livestock. Two of the individuals I work with in an advisory capacity – one a dairyman, the other a beef (mostly Angus) farmer.
A discussion of foot rot should logically be broken down in three parts (not necessarily in this order): first, what organism causes the disease; second, how to prevent clinical occurrence; third, how to treat clinical cases of foot rot.
I’ve known for some time that two trace elements can play a strategic role in maintaining optimum foot health in ruminants. They are zinc (Zn) and iodine. They’re to be included in the cattle diet, but not just in elemental form. They are protected so that they get to the actual job site in the ruminant’s body – in this case, the hooves. This means that these two trace elements escape degradation in the cow’s digestive tract.
According to Dr. William Dee Whittier, Extension veterinarian for cattle at Virginia Tech, foot rot in cattle is a common autumn/winter disease that affects nearly all groups of cattle in that state. Foot rot can be a very annoying problem. Once started in a herd and “seeded” in the soil, it may persist for a long time. (Whittier and his team believe the foot rot pathogens may be tromped through the paddocks by infected animals, thus multiplying its spread.)
Although the incidence of foot rot may not be high at any one time, it requires constant observation to prevent serious economic loss. A specific bacterium invades the foot to cause the disease. Cuts, bruises, puncture wounds or severe abrasions permit these bacteria to enter the tissue of the foot. Foot rot can be a seasonal disease, occurring during periods of extreme moisture, sudden freezing of muddy yards or severe drought.
The main bacterium is quite common and called Fusobacterium necrophorum. It’s the organism most often cultured from infected hooves. The majority of F. necrophorum isolated belong to one of two types (types A or B), which produce toxins that cause necrosis (death) or decay of the infected tissues. F. necrophorum appears to act cooperatively with other bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli and Truperella pyogenes, thereby decreasing the infective amount of F. necrophorum necessary to cause disease.
Regardless of the source, once loss of skin integrity occurs, bacteria gain entrance into subcutaneous tissues and begin rapid multiplication and production of toxins that stimulate further continued bacterial growth and penetration of infection into the deeper structures of the foot.
The first observed sign of foot rot is lameness, which may vary from scarcely noticeable to severe in one or more feet. Foot rot may affect only one animal or a high percentage of animals in a pen or herd. Lameness caused by acute foot rot is followed by swelling of the foot, spreading of the toes and reddening of the tissue above the hoof. In severe cases, the foot will abscess above the hoof with a discharge that has a characteristic foul odor.
If the infection is not stopped, it will invade the deeper tissues of the foot and may invade one or more joints, causing chronic arthritis.
Management practices that help reduce hoof damage or avoid bruising will help decrease the incidence of foot rot. Maintaining maximum drainage of lots and around water tanks to prevent mud helps reduce the incidence of foot rot. In winter, when rough ground freezes around water tanks, the feet become bruised and this may lead to a higher incidence of foot rot. These areas can be smoothed with a blade or covered with straw to prevent foot damage.
Mounds of soil in the feedlot help to promote drainage and give cattle a dry place to lie. Cement slabs along the feed bunks and around water tanks reduce injuries and help prevent muddy conditions in the winter. Ethylene diamine dihydriodide (EDDI, tamed iodine) mixed in the feed or salt to provide 50 mg/head/day has been used as a preventative measure. However, feeding EDDI has not been a very satisfactory control for existing foot rot.
Good nutrition may be helpful in preventing foot rot. Be sure that all cattle receive adequate calcium, phosphorus and vitamins A and D for good bone and tissue health. (Check out Whittier’s research here.)
According to Dale F. Blasi, professor and Extension beef specialist at Kansas State University, Zn is a trace element important for maintaining skin and hoof integrity. Many field trials have evaluated Zn supplementation strategies with varied success. A KSU field trial was conducted over three grazing seasons with crossbred steers averaging a starting bodyweight of almost 600 lbs. The cattle were allotted to groups provided either a control or a Zn methionine-containing mineral supplement while grazing native pastures. The addition of 100 lbs. of Zinpro® 100J (50% Zn methionine) per ton of free-choice mineral improved steer daily gain by almost 0.1 lb. and reduced foot rot by 55% (5.38% vs. 2.45%). Approximately 20% of the live weight gain advantage was attributed to the control of foot rot alone, while the remaining fraction of performance benefit was assigned to correction of Zn deficiency.
Because of substantial cost differences between organic (here meaning carbon-based) and inorganic minerals, some producers have wondered if an inorganic source of Zn such as Zn oxide would promote a similar response. To the best of Blasi’s knowledge, there have been no replicated trials conducted to answer this particular question.
A lot of livestock people have found that kelp is a great natural source of minerals, including Zn and iodine. Cattle fed 2 oz./head/day of many types of dried kelp have been shown to get adequate amounts of biologically available Zn and iodine, thus successfully combatting the foot health issues I’ve been addressing.
by Paris Reidhead
