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 type of bacterial disease, either for livestock or for wildlife.
Similar diseases in domestic animals are treated by moving the animal to a clean dry area, aggressively cleaning and paring out the infected part of the hoof, applying topical antibiotics and sometimes a bandage to the affected hoof, administering injectable antibiotics, and forcing the animals to walk through medicated foot baths. But even after receiving such treatments, many animals remain persistently infected. Some initially respond to treatment, only to become re-infected later. Most experts recommend these animals be sent to slaughter.
4th of February, 2016