Can I get a new tag if I harvest an animal with hoof disease?
Since all evidence to date indicates that the meat of elk with hoof disease is not affected by the condition, WDFW will not provide replacement tags.
View ArticleWhere in the state does Elk Hoof Disease occur?
WDFW has received sporadic reports from observers in the Cowlitz River Basin of southwest Washington since the mid-1990s. Since 2008, reports have increased and spread west to Pacific County, nort ...
View ArticleHow is the Elk Hoof Disease transmitted?
Scientists do not know for certain how the disease is transmitted. However, they believe infected animals may carry the bacteria to new areas on their hooves, where the bacteria survive in moist s ...
View ArticleCan we give the elk antibiotic injections or medicated feed?
It’s important to recognize that there is no vaccine for this type of bacterial disease, either for livestock or for wildlife. The livestock industry has been looking for a way to prevent th ...
View ArticleIs there any treatment for Elk Hoof Disease?
Once the disease is present in an elk herd, it is very difficult to eradicate it and the challenge becomes how to minimize its effect. It's important to remember that there is no vaccine for this ...
View ArticleWould using mineral blocks or supplemental feed help?
Good nutrition and trace minerals such as copper, selenium, and zinc are known to be good for domestic animals, but they would not likely prevent or cure hoof disease in elk. Further, providing mi ...
View ArticleIs the disease contagious to other animals or humans?
We do not know whether elk hoof disease can be transmitted to domestic animals. Veterinarians from southwest Washington say they have not seen increases in diseases in domestic animals that might ...
View ArticleIs Elk Hoof Disease contagious to humans?
There is no reason to believe that elk hoof disease is contagious to humans. Similar diseases in livestock do not affect humans. Hundreds of elk have been harvested in southwest Washington since t ...
View ArticleIs the meat from affected elk safe to eat?
Microscopic examination of tissues, including meat, from elk affected by hoof disease has not revealed evidence of infection, inflammation, or any other indication that the meat is unsuitable for ...
View ArticleHow can hunters and other members of the public help?
Hunters can help WDFW track elk hoof disease by reporting observations of affected and unaffected elk on the department’s online reporting form at http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/health/hoof ...
View ArticleWhat should I do if I harvest an elk with hoof disease?
In every case examined to date, the meat from animals affected by hoof disease has been normal and is most likely safe to consume.If you harvest an elk with hoof disease, remove the feet and fie ...
View ArticleWhat is WDFW doing about Elk Hoof Disease?
WDFW veterinary and biological staff have undertaken an exhaustive diagnostic effort to determine the cause of this disease, as summarized in a detailed poster and slide presentation. These effort ...
View ArticleAre herbicides a likely cause of hoof disease?
There is no scientific evidence that chemicals cause this kind of disease in animals, and no link has been made between herbicides and hoof disease in any species that WDFW is aware of to date. Ti ...
View ArticleWhat causes Elk Hoof Disease?
Treponeme-associated hoof disease (TAHD) of elk is considered to be a form of digital dermatitis, which is an infectious bacterial hoof disease affecting cattle, sheep and goats. Digital dermatiti ...
View ArticleCan I get a new tag if I harvest an animal with hoof disease?
Since all evidence to date indicates that the meat of elk with hoof disease is not affected by the condition, WDFW will not provide replacement tags.
View ArticleWhere in the state does Elk Hoof Disease occur?
WDFW has received sporadic reports from observers in the Cowlitz River Basin of southwest Washington since the mid-1990s. Since 2008, reports have increased and spread west to Pacific County, nort ...
View ArticleHow is the Elk Hoof Disease transmitted?
Scientists do not know for certain how the disease is transmitted. However, they believe infected animals may carry the bacteria to new areas on their hooves, where the bacteria survive in moist s ...
View ArticleCan we give the elk antibiotic injections or medicated feed?
It’s important to recognize that there is no vaccine for this type of bacterial disease, either for livestock or for wildlife. The livestock industry has been looking for a way to prevent th ...
View ArticleIs there any treatment for Elk Hoof Disease?
Once the disease is present in an elk herd, it is very difficult to eradicate it and the challenge becomes how to minimize its effect. It's important to remember that there is no vaccine for this ...
View ArticleWould using mineral blocks or supplemental feed help?
Good nutrition and trace minerals such as copper, selenium, and zinc are known to be good for domestic animals, but they would not likely prevent or cure hoof disease in elk. Further, providing mi ...
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