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.