Interdigital dermatitis in cattle is caused by the anaerobic bacterium Dichelobacter nodosus. This is also the agent of footrot in sheep, but strains appear to be different and there is no cross-infection.
Interdigital dermatitis is different from footrot in cattle and both conditions may occur concurrently.
The condition most commonly occurs in farms with a high stocking density or where cattle traffic is high and is most prevalent in Winter.