Cattle Lameness Flashcards
(42 cards)
What are 3 signs of lameness in cattle?
How can you highlight a lameness?
- Hanging or nodding head as cow is walking
- Shortened stride length, paddling/shuffling feet
- Arching of spine
Walking up and down a slope
What are hock and carpal hygromas caused by?
What are they associated with?
Excessive pressure on joints
Inadequate bedding, poor cubicle design
What are 3 advantages of lameness scoring?
- Highlights extent of problem to farmer
- Identify lame cows early
- Monitoring and interventions
What are the 3 constituents for optimum cure rates in claw horn lesions?
- Trim
- Block
- 3 days of NSAIDs
How can you assess cow comfort?
What is the best choice of bed and bedding for cow comfort?
Number of cows using cubicles correctly
Mattresses (gel/water filled, or foam)
Deep sand bedding
What does straw bedding increase the risk of?
Strep uberis
What is the advantage of grooving?
Improves grip
In which limbs do contracted tendons occur?
Name 2 causes of contracted tendons
ALWAYS front limb
- Position in-utero
- Manganese
What is a differential for gastrocnemius rupture?
Tibial nerve paralysis
Check skin sensation
What is the treatment for patellar fixation?
Cut medial patellar ligament in BOTH legs (other leg will follow)
What is spastic paralysis?
What is the clinical sign?
Hereditary condition causing overfiring of tibial nerve = constant muscle tension
Stiff straight hindlimbs
What can be caused by lifting the hock too high?
i.e. higher than level of freezebrand
Rupture of peroneus tertius
What 3 Vitamin deficiencies can cause osteodystrophy?
How do they present differently in young, growing animals vs. older?
Copper, Phosphorous, Calcium
Which vitamin deficiency causes White Muscle disease?
What age does it occur most often in?
What is the trigger?
What would you see on blood results?
Vitamin E and Selenium
1 year olds
Increasing activity
Increase in AST and CK
What animals does hip dysplasia most often occur in?
How does it present?
Young male bulls (3 months - 2 years)
Bilateral, one leg worse affected
In which joints does osteochondrosis most often occur in cattle?
Femoro-patellar
Atlanto-occipital
Which two diseases can cause reