Zinpro Corporation Introduces Availa-Plus In U.S. Market For Dairy Cattle and Beef Cattle

New Research-Proven Product Delivers Nutritional Solution To Help Control Digital Dermatitis From The Inside Out 

Eden Prairie, Minn. (Nov. 1, 2013) – The introduction of Availa^®Plus, from Zinpro Corporation, now provides U.S. dairy and beef producers with an entirely new approach to foot health management. Availa-Plus, when fed as part of a new premix formula (DD Premix Formula), delivers a novel nutritional solution to provide protection against digital dermatitis (commonly known as hairy heel warts) by helping enhance an animal’s ability to resist the development of painful lesions in contaminated environments. 

“Indications are that the essential trace minerals contained in Availa-Plus are highly effective at decreasing both the prevalence and severity of digital dermatitis in cattle when fed as part of the DD Premix Formula,” says Mike Socha, Ph.D., Regional RNS Manager – North America, Zinpro Corporation. 

Dr. Socha explains that Availa-Plus contains a unique combination of complexed zinc, manganese, copper and cobalt (from Zinpro Performance Minerals^®), plus potassium iodide. “Feeding Availa-Plus as part of a well-fortified diet helps cattle build stronger skin integrity and a more empowered immune system from the inside out,” he notes. “The bacteria that are thought to cause digital dermatitis have the ability to penetrate into deeper layers of the skin, so building a more resilient barrier against the bacteria is key to preventing the disease from taking hold.” 

Digital dermatitis produces painful lesions that can lead to lameness in dairy and beef cattle, and the impact of lameness on animal performance is costly and wide-reaching. Most notably, this includes decreased milk production and poor reproductive performance in dairy cattle. 

“Digital dermatitis is the most prevalent infectious claw lesion on the globe,” says Dörte Döpfer, DVM., Ph.D., University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Döpfer, together with Arturo Gomez Rivas, DVM, MS, led research efforts at the University of Wisconsin to investigate the efficacy of feeding complexed trace minerals from Availa-Plus, in combination with other trace minerals, in decreasing digital dermatitis prevalence in cattle.   

Dr. Socha explains peer-reviewed research has proven repeatedly over time that feeding Zinpro Performance Minerals helps improve skin integrity. “Because digital dermatitis occurs following a disruption in the skin/pathogen border, we had an idea for a new combination trace mineral product that was designed to help make this border more resilient.” 

Dr. Döpfer says her team has an interest in alternative methods to prevent and control digital dermatitis, so it began an experimental model to evaluate the potential effectiveness of this new nutritional solution to provide protection against this highly prevalent and costly disease. 

According to Dr. Döpfer, research results indicated significant differences between pre-calving dairy heifers fed the DD Premix Formula with Availa-Plus and heifers fed the control diet. Heifers fed the DD Premix Formula with Availa-Plus showed positive results in both first and recurrent lesions, as well as lesion severity. “There are essentially two periods during the development of the disease when it can be prevented and controlled immediately. It must either be prevented before it infects an animal or during the early stages of lesion development.” She notes that treating digital dermatitis without recurrence of lesions is extremely difficult once the disease progresses and reaches the chronic stage. 

Footbaths and topical antibiotics are used widely to prevent and treat digital dermatitis; however, each of these treatments comes with its own set of challenges. The essential nutrients found in Availa-Plus, when fed as part of the new DD Premix Formula, have shown promising results in lowering the prevalence of digital dermatitis lesions and consequently decreasing the use of footbaths and topical antibiotics when included as part of an integrated prevention and control management strategy. Additional measures for controlling digital dermatitis in cattle include combating risk factors by implementing good hygiene, sound biosecurity practices, and understanding whether animals suffer chronically from the disease or only on a single occasion. 

Dr. Döpfer emphasizes that it is especially important to get a heifer off to a healthy start, free of digital dermatitis, through an integrated prevention and control strategy. “A heifer that enters her first lactation free of the disease is more likely to be a productive member of the herd longer than one that enters first lactation infected with this disease,” she stresses. 

For more information about Availa-Plus and the DD Premix Formula, please visit www.zinpro.com/availa-plus or contact your local Zinpro representative.

Image caption: Zinpro Corporation introduces Availa-Plus in the U.S. market for dairy and beef cattle. Research has shown the essential nutrients found in Availa-Plus, when fed as part of the DD Premix Formula, are highly effective at decreasing both the prevalence and severity of digital dermatitis.