Foot and mouth disease, usually called FMD, is one of the most feared diseases in dairy farming. It rarely kills an adult cow, but it spreads very fast, stops cows eating and giving milk, and can shut down a village’s milk trade for weeks. The most important thing to know: early action saves the rest of your herd. One sick cow left with the others for even a day can infect many animals — so spot the first signs, separate the sick animal at once, and call the vet the same day.
1. What Is Foot and Mouth Disease?
FMD is a highly contagious viral disease of cloven-hoofed animals — mainly cows, buffaloes, goats and sheep. It is caused by a virus, not by bad feed, dirty water or a wound, so medicines for bacteria do not cure it.
The disease gets its name from where it shows: painful blisters and sores in the mouth and on the feet. A cow with FMD cannot eat properly because her mouth hurts, and she cannot walk properly because her feet hurt. She gives much less milk, loses weight, and becomes weak.
Young calves are at the greatest risk. Adult cows usually recover in a few weeks, but milk may stay low for a long time.
FMD is a herd disease, not a single-animal disease like mastitis: when one animal gets it, the whole herd is at risk.
2. How Does FMD Spread?
FMD spreads faster than almost any other cattle disease.
Direct contact. A healthy cow touches, licks or stands close to a sick cow — the most common route.
Through the air. The virus can travel in the air over short distances, especially in cool, damp weather, so animals in a nearby shed can catch it without touching the sick cow.
On people and things. The virus sticks to hands, clothes, shoes, ropes, buckets, milking equipment and vehicles. A person who handles a sick cow and then touches a healthy cow, without washing, can carry it.
Through feed and water. Feed, water or bedding touched by a sick animal’s saliva or dung can infect other animals.
By moving animals. Buying a new cow from a market without quarantine is a common way FMD enters a healthy herd — the new animal may look healthy but already carry the virus.
The virus survives for days on dirty surfaces.
3. Symptoms: What to Look For
The first signs are easy to miss: a cow may eat less, look dull, and give a little less milk a day or two before the sores appear.
Fever and dullness: a high fever, shivering, and a cow that stands dull, eats less, and drinks less. Milk falls suddenly, sometimes by a large amount in one or two days.
Mouth sores: blisters on the tongue, gums, lips and inside the cheeks. They break and leave raw, painful sores. The cow drools, smacks her lips, and cannot chew fodder.
Foot sores: blisters and sores between the toes and around the hooves. The feet are hot and painful. The cow limps, lies down more than usual, or refuses to stand and walk.
Other signs: in milking cows, sore teats and a sharp drop in milk. In young calves, sudden weakness and difficulty breathing is an emergency.
| Area | Signs | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Mouth | Blisters, raw sores, drooling, cannot chew | A key FMD sign |
| Feet | Sores between toes, hot hooves, limping | Feet are painful |
| Whole animal | Fever, dull, eating and drinking less | Early illness |
| Milk | Sudden, large drop in milk | Check mouth and feet |
Buffaloes show the same signs, but often more mildly — check the mouth and feet of every buffalo if one animal is suspected.
4. How Is FMD Different From Other Diseases?
Fever and a milk drop have many causes, so only a vet can confirm FMD — never decide on your own.
Mastitis causes a hot, swollen udder and bad milk, but the mouth and feet are normal. See Mastitis in Cows: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment.
Milk fever happens just after calving: the cow is weak, shivering, and cannot stand up, but there are no mouth or foot sores.
Bloat causes a swollen belly on the left side and difficulty breathing, but no blisters in the mouth or on the feet.
A cow that is simply not eating may have a feed change or heat stress. With mouth sores, drooling and lameness as well, think of FMD first and call the vet.
Fever plus mouth sores plus foot sores plus a sudden milk drop — especially in several animals at once — points to FMD.
5. What to Do If You Suspect FMD
Speed matters more than anything else. Follow these steps the same day you see the first signs:
- Separate the sick animal at once. Move it away from healthy animals. Keep its feed, water and bedding separate.
- Call your vet immediately. Tell the vet the signs you have seen and how many animals are affected. Do not wait until morning.
- Do not move animals. Do not take any animal to market or to another farm, and do not bring in a new animal.
- Stop visitors and shared equipment. Do not let other farmers, traders or milk collectors walk through your shed, and do not share ropes, buckets or vehicles.
- Wash and disinfect. Wash your hands, shoes and clothes after handling the sick animal. Clean the shed and troughs with a disinfectant your vet recommends.
- Keep a record. Write down the animal, when signs started, and which animals were in contact.
Do not hide the disease — it only gives the virus more time to spread to your herd and your neighbours’ animals.
6. Treatment Overview: There Is No Cure, Only Supportive Care
No medicine kills the FMD virus inside the animal — anyone who promises a cure is not telling the truth. Treatment is supportive: it helps the animal get through the illness while its own body fights the virus.
