Because these diseases are highly infectious, bringing in goats that already have the diseases or turning goats out on infected pastures are methods of disease transmission. Participating in goat shows where a producer's goats may encounter infected goats is another method of introducing hoof diseases onto the property. Certain dietary conditions can predispose goats to conditions which can lead to hoof diseases. Zinc is essential to protein synthesis and cell division. Male goats may need somewhat more zinc in their diets than do females.
Routine hoof trimming is vital.
Overgrown hooves tend to turn inward and curl over the sole of the hoof, providing an incubation site for the anaerobic bacteria which cause these diseases. The author has an article, with diagrams, on Hoof Trimming on the Onion Creek Ranch website's Articles Page. Lameness is the first sign of hoof rot, and the smell of rotting tissue is unmistakable. Hoof scald is equally painful and debilitating to the goat, but odor is not normally present. Generally, both hoof rot and hoof scald affect more than one hoof, while hoof abcesses are restricted to one hoof and sometimes even to one claw of the hoof.