🐄 Mortellaro — what it really is, how it develops, and what really helps

Once Mortellaro is introduced, it is almost impossible to get rid of. A single case costs 300 to 500 Euros — milk loss, vet, treatment, labor time. And in some herds, up to 90% of the animals are affected. Leopold Tazreiter from Neustadtl an der Donau has pushed back Mortellaro on his farm with a simple, consistent measure: a lime bath after the milking parlor. Mortellaro has significantly decreased. And Herbert Grossauer from Maria Neustift says: "Mortellaro no longer exists because we also lime in the barn."

I write this article with respect for the subject. Mortellaro is not a simple disease that can be solved with a single product. It requires a system. But in this system, dryness, hygiene, and lime play a crucial role — and that is exactly what STALLKRAFT products can provide.

What Mortellaro really is — the medical basics

Mortellaro (digital dermatitis, also known as strawberry foot disease) is an infectious inflammation of the claw skin, occurring primarily on the skin directly above the heel bulbs and in the interdigital cleft. It was first described in Italy in the mid-1970s and has since spread throughout Europe and worldwide.

Associate Professor Dr. med. vet. Johann Kofler from the Clinic for Ruminants at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna — one of the most renowned authorities on this subject in German-speaking countries — describes the disease as follows:

"Mortellaro is a multifactorial disease with an infectious character. In addition to the unsuitable nature of walking surfaces, the contamination and moisture of walking surfaces and the quality of resting areas play a major role in its development." — A.Prof. Dr. Johann Kofler, Clinic for Ruminants, Vetmeduni Vienna, TGD Fact Sheet No. 1

The main pathogens are treponemes (= spiral-shaped bacteria from the genus Spirochaetes), which thrive in moist, contaminated environments. They penetrate softened, cracked claw skin into deeper tissue layers — where they are difficult to reach with antibiotics.

The insidious thing is: Treponemes survive for a long time even in dry manure. Once they are present in a herd, complete elimination is not expected based on current knowledge.

Studies by the Vetsuisse Faculty Bern in 2011 showed: In Switzerland, 73% of dairy herds and 29% of all individual animals were affected by Mortellaro. In Germany and Austria, the numbers are similarly high.

How Mortellaro develops — and why moist hooves are the key factor

Prof. Kofler describes the mechanism precisely:

"Constant contact of the claw skin with moisture — a mixture of feces and urine, slurry, moist runs and resting areas — leads to initial damage of the skin. It becomes soft, the outer horn layer thins and eventually cracks. This initial damage paves the way for specific pathogenic germs — Treponema spp. — which then trigger Mortellaro disease." — A.Prof. Dr. Johann Kofler, Vetmeduni Vienna

This means: Mortellaro does not simply appear. It always requires prior damage — and this damage almost always occurs due to moisture. Moist resting places, dirty walking surfaces, wet runs — all of this creates the breeding ground.

Further risk factors according to Prof. Kofler:

Too low heel height (= height of the horn capsule) on the posterior inner claws — less than 3 cm is considered a risk factor. High stocking density in the barn. Stress — especially in the first weeks after calving, during feed changes, in case of heat stress. Poor feed quality, especially inferior silage. And the purchase of animals from infected herds — this is the most common way Mortellaro is introduced into a previously unaffected farm.

Interesting and important for practice: Prof. Kofler describes three types of cows in endemically infected herds — Type 1 animals never get Mortellaro, Type 2 animals only get sick once or with less painful lesions, and Type 3 animals get sick frequently and recurrently (= repeatedly). These Type 3 animals are considered indicators for the farm: if their number increases, hygiene measures must be intensified.

What Mortellaro costs — the economic reality

According to the German Cattle and Pig Breeders' Association (BRS Deutschland), a single case of Mortellaro costs between 300 and 500 Euros — including milk loss, treatment costs, and labor time.

For a herd of 50 cows, with 20% affected: that's 10 animals × 400 Euros = 4,000 Euros loss per year. In addition: Lame cows eat less, have higher cell counts, poorer fertility, and are culled earlier from the herd. Mortellaro is a silent, expensive, ongoing damage.

