Mycotic diseases, ie those caused by microscopic fungi, are widespread among animals. As for cattle, at present ungulomycosis has become the most widespread, in which keratolytic fungi affect the hooves of animals, causing complications such as deformities, pododermatitis, lesions of the hoof bone. Ungulomycosis (from the Latin ungula – hoof, Gr. Mykes – fungus) – a disease of the hooves, which are caused by microscopic fungi that have keratolytic properties. In most cases of ungulomycosis, its complications are most often registered, and not the disease itself, which does not allow to carry out effective preventive measures and treatment of animals in a timely manner. That is why the purpose of the work was to study and concretization the main factor of the disease and the contributing conditions for the disease. For this purpose the basic and additional clinical methods of research were used, including microscopy of the destroyed horn and sowing on nutrient media to determine the species content of microscopic fungi. The research was carried out in the farms of the western regions of Ukraine on cows of Black-Spotted and Holstein breeds in the stall period with tethered animals. It is found that the pathogenic action of microscopic fungi-keratomycetes on the hooves of cattle is carried out in the presence of favorable conditions of external and internal nature, primarily insufficient housing conditions and poor feeding. In particular, for osteodystrophy due to ungulomycosis, the destruction of the hoof's horn is accelerated, which complicates the pathological process. For purulent subdermatitis of traumatic origin, microscopic fungi-keratomycetes act as an additional or contributing factor to the disease. Further research will focus on the development of effective treatments and measures to prevent ungulomycosis.

One of the main branches of agricultural production in Ukraine was and remains animal husbandry. Under modern conditions of cattle breeding, the hooves of cows deserve special attention of a veterinarian, which are often exposed to various adverse factors, which, for the most part, leads to the development of inflammatory processes in the area of the base of the sole skin, sometimes of septic genesis complicated by keratomycetes.  It is known that for the treatment of orthopedically ill animals there is enough wide arsenal of medicinal substances and developed methods of therapy, however, most of the proposed means exhibit only antibacterial properties, act in the lesions superficially, poorly penetrate into the depths of the tissues and do not always give the desired result. Therefore, the aim of the work was to develop an effective method of treatment of such animals with the use of medicinal substances with a wide range of antibacterial, antimycotic action, which have the ability to penetrate into tissues and promote their regeneration. For research, two groups of cows were formed, 5 animals in each, selected on the principle of analogues in terms of the nature and location of the pathological process. For therapeutic purposes, the cows of both groups after anesthesia were corrective clearing, formed a funnel-shaped hole in the area of purulent pododermatitis and irrigated with 10 % hypertonic sodium chloride solution. On the affected area, the animals of the control group was applied a finely grated (separately) mixture of potassium permanganate and boric acid, and the control – a mixture of nanoclusters of aquachelates Ag, Cu, Zn, impregnated with a cotton swab and pantevenoli. A bandage and a protective cover were applied to the affected hooves of animals of both groups. It is defined that the proposed method of treatment makes it possible to promote the recovery of animals and reduce the treatment period by 6 days, confirmed by the results of clinical, biochemical, bacteriological, mycological and statistical studies.

Pododermatitis in tall cows that occur on the background of secondary osteodystrophy can lead to significant economic losses, consisting of forced culling of animals, reduced milk yield, reproductive function and not enough receiving of calves. Therefore, the question of studying the peculiarities of origin and development, in particular chronic aseptic pododermatitis in these animals is quite actual. It is defined that with the same type of highly concentrated feeding, hypodynamics and insufficient insolation in the organism of highly pregnant cows, the process of assimilation of feed minerals is disrupted  (develops, as is known, for dysfunction of the endocrine glands due to prolonged ketosis), which is appeared by resorption of the hoof bone, low rates of mass-volume extraction analysis of bone biopsy and testifies a systemic violation of mineral metabolism in animals and is confirmed by biochemical parameters, in particular, the concentration in the hoof horn of individual macro-and trace elements, as well as biophysical parameters of the epidermis of the hooves. Thus, the concentration of Calcium in the hoof horn is 16.8 % lower than in clinically healthy animals, Sulfur – by 20.3 %, Copper – by 16.2, Zinc – by 15.0, Cobalt – by 13.0 with increasing concentration of sulfhydryl groups by 34.3 % and moisture, respectively – by 5.5 %, which causes a decrease in the density and hardness of the epidermis of the hooves by 5.4 % and 19.0 %, respectively, and contributes to the deterioration of the quality of the hooves of highly pregnant cows. Such changes lead to deformation of the hooves, violation of the uniform load on their soles and the development of aseptic inflammation of the skin base of the hooves of a chronic nature, because the process of metabolic disorders occurs over a long period of time.

