Cattle Lameness and Foot Trimming Flashcards
What are the 3 infectious diseases that cause lameness?
- heel warts
- foot rot
- heel erosion
What are the 6 non-infectious causes of lameness?
- interdigital hyperplasia
- sole/toe ulcer
- white line disease
- thin soles
- cork screw claw
- wall cracks and fissures
what is the leading cause of lameness in dairy cattle in the US?
digital dermatitis
If there is continuous cycling between M2, M4, and M2 digital dermatitis lesions, then what is most likely the management issue?
foot baths – perhaps the chemical type/concentration needs to be changed, frequency at which they go into it, or the cleanliness of it (how many cows go through before they decide to clean it)
what are the top 3 areas where changes can be made to control digital dermatitis?
- management
- hygiene
- nutrition
T/F: digital dermatitis is more difficult to control in beef cattle because they are not up every day
true
________ is a heritable misalignment of the 2nd and 3rd phalanges that is also influenced by nutrition. This condition is characterized by the overgrowth of the claw with abaxial and axial curvature of the wall and rotation of the toe.
corkscrew claw
this condition can cause secondary lesions to occur (white line disease, sole ulcers, etc.)
What claws are typically affected with corkscreaw claw in the hindlimbs versus the front limb?
hindlimbs – lateral claw
forelimbs – medial claw
How do you perform corrective trimming for corkscrew claw?
Reduce the toe length of the corkscrew claw to the length of the opposite claw.
Remove the upward deviation of the dorsal hoof wall of the corkscrew claw and align it with the dorsal hoof wall of the opposite claw.
Balance the sole of the corkscrew claw to the opposite claw.
Remove the fold in the axial wall and slope out/dish out the axial wall.
Increase the weight bearing surface of the corkscrew claw if enough sole horn thickness remains.
what are 3 common sequelae to corkscrew claw?
- white line disease at the abaxial wall
- Rusterholz ulcer at the heel
- digital sepsis if extension of the ulcer of abscess
place a block of the opposite claw if WLD or ulcers are present.
how do you prevent sequelae to corkscrew claw?
Trim the claws every 6 months - 1 year
cull the animal – they should not be bred because this trait is heritable.
T/F: the dirtier environment a cow is in, the higher the risk for infection and subsequent lameness
true
we can monitor this using hygiene scores –
1 = little/no manure above coronary band
2 = minor splashing above coronary band
3 = distinct plaques of manure above the coronary band, but leg hair visible
4 = solid plaque of manure extending high up the leg
How can forces on the feet contribute to lameness?
How can we alter this to reduce lameness?
The more a cow stands, the more likely she is to become lame.
We can ensure that the cow has low forces on the feet (plenty of time to lay down, mats to soften footing, etc.)
T/F: early detection and early treatment are considered success factors for lameness
true
T/F: good horn quality and shape contribute to reduction of lameness
true
this is affected by time standing, nutrition, flooring, and frequency of trimming.