BOVINE DIGITAL DERMATITIS: EVALUATION OF A SURGICAL AND THERAPEUTIC PROTOCOL FOR EARLY STAGE, EROSIVE AND VERRUCOUS LESIONS.

Abstract

105 Girolando bovines with clinical injuries of digital dermatitis were used, which were distributed in seven groups(GI, GII, GIII, GIV. GV, GVI and GVII) with 15 animals each. Groups GI and GII were constituted by animals with mild injuries; GIII and GIV had moderate lesions, whereas GV and GVI presented lesions of intense degree, and GVII served as control by several degrees of the injuries. All animals, except those from GVII, received haemostatic solution and powdered oxytetracyclin on surgical wound that was protected with orthopedic cotton followed by application of powdered copper sulphate and a bandage with a waterproof covering. Seven days later, the animals were induced to go through footbath containing 3% copper sulphate solution fitted weekly with 1%sodium hypochlorite solution. Parenteral antibiotic therapy was made only in bovines from GI, GIII and GV, but all animals were evaluated at days seven, 15, 30,45 and 60 postoperatively. Statistical tests were used to analyze the results. The parenteral antibiotic therapy recovered 93.35% of the animals, while the local antibiotic therapy recovered 75.55 %. The difference was significant (p<0,001). Bovines with mild injuries recovered in great number and faster (p=0,024) in relation to those with moderate and intense injuries. It was concluded that the surgical treatment associated to local antibiotic therapy and walk in footbath resulted in positive effect in injury recovery of bovines with digital dermatitis and the association of systemic antibiotics helped only groups that presented moderate or intense injuries. KEY-WORDS: Bovine. Digital dermatitis. Footbath. Oxytetracyclin.