Effectiveness of Formalin Footbaths in the Control of Digital Dermatitis in Dairy Cows

Abstract The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of formalin footbaths in the prevention of digital dermatitis. The study on more than 450 dairy cows lasted two years with the use of formalin footbaths in the first twelve months. The study showed that there was a decrease in the number of acute digital dermatitis (M2) in the formalin-free period compared to the formalin period (6.49 % and 12.1 %, respectively), with a significant difference between periods (P < 0.05). The number of chronic cases (M3/4) in the formalin-free group tended to be higher compared to the formalin one (22.3 % and 19.9 %, respectively), but the frequencies did not differ significantly between each other. In addition, there was no significant difference in the incidence of digital dermatitis overall. The results show the beneficial effect of footbath skipping on the occurrence of an acute, painful form of digital dermatitis.