To ensure optimal productivity levels, it is important for farmers to look after the welfare of dairy animals (links to the articles Post dipping and pre dipping: products for the different stages of milking and Udder and teats care in dairy animals) as well as that of the cleaning and hygiene of plants and environments (link to the article Disinfection of shelters: hygiene of the barn and benefits for milk production). A fundamental aspect regarding the health of animals is that which affects the cleaning of the limbs which, together with other factors, affects the prevention of pathologies such as lameness.
The link between a disorder such as lameness and milk production has been highlighted by several studies, since this pathology causes a condition of stress and pain in cows that inhibits milk production and reduces its quality.
Foot hygiene therefore becomes a useful tool to prevent the onset of all those conditions, for example dermatitis and pododermatitis that cause lameness. Treating hooves and transit tanks regularly and frequently is necessary to ensure the welfare of the animals' limbs.
How foot hygiene products work
For a product intended for the care of the limbs of dairy animals to be effective, it must act effectively first of all on the removal of dirt and therefore perform a cleaning action. This work alone, however, does not guarantee a global solution to the problem, in fact the second aspect that contributes to the maintenance of foot hygiene is the strengthening of the nail.
The traumas and stresses to which the hooves are subjected following contact with the ground of the stables and shelters can weaken the nails and favor the entry and sedimentation of dirt, which in turn can facilitate the proliferation of pathogens and bacteria. For this reason it is important that the detergent used is formulated by providing components that can also perform an action that strengthens and consolidates the nail.
It should be noted that Devidet s.r.l. products dedicated to podal treatment and hygiene do not use components and formulations that dangerously affect the environment or the health of animals or people. Therefore, the treatments that take place during the foot baths do not present risks for the operators or for the animals and do not represent a source of pollution for the ecosystem.
For foot cleaning and disinfection Devidet s.r.l. proposes: CURAPIE' and HOOF LT.