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Diseases Of Cattle > Cattle Lameness > Flashcards

Cattle Lameness Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the impact of lameness of milk production?

A

High yielding cows are at a greater risk of lameness - genetic
Lameness reduces milk yield

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2
Q

How does lameness reduce fertility?

A

Non cyclicity
Ovarian cysts
Lower oestrus intensity
Prolonged calving intervals

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3
Q

What impact does lameness have on nutrition?

A

Reduced time eating
Reduced DMI
Low BCS - exacerbates due to thin digital cushion

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4
Q

What effects does lameness have on culling?

A

Increase culling - particularly of high yielding cows

Cost of replacements

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5
Q

Mobility score 0

A

Even weight bearing and rhythm on all 4 feet
Flat back
Long strides

No action required beyond routine preventative foot trimming

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6
Q

Mobility score 1

A

Step uneven or strides shortened
Affected leg not immediately identifiable

Routine preventative foot trimming
Further observation

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7
Q

Mobility score 2

A

Uneven weight bearing on a limb that is immediately identifiable
Shortened stride
Arched back

Lift foot to examine and treat

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8
Q

Mobility score 3

A

Unable to walk as fast as a brisk human pace
Can’t keep up with the herd
Signs of mobility score 2

Urgent - lift foot and treat
Keep on straw yard, do not make her move far
In severe cases culling may be the only solution

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9
Q

How should you treat grade 1 white line disease?

A

= simple black mark at white line

Remove the disrupted horn until a clean surface can be seen

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10
Q

How can you treat grade 2 white line disease?

A

= Localised abscess extending from the black mark
Allow drainage
Block unaffected claw

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11
Q

How can you treat grade 3 white line disease?

A

= abscess tracking up and back from the white line, extending to the coronary band

Remove overlying wall
Block unaffected claw
Anti-inflammatories

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12
Q

How should you treat sole haemorrhage / bruising?

A

Functional trimming

Block unaffected claw of severe

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13
Q

How can you treat a sole ulcer?

A

= most common foot lesion
Functional trimming
Block the unaffected claw
Anti-inflammatories eg: ketoprofen as v painful
Remove small amounts of sole around protruding tissue

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14
Q

How should you treat digital dermatitis?

A

Clean and dry feet well
Apply topical oxytetracycline spray
Trim foot
Repeat for 3 days

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15
Q

How should you treat foul in the foot (interdigital dermatitis)?

A

Clean lesions very well
Systemic antibiotics
Anti-inflammatories

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16
Q

What are the causative gents of digital dermatitis?

A

Treponemes

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17
Q

What lesions does digital dermatitis create?

A

Painful, reddened and proliferation areas at the heel bulb

Occasionally coronary band lesions

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18
Q

How can you grade digital dermatitis lesions?

A

M1 - early lesion, ulcerative
M2 - ulcer larger than 2cm, painful
M3 - scab formation after topical treatment - healing, non-ulcerative
M4 - dyskeratosis and proliferation - chronic lesion
M4.1 - chronic lesions with active ulcerated areas

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19
Q

How can you prevent digital dermatitis?

A

Copper sulphate / formalin footbaths

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20
Q

What is the colloquial term for interdigital necrobacillosis?

A

Foul in the foot

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21
Q

What is the causative agent of interdigital necrobacillosis?

A

Fusobacterium necrophorum

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22
Q

How does interdigital necrobacillosis present?

A

Acute onset
Swelling above the claws
Chunks of necrotic tissue in the interdigital cleft
Very painful

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23
Q

How should you treat interdigital necrobacillosis?

A

Restrain
Check for foreign body
Remove necrotic tissue
Systemic antibiotics for 3 days - broad spectrum
Eg: amoxicillin, oxytetracycline, tilmicosin
Should respond rapidly

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24
Q

What is the causative agent of interdigital dermatitis?

