ODFW Asking the Public to Report Elk with Hoof Disease

EASTERN OREGON – ODFW are asking members of the public for help in reporting and documenting Oregon elk suffering from Elk Hoof Disease. According to ODFW’s July 2020 Hoof Disease fact sheet:

 “Elk hoof disease, now referred to as Treponeme associated hoof disease (TAHD), is a bacterial-associated syndrome causing severe lameness in elk…Elk with the disease can have deformed, overgrown, broken or sloughed hooves. These lesions can be painful and cause limping or lameness when walking.”

The exact cause of the disease is unknown, though is believed to be a mix of environmental factors and infectious bacteria. The specific manner in which the disease is spread is also not entirely known, though is speculated to be transferred into the soil by already infected animals and picked up by healthy ones. Elk Hoof Disease is prominent among herds in Southern Washington and has been spreading into Northern Oregon since 2014, with a handful of confirmed cases in Union and Wallowa Counties from 2014 to 2020. 

Persons who harvest an elk, or locate a diseased one, suspected to be infected with Elk Hoof Disease can report it via an online form at Report Observations of Elk with Hoof Disease in Oregon (arcgis.com). Persons can also call in a report to ODFW’s animal health lab at 866-968-2600 or email ODFW’s veterinarians at Wildlife.Health@state.or.us to arrange collection of the animal.

The Elk Hoof Disease fact sheet is available at Microsoft Word – ElkHoofDiseaseFactSheetFinal_July_2020.docx (state.or.us)

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Elkhorn Media Group