Your vet will examine the sick animals, confirm the disease, and advise on mouth and foot care, feeding, and protecting the rest of the herd. Follow that advice exactly.
Give soft feed and clean water within easy reach. Keep the shed clean, dry and shaded, wash the mouth and feet gently as your vet advises, and do not force a sick cow to walk.
Do not start an antibiotic or any other medicine on your own, and do not use a dose a neighbour or a shopkeeper suggests. Antibiotics do not kill the virus, and the wrong drug can harm the cow and leave residues in the milk.
Do not sell milk from a sick cow until your vet says it is safe.
Most adult cows recover in two to three weeks, but milk may take much longer to return to normal. Young calves are most likely to die from FMD, so protect them first.
7. Prevention: The Best Defence
Prevention is far cheaper than an outbreak.
Vaccination. Ask your vet for the local schedule. Vaccination is the most important protection. The right schedule depends on your area, the season, and the animals’ age. Ask your vet or the local livestock department which vaccine is used in your area and when to give it. Do not buy a vaccine on your own or guess the timing. Keep a record: animal, date, and who gave it.
Quarantine new animals. Keep any new animal separate for at least two weeks, and watch it for fever, mouth sores and lameness.
Keep the shed clean. Remove dung and wet bedding every day, and clean troughs and mangers regularly. A clean, dry shed slows the spread of many diseases, not just FMD.
Restrict visitors and shared equipment. Do not let traders or other farmers enter your shed without reason, and do not share ropes, buckets or milking equipment. Wash your hands and shoes after visiting another farm or a cattle market.
Buy from known sources. Buy only from herds you know are healthy, and ask about their vaccination record. Avoid markets during an outbreak.
8. FMD and Milk
FMD hits milk hard. Milk usually falls sharply, and the cow may stop giving milk almost completely for a time. Even after recovery, milk may stay low for weeks.
Do not sell milk from a sick animal, and do not give it to calves, without your vet’s advice. Keep the sick cow’s milk separate, wash cans and hands after handling it, and ask your vet how long to wait before selling milk again.
The loss is not just the vet’s visit: weeks of lost milk, a weak animal eating without producing, and a whole herd out of production at once. Keep a simple record — daily milk, sickness dates, and care costs.
See How to Increase Milk Production in Cows.
9. When to Call a Veterinarian
Call your vet the same day — do not wait — if you see any of these:
- Blisters or raw sores in the mouth, drooling, or a cow that cannot chew.
- Sores between the toes or around the hooves, hot feet, or a cow that limps or refuses to stand.
- Fever with a sudden, large drop in milk.
- More than one animal falling sick at the same time with the same signs.
- A calf suddenly weak, dull, or struggling to breathe — call at once.
- A sick cow that stops eating or drinking completely, or cannot stand up.
Tell the vet how many are affected, when signs started, and whether a new animal recently joined the herd. If advised, also inform the local livestock department, so neighbours can be warned.
Quick Checklist: FMD, Every Day
- All cows and buffaloes checked: eating, drinking, milk, mouth, feet.
- Drooling, mouth sore, limp or milk drop noted at once.
- Sick animal separated immediately; vet called the same day.
- No animals moved in or out.
- Hands, shoes, equipment washed after handling a sick animal.
- Shed clean and dry; troughs cleaned regularly.
- New animals kept separate for at least two weeks.
- Vaccination record up to date; next date written down.
FAQ
What are the first signs of foot and mouth disease in cows?
Fever, dullness and eating less, followed by blisters and raw sores in the mouth, drooling, sores between the toes, limping, and a sudden drop in milk. Several animals falling sick together is a strong warning sign.
Is there a cure for FMD in cows?
No. There is no medicine that kills the FMD virus inside the animal. Treatment is supportive care under a vet’s guidance — soft feed, clean water, clean bedding, and care for the mouth and feet — while the animal’s body fights the virus.
Can FMD spread to other animals on my farm?
Yes, very easily. It spreads by direct contact, through the air over short distances, on hands, clothes, shoes and equipment, and through feed and water. Goats and sheep can also catch it, so keep them away from a sick cow.
How can I prevent FMD in my cows?
Vaccinate on the schedule your vet recommends for your area, quarantine new animals for at least two weeks, keep the shed clean and dry, restrict visitors and shared equipment, and do not buy animals from markets during an outbreak.
Can I sell milk from a cow with FMD?
No, not without your vet’s advice. Keep the sick cow’s milk separate, do not sell it, and do not give it to calves without veterinary advice. Ask your vet how long to wait before the milk can be sold again.
This guide is for general information for farmers. It is pending review by Dr. Nouman Sipra, Veterinary Physician & Surgeon, Al-Hamd Pet Clinic & Vet Store, Ahmedpur East, Pakistan. It is not vet-approved yet. For a sick animal, consult your veterinarian in person.