A

Dichelobacter nodosus

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25
What lesions does dichelobacter nodosus cause?
Mild interdigital skin inflammation Can spread across the heels to cause heel horn erosion Foot trimming Oxytetracycline spray and footbathing
26
What is heel horn erosion? And how can it be treated / prevented?
Progressive destruction of the heel horn Foot trimming Topical antibiotics
27
What causes sole bruising / sole ulcers?
Pressure from the pedal bone / stones on tracks Haemorrhage = bruise Disrupts normal sole horn production & exposure of corium = sole ulcer
28
What causes white line lesions?
Shearing forces Claw overload Contusions of the corium
29
What causes deep digital sepsis?
Untreated interdigital necrobacillosis Complicated sole ulcers Untreated white line lesions Puncture wounds
30
What treatment options are there for digital sepsis?
Amputation Euthanasia Arthrodesis
31
How should you treat retro-articular abscesses?
Surgery - Drain and flush Give antibiotics Amputation
32
What are the causes of acute laminitis in the cow?
Grain overload -- Sara -- endotoxins damage lamellar corium
33
How can you treat contracted tendons in calves?
Splinting for 2-4 weeks Tendonectomy of most affected tendon if this does not work Can treat carpal flexion with splinting if due to contracted tendons, otherwise poor px
34
What must you note about transporting an animal when lame?
IT'S ILLEGAL DONT DO IT
35
How do contracted tendons present and how should you treat them?
``` Flexion of fetlock +/- carpus Unable to rise - consider FPT Aet: cramped in utero, manganese deficiency, hereditary Tx: splinting for 2-4 weeks +/- SDFT tenotomy ```
36
How does Gastrocnemius muscle rupture present and how can you treat it?
Rotational forces, attempting to mount, repeated attempts to rise with hypocalcaemia Overextended upper limb, lowered hock, knuckling fetlock Use skin sensation to differentiate from tibial nerve paralysis Box rest + NSAIDS
37
How does cranial cruciate ligament injury present in animals?
Bulls Mounting the cow - ruptures ligament Acute onset weight bearing lameness Stifle effusion Dx: radiography Tx: box rest, NSAIDs
38
How does upwards fixation of the patella present?
Limb locked in extension and stifle can't be flexed Young steers Tx: section medial patellar ligament
39
How does cellulitis present?
Ascending infection secondary to foot lesion eg sole ulcer Treat foot lesion Aggressive antibiotics Anti-inflammatories
40
How does rupture of the peroneus tertius present?
Cow has gone down in the foot trimming crush Now the hock can be hyperextended whilst the stile is flexed Tx: box rest NSAIDs
41
How does osteochondritis present?
Bulls - usually in males Stifle effusion and lameness Tx: box rest and NSAIDs Poor px when OA develops - PTS
42
How does vitamin e and selenium deficiency present?
Animals coming up to 1yo At turn out or during rapid growth Muscle stiffness, sudden death if myocardium involved Tx: vitamin e and selenium paraenteral
43
How does hip dysplasia present?
``` 3m-2y Hereford, Angus, Aberdeen, Charolais Stifle points out, hock points in Lameness Crepitus ```
44
How does a hip dislocation present?
Cow gone down in foot crush Around oestrus or parturition (relaxin) Anterior phase reduced Cranio-dorsal direction - ambulatory Caudo-ventral direction - non-ambulatory Crepitus and swelling over greater trochanter Tx- closed reduction - must perform within 12h extend leg, push stifle down and hock up
45
How does septic arthritis present?
Traumatic - single joint in adults, spread from foot lesion Calves - haematogenous - umbilical infection etc Truepurella pyogenes common causative agent Swelling of the carpus, hocks and stifle Lameness Dx pus in joint - synovial tap Tx: flush, prolonged antibiotics, NSAIDs
46
How do hygromas present?
``` Hock lesions due to poor housing Clear fluid inside Diagnose using a reproductive scanner Lance and pressure bandage IMPROVE HOUSING ```
47
How frequently should you change a cast in a calf to allow for growth?
Every 10-14 days
48
What is a major risk factor for claw horn disruption lesions?
Increased lying or standing times on concrete floor
49
Things to consider in cubicle design:
What they are made of Size - require 1m of lunge space Stocking density Shape of cubicle Bedding - Sand and a mattress best for comfort and mastitis control Cubicle use - any standing half in half out?
50
How does stocking density predispose to lameness?
Increased standing time | Shearing forces on the foot when running away from dominant cows - white line lesions
51
What are the acceptable stoking densities?
``` 10 m2 per cow in straw yards Minimum 1 cubicle per cow Recommended - 5% extra cubicles than cows - 20% extra cubicles than cows in the freshly calved group ```
52
How does a lack of feed barrier space lead to lameness?