It is known that deformity of the hooves is one of the most common lesions, the main cause of which is a violation of the relationship between the speed of regrowth and abrasion of the hoof horn. It develops gradually and initially does not cause changes in the organism of cows, but later leads to various diseases, including orthopedic. It is determined that in alimentary osteodystrophy (results of multifactorial mass-volume analysis and prolonged osteotendinitis of the finger flexors) and irregular corrective cleaning of the hooves and formed triggered deformation of the hooves, which leads to a violation of the support-force interactions contributes to the emergence and development of aseptic subdermatitis of chronic genesis, which is clinically appeared by lameness animals addiction, careful stepping from limb to limb, fatigue, shortening of step, etc. Simultaneously, there are changes from a bone tissue. Thus, in the area of the sole of the hoof bone, single or multiple osteophytes and exostoses are formed, which are formed in the process of ossification and metabolic disorders. According to chronic aseptic pododermatitis in cows there is a deterioration in the quality of the hoof horn, as indicated by the results of biochemical and biophysical searches. In particular, there is a decrease in calcium, sulfur, an increase in the concentration of SH-groups, a decrease in the concentration of copper, zinc, cobalt, which leads to a decrease in the density and hardness of the hoof horn, as well as an increase in abrasion resistance and a decrease in the intensity of abrasion of the horn of the animal sole, which leads to an accruing in the horn of the sole and dysfunction of the musculoskeletal system.

Of the total number of animal diseases, 70–80 % are non-communicable diseases, and more than 50 % are surgical diseases, which cause significant economic damage to the livestock industry due to reduced productivity and premature culling of livestock. Irrational, unbalanced in terms of macro- and microelements, vitamins, carbohydrates feeding leads to metabolic disorders. At the same time, deep destructive-degenerative changes in bones, joints, ligaments and tendons are registered, horn formation in the hooves is disturbed and a less stable horn is produced. Omission in feeding unsatisfactory housing conditions and inadequate care of animals. When such conditions are often supplemented, the outer cover of animals, in particular the hooves, is affected first of all. In the event of inflammatory and dystrophic processes at the base of the skin of the hooves there is a violation of tissue (tubular) and cellular structure. The horn of such hooves undergoes changes in the form of parakeratosis and deformation; this contributes to the spread and accumulation of fungal flora, which shows its pathogenic action mainly due to enzymatic activity and toxic products, which characterizes these microorganisms as a factor in the destructive processes of the hoof horn. With reduced mechanical stability and destroyed by microscopic fungi of hoof horn is more likely to develop aseptic or purulent pododermatitis. Here, the fungal flora is not only a contributing factor in the occurrence of diseases, but also as one of the factors complicating the course of the disease. That is why timely detection and effective treatment of ungulomycosis prevents the complication of the pathological process, which can even lead to culling of animals. The essence of treatment of superficial ungulomycosis is reduced to functional cleaning of hooves and their antiseptic treatment in the form of fungicidal powders, sprays, hoof baths. In deep ungulomycosis, and, moreover, in combination with purulent pododermatitis, treatment includes local anesthesia, orthopedic treatment, antiseptic treatment with isolation, pathogenetic therapy. Prevention of ungulomycosis is based on knowledge of the etiology of the disease and the pathogenetic mechanisms of its development.  Its essence is to form in animals a strong hoof horn, prevent its destruction and eliminate favorable conditions for the reproduction of keratomycetes. This includes proper feeding, proper housing conditions and appropriate animal care.