Once Mortellaro takes hold, it's difficult to get rid of. A single case costs 300 to 500 Euros — milk loss, vet fees, treatment, labor time. And in some herds, up to 90% of 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 topic. 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 hoof skin, primarily occurring 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.
A.Prof. 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 topic in German-speaking countries — describes the disease as follows:
"Mortellaro is a multifactorial disease with an infectious character. In addition to the inappropriate condition of walking surfaces, contamination and moisture of the walking surfaces, as well as the quality of the 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 primary causative agents are Treponemes (= spiral-shaped bacteria from the genus Spirochaetes), which thrive in moist, contaminated environments. They penetrate deeper tissue layers through softened, cracked hoof skin — and there, they are difficult to reach with antibiotics.
The insidious part: Treponemes can survive for a long time even in dry manure. Once they are present in a herd, complete eradication is not expected according to current knowledge.
Studies by the Vetsuisse Faculty Bern in 2011 showed that 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 precisely describes the mechanism:
"Constant contact of the hoof skin with moisture — a mixture of feces and urine, slurry, moist runs, and resting areas — leads to pre-damage of the skin. It becomes softened, the outer horny layer thins, and eventually cracks. This pre-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 pre-damage — and this pre-damage almost always arises from moisture. Moist resting places, contaminated walking surfaces, wet runs — all of this prepares the ground.
Further risk factors according to Prof. Kofler:
Too low heel height (= height of the horn capsule) on the rear 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, and with heat stress. Poor feed quality, especially substandard 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 truth
According to the German Federal Association for Cattle and Pigs (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 trimming 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 more severe forms. Recognizing and treating M1 saves a lot of trouble.
M2 are the typical acute, ulcer-like lesions larger than 2 cm in diameter — bright red, strawberry-like, nodular, with a putrid odor. Extremely painful at the slightest touch. The cow relieves pressure on the foot, walks gingerly, or paces back and forth.
M3 is the transitional stage after treatment — a scab forms, and the pain subsides.
M4 is the chronic stage with white to gray-brown hyperkeratosis (= horn thickening) 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 in the milking parlor — with good lighting and a simple angled mirror.
What really helps — veterinary 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 surfaces, housing, stocking density, stress, and feeding constitute an essential, if not the most important, measure for treatment and prevention — merely 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 piecemeal.
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 hoof.
For the herd: Foot baths as a preventive measure — for at least 6 to 8 weeks, twice weekly. The hoof must be immersed in the solution at least 2 to 3 times; the foot bath 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: "Disinfection of cubicles 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 calcium carbonate — the hooves are covered with the 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 hoof skin.
Leopold Tazreiter, Neustadtl an der Donau, reports:
"We used to have Mortellaro hoof disease in the barn regularly. Since we started having 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 — the cubicles also remain dry and alkaline due to STALLKRAFT bedding. Less moisture means less pre-damage to the hoof skin — and thus less surface area for the Treponemes to attack.
A practitioner describes it as follows:
"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 spread it as bedding. Almost a step further in the cycle. Because decomposition then already begins in the barn, ammonia is bound, and mites and molds no longer have 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 can hardly 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 reproduction 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 precisely that 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 — their hooves are coated and dry.
How to set up the lime bath
Prof. Kofler recommends for an effective foot bath: at least 3.60 m long and 0.7 m wide, so that each foot is immersed in the solution 2–3 times. The liquid should be renewed after about 150–300 cow passages.
For a dry lime bath after the milking parlor — as practiced by Leopold Tazreiter and Herbert Grossauer — a shallow trough or an area at the milking parlor exit filled with STALLKRAFT bedding or pure calcium carbonate is sufficient. The cows walk through, their hooves pick up the fine lime powder and dry off.
Simple. Affordable. Effective.
What you can do immediately — Checklist
- Clean cubicles daily and apply STALLKRAFT bedding (200–300 g/m² daily) — always keep resting areas dry.
- Set up a lime bath at the milking parlor exit — use STALLKRAFT or pure calcium carbonate in a shallow trough, allow cows to walk through daily after milking.
- Carefully inspect new animals — thoroughly examine hooves upon arrival, if possible, quarantine for 6 weeks.
- Hoof care 2–3 times annually — 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 daily total ration, especially during the transition period.
- For acute lesions, immediately contact a veterinarian — local treatment of individual animals is a prerequisite for any sustainable success.
Application & Dosage
STALLKRAFT bedding: 200–300 g/m² daily. Always keep resting areas 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 daily total ration, mix into moist feed.
Our products against Mortellaro
👉 STALLKRAFT Bedding — Zeolite, lime, and organic herbs for dry, hygienic cubicles and lime bath
👉 TIERKRAFT Zeolite — Feed additive to strengthen the immune system from within
👉 Bodenkraft Carbonate Lime - for the lime bath
Read more
Zeolite for Cattle & Dairy Cows — the complete article
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. If there are existing Mortellaro diseases in your herd, please consult your veterinarian. STALLKRAFT products are preventive measures — not approved veterinary medicinal products for the treatment of digital dermatitis. I'm writing this for the sake of good order. At the same time, I think that for those of you who come across this article, it's already clear.
Source reference
A.Prof. Dr. med. vet. Johann Kofler, Clinic for Ruminants, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna: TGD-Merkblatt Nr. 1 — Dermatitis digitalis (DD, Mortellaro, Strawberry Disease), as of November 2015 · Bundesverband Rind und Schwein (BRS): Mortellaro — economic significance · Vetsuisse-Fakultät Universität Bern (2011): Prevalence of digital dermatitis in Switzerland · AntibioticScout, Vetpharm University of Zurich: Cattle — Digital dermatitis
