There is disclosed a method of treating and preventing digital dermatitis in a herd of claw-bearing animals, in particular bovine digital dermatitis in a herd of cattle, comprising supplying zinc gluconate and copper gluconate to the feed of said herd in an amount between 35 to 500 mg zinc per kg dry feed per animal and between 5 and 40 mg copper per kg dry feed per animal and concomitantly treating any diagnosed digital dermatitis lesion in said herd of animals until the lesion is healed with a standard care topical treatment, in particular with a salicylic acid bandage topical treatment, continuing supplying zinc gluconate and copper gluconate to said herd and concomitantly treating any diagnosed lesion in said heard for at least 3 months, preferably for at least 6 months.