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The hoof problems of interdigital dermatitis, digital dermatitis, and interdigital pododermatitis are often lumped together, but each condition has its own etiology, tissue involvement, and disease progression. Interdigital and digital dermatitis are often not serious problems unless left to become chronic. Interdigital pododermatitis can progress rapidly and cause serious economic loss if left untreated.

Interdigital dermatitis is a localized inflammatory process involving the interdigital space. In the early stages, the skin has a greasy appearance and some erosion can occur, particularly in the heel bulb area. Digital dermatitis (hairy heel wart) is another low‐grade inflammatory process with pronounced change when allowed to become chronic. The epidermal layer becomes overproductive, at first producing excessive hair growth that stands out from the skin, and progressing to small papillary projections giving the appearance of wart‐like growths. As the condition becomes chronic, the dermis can become very proliferative [9], making for an unsightly lesion. These conditions respond well to treatment via footbath. Care should be taken in the choices of medications recommended in footbath treatments as some products may cause environmental contamination with improper disposal [10]. A copper sulfate solution is considered environmentally safe. In chronic lesions that are extremely proliferative, surgical resection and topical treatment may have to be provided before resolution can occur.

Interdigital pododermatitis, commonly called foot rot, can be an acute, aggressive infection that progresses to deeper structures quickly. While systemic antibiotics are rarely indicated in the treatment of digital or interdigital dermatitis, they should always be administered in patients with foot rot. Bandaging with a broad‐spectrum antiseptic or antibiotic is recommended when treating each of these three conditions.