The new alternative to footbaths for cows: disinfection mats

Introducing
One of the most important factors contributing to the health and welfare of cows is the quality of their claw care. The most effective way to improve cow claw health is to use a disinfection mat. In this article, we will discuss the benefits of a cow disinfection mat and explain how it works so that you can prevent Mortellaro and hoof inflammation in your dairy cattle.

Mortellaro
Mortellaro is a condition common in cattle and is caused by the bacterium Treponema. Also known as digital dermatitis, it affects the animal's claws, especially the inter-claw skin and the crown rim. Mortellaro is an infectious disease that can cause inflammation, pain and lameness in the affected cattle.

Foot baths for cows
First to improve the health of your cows, you could use a footbath for cows. But this option is labour-intensive, at least if you want an DISinfection bath instead of INfection bath. If the footbath is not cleaned and refreshed regularly, it actually becomes a source of claw infections and thus counterproductive. In addition, not all disinfectants are ideal for this purpose as some are carcinogenic, toxic and/or have a corrosive effect on cow paws.

Watter's hoof disinfection mats
Fortunately, Watter has developed a solution in response to the demand for more modern hoof disinfection methods: the hoof disinfection mat. Not only dairy farmers are asking for an alternative, but also animal welfare organisations like Wakker Dier are fanatically campaigning to ban agents like formalin. Well Watter knew how to find a solution to that.

How does a hoof disinfection mat work?
How does Watter's hoof disinfection mat work? It is actually quite similar to a footbath for cows. Because a hoof disinfection mat works by letting the cows walk over it. The disinfectant liquid on the mat kills bacteria and fungi on the cows' claws. This helps to improve the cows' claw health and prevent claw problems such as Mortellaro. And this is without the use of agents that are toxic, carcinogenic or have a corrosive effect on the cows' feet.