And the worst part: Mortellaro is highly contagious. An infected purchased animal, a non-disinfected hoof knife, a veterinarian coming from an infected herd — that can sometimes be enough.

The five stages of Mortellaro — what you need to see

Prof. Kofler describes five stages (M1 to M4, with sub-forms):

M1 are acute initial stages — between 0.5 and 2 cm in size, not always painful yet, easily overlooked. These are the precursors to the worse forms. Those who recognize and treat M1 save themselves a lot of trouble.

M2 are the typical acute, ulcerative lesions larger than 2 cm in diameter — bright red, strawberry-like, nodular, with a foul odor. Highly painful at the slightest touch. The cow relieves the foot, walks stiffly, or shuffles back and forth.

M3 is the transitional stage after treatment — a crust forms, and the pain subsides.

M4 is the chronic stage with white to gray-brown hyperkeratoses (= horn thickenings) and wart-like growths. No longer painful — but still infectious, because treponemes survive in encapsulated form in deeper skin layers.

Important for practice: 72% to 90% of all Mortellaro lesions can be detected already in the milking parlor — with good lighting and a simple angled mirror.

What really helps — veterinarily correct

Prof. Kofler is unequivocal:

"Since Mortellaro is a multifactorial disease, the identification and elimination of existing deficiencies regarding the hygiene of walking and resting areas, housing, stocking density, stress, and feeding constitute an essential, if not the most important, measure for treatment and prevention — simply applying some medication to the skin lesion has no lasting effect whatsoever." — A.Prof. Dr. Johann Kofler, Vetmeduni Vienna

This is the central message: Without improving hygiene and stable conditions, any treatment remains fragmented.

For individual animal treatment, Prof. Kofler primarily recommends local therapies — tetracycline spray (= antibiotic spray), salicylic acid paste, or non-antibiotic pastes and gels based on organic acids and essential oils. Treatment must always begin with thorough cleaning of the claw.

For the herd: Footbaths as a preventive measure — for at least 6 to 8 weeks, twice a week. The claw must be submerged in the solution at least 2 to 3 times; the footbath must be at least 3.60 m long and 0.7 m wide.

And then — and this is where Steinkraft comes in — Prof. Kofler explicitly recommends: "Cubicle disinfection with alkaline bedding materials (lime components) 1–2 times per week."

The lime bath — so simple, so effective

The lime bath after the milking parlor is one of the simplest and most effective measures against Mortellaro. After milking, the cow walks through a basin with STALLKRAFT bedding or pure carbonated lime — the hooves are covered with finest, alkaline lime powder, and with zeolite powder in the case of Stallkraft. This dries the hoof, binds moisture, and inhibits the treponeme-friendly moist environment directly on the claw skin.

Leopold Tazreiter, Neustadtl an der Donau, reports:

"We used to have Mortellaro claw disease in the barn again and again. After we let the cows walk through a lime bath after the milking parlor, it has significantly decreased."

And Herbert Grossauer from Maria Neustift:

"Mortellaro no longer exists because we also lime in the barn."

The straw-lime mattress in the cubicles is the logical extension: not only are the hooves dried at the milking parlor, but the cubicles also remain dry and alkaline due to STALLKRAFT bedding. Less moisture means less prior damage to the claw skin — and thus fewer points of attack for treponemes.

A practitioner describes it this way:

"We use STALLKRAFT as a slurry additive directly in the slurry pit. Slurry is much more homogeneous and easier to spread. We are now also starting to use it as bedding. It's like taking a step further in the cycle. Because then decomposition already begins in the barn, ammonia is bound, and mites and mold no longer stand a chance." — F., Schönau

What STALLKRAFT specifically does — and what it cannot do

STALLKRAFT is not a treatment for existing Mortellaro diseases. That must be done by the veterinarian — with the right means, on the right animal, at the right time.

What STALLKRAFT can do, however, is create conditions under which Mortellaro is difficult to develop. Dry cubicles, less germ pressure, alkaline environment (pH 7-9) — these are exactly the factors that Prof. Kofler names as the most important preventive measures.

STALLKRAFT bedding (zeolite + lime + organic herbs) keeps the cubicles dry due to the high absorbency of zeolite and lime. It binds ammonia directly at the source. It inhibits the multiplication of fly larvae. And with a pH value of 7–9, it creates an environment in which moisture- and decay-loving germs have poor living conditions.

TIERKRAFT Zeolite as a feed additive strengthens from within: The immune system is strengthened by a better energy balance and detoxification — and this precisely reduces susceptibility to Mortellaro. Prof. Kofler has shown: Stress and a weakened immune system are the triggers for outbreaks in endemically infected herds.

And another practical tip: STALLKRAFT can also be used as a hoof dryer in a simple lime bath after the milking parlor. The cows walk through — the hooves get coated and dry.

How to set up the lime bath

Prof. Kofler recommends for an effective footbath: at least 3.60 m long and 0.7 m wide, so that each foot dips into the solution 2–3 times. The liquid should be renewed after about 150–300 cow passages.

For a lime dry bath after the milking parlor — as practiced by Leopold Tazreiter and Herbert Grossauer — a shallow tray or an area at the milking parlor exit filled with STALLKRAFT bedding or pure carbonated lime is sufficient. The cows walk through, the hooves pick up the fine lime powder and dry off.

Simple. Inexpensive. Effective.

What you can do immediately — Checklist

• Clean cubicles daily and add STALLKRAFT bedding (200–300 g/m² daily) — always keep the resting area dry.
• Set up a lime bath at the milking parlor exit — STALLKRAFT or pure carbonated lime in a shallow trough, let cows walk through daily after milking.
• Carefully check new animals — thoroughly examine hooves upon arrival, if possible, keep in quarantine for 6 weeks.
• Hoof care 2–3 times a year — professional hoof care is an indispensable part of any treatment and prevention program, according to Prof. Kofler.
• Identify and observe Type 3 animals — these animals are early indicators for the farm.
• Add TIERKRAFT Zeolite to feed — max. 1% of the total daily ration, especially during the transition period.
• In case of acute lesions, immediately contact a veterinarian — local treatment of the individual animal is a prerequisite for any lasting success.

Application & Dosage

STALLKRAFT bedding: 200–300 g/m² daily. Always keep the resting area dry.

Lime bath: STALLKRAFT or pure lime in a shallow trough at the milking parlor exit — daily after milking.

TIERKRAFT Zeolite: max. 1% of the total daily ration, mixed into moist feed.

Our products against Mortellaro

👉 STALLKRAFT Bedding — Zeolite, lime, and organic herbs for dry, hygienic cubicles and foot baths
👉 TIERKRAFT Zeolite — Feed additive to strengthen the immune system from within
👉 Bodenkraft Carbonated Lime - for foot baths

Read more

Zeolite for Cattle & Dairy Cows — the complete article
Somatic cell counts too high — what really helps
Zeolite in Livestock Farming: What studies really show
What Animals Really Need — Prof. Hecht on Zoopharmacognosy

Important note

This article does not replace veterinary advice. In case of existing Mortellaro diseases in the herd, please consult your veterinarian. STALLKRAFT products are preventive measures — not approved veterinary medicinal products for the treatment of digital dermatitis. I'm stating this for the record. At the same time, I think it's clear to those of you who come across this article anyway.

Source references

A.Prof. Dr. med. vet. Johann Kofler, Clinic for Ruminants, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna: TGD-Merkblatt No. 1 — Digital Dermatitis (DD, Mortellaro, Strawberry Disease), as of November 2015 · German Association for Cattle and Pigs (BRS): Mortellaro — economic importance · Vetsuisse Faculty University of Bern (2011): Prevalence of Digital Dermatitis in Switzerland · AntibioticScout, Vetpharm University of Zurich: Cattle — Digital Dermatitis