Low BCS - thin digital pad | Competition - shearing forces and white line lesions
53
What space allowances should be made at the feed barrier?
76cm yokes - 1 per cow 70cm per cow if not using yokes 1m per cow for transition cows
54
What factors increase standing times?
``` Milking 3 times a day Long waiting in the collecting yard Overcrowding in the collecting yard Bad cow flow Sharp corners ``` Advice to reduce standing times: Split cows into smaller management groups
55
What floor surfaces can predispose to lameness?
``` Concrete - necessary - ensure grooves are maintained Broken concrete Wet slippery floor - scrape at least twice a day Wet muddy tracks Sharp stones on tracks ``` Recommendation - rubber in the collecting yard
56
How can animal handling lead to lameness?
Aggressive animal handling = shearing forces running away
57
What regular maintenance can you ensure to reduce the incidence of lameness?
Foot trimming
58
What body condition score should you maintain cows at to reduce the risk of lameness?
Over 2.5 - thin digital cushion if less than this
59
How can calving predispose to lameness?
Relaxin - weakens the suspensory apparatus of the claw | = susceptible to white line disease
60
What are transition cows at a higher risk of lameness?
Reduced DMI Fat mobilisation Calving Diet changes
61
How can you monitor lameness in a herd?
Mobility scoring every 2 weeks Foot lesion recording Hock lesion scoring - 20 cows from each group Body condition scoring at start of dry period, peak lactation and service
62
What are the key points to lameness control?
``` Risk factors and improve conditions Early treatment of clinical cases Routine functional foot trimming Footbathing Genetic selection ```
63
When should routine foot trimming be performed?
At drying off 60 days before the 1st calving At 60-100 days in milk As soon as they go lame
64
How should a farmer operate foot bathing?
Copper sulphate Formalin Ensure the cows feet are clean first - water footbath first On the normal route to the parlour Change solution frequently Adequate contact time
65
What are the targets for good dry cow management?
``` 10-12m2 lying area per cow 75-100cm feed space per cow 80-100 cows per cubicles Aim for BCS 3 at drying off Never allow below 2.5 ```
66
What group management strategies can you use to control lameness?
``` Group 1st lactation cows separately Reduce standing times Group lame cows separately Milk twice a day Rubber matting in the collection yard Heat stress management - good nutrition, reduce SARA ```
67
What are the risk factors for lameness?
``` Rough walking surfaces Poor cubicle comfort High stocking density Long standing times Milking frequency - 3 times a day Bad Animal handling Shearing forces Parity Foot shape Claw horn quality Low BCS and digital cushion thickness Calving Environmental hygiene Infection pressure / biosecurity Nutrition High milk yields Heat stress Genetics ```
68
What are the indications for toe amputation?
``` Deep digital sepsis Septic arthritis of the DIPJ Retro-articular abscess Non-healing wall lesions Toe necrosis Complications - sole ulcers - white line abscesses - foul in the foot - penetrating injuries ```
69
How can you perform a toe amputation by disarticulating the PIPJ?
Wash and disinfect Perform IVRA Amputate 2-3 cm above the coronary band using embryotomy wires Excoriate the cartilage once the digit is cut off Check the flexor tendon Dress the wound following amputation - Allevyn - pack the wound - wrap in cohesive bandage - ensure that the bandage is not damp - predisposes to Digi
70
What is the average prevalence of lameness in the UK dairy herd?
30-35%
71
Name some animal based welfare measures.
``` Lameness scoring Swellings Lesions BCS Cleanliness scores ```
72
Names some resource based welfare measures.
``` Lameness and treatment records Foot trimming Nutrition assessment Housing assessment - cow comfort - cubicle assessment - hygiene assessment - floor assessment - tracks ```
73
How much substrate should you put down?
3kg of sawdust, straw or shavings per cubicle per day
74
What factors contribute to hygiene?
``` Cubicle length Frequency scraping out Passageway width 3-4.5m Bedding plus lime Ventilation and drainage Foot bathing ```
75
What are the risk factors for sole ulcers?
Overloading the lateral claw Increased standing times Poor cubicle comfort Low BCS = thin digital cushion
76
How can you prevent sole ulcers?
Routine foot trimming 60 day dry period and good nutrition in this time Good comfortable cubicles
77
What are the risk factors for white line disease?
Walking on stony tracks Sheer forces Bullying - causes sudden turning
78
How can you prevent digital dermatitis?
Good hygiene Keep the environment clean Closed herd Regular foot trimming

Diseases Of Cattle (18 decks)

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