A clinical trial to assess the use of sodium hypochlorite and oxytetracycline on the healing of digital dermatitis lesions in cattle

The increased frequency of diseases, especially those of the hoof, cause economic losses, such as premature culling of affected animals, decreased milk production, weight loss, reduced fertility, and the high costs of treatment. A great variety of hoof conditions may affect cattle, one of them is digital dermatitis. These conditions are probably due to multiple factorial diseases and present with similar clinical signs. Bovine lameness is typically treated by foot trimming and debridment of the lesions, coupled when necessary with systemic antibiotics and therapeutic footbaths, which results in a clinical cure in the majority of the cases. The objective of this study was to evaluate the topical action of sodium hypochlorite associated with the systemic use of oxytetracycline for the treatment of wounds clinically diagnosed as bovine digital dermatitis. One hundred and twenty Holstein cattle varying ages from 1 to 9 y and presenting the clinical signs of digital dermatitis, were used in this study. Group 1 (G1) received topical treatment with a 1% sodium hypochlorite footbath twice a day for 30 d and 4 treatments of parenteral oxytetracycline (10 mg/kg bodyweight, IM, q48h). Group 2 (G2) received only the topical treatment with 1% sodium hypochlorite, as described for G1. Group 3 (G3) received only with parenteral oxytetracycline, as described for G1. Group 4 (G4) was treated exclusively with a dicloro divynil pirrolidona, ortoiododimetil, para-nitofenil-fosforotioato in a vegetal tar-based ointment, immediately after the surgery. After 45 d, the recovery rates were as follows: G1, 86.67%; G2, 73.33%; G3, 56.67%; and G4, 50%. The surgical treatment of digital dermatitis with subsequent treatment with oxytetracycline systemically and 1% sodium hypochlorite topically was the most effective for the convalescence of cattle bearing wounds similar to digital dermatitis.