Fusogard®
Dairy Cattle Vaccine

Footrot is an infectious disease that causes swelling and lameness in one or more feet. The bacteria that causes footrot (Fusobacterium necrophorum) cannot penetrate healthy intact skin, but can take advantage of abrasions or puncture wounds in or near the feet. Dairy cattle constantly encounter risk factors such as stones, frozen or dried mud, stubble or wet pens that can cause or worsen an abrasion or wound.

Fusogard bacterin, the first F. necrophorum bacterin developed and manufactured specifically for cattle, was designed with economics, convenience, beef quality assurance and solid disease protection in mind. Fusogard provides the protection and safety of an inactivated bacterin while delivering effective, economical footrot protection.

Fusogard is cost-effective, both in preventing the economic losses that come with footrot and lameness, and in eliminating the use of costly antibiotics to treat footrot.

The same bacterium (F. necrophorum) responsible for foot rot is also the main cause of liver abscesses in beef cattle. Liver abscesses are costly to dairy producers due to condemned livers, reduced weight gain, and milk production.

Conditions that often contribute to the incidence and severity of liver abscess in feeder cattle include:

• Competition for bunk space
• High-concentrate feedings
• Fresh or naïve cattle coming off ranches that have not been exposed to that type of bacteria in their environment

Field trials evaluating the effectiveness of Fusogard in reducing the incidence and severity of liver abscesses have been very promising. Vaccinated cattle have shown a reduction in liver abscesses, fewer of the most severe A+ abscesses, increased weight gain and higher dressing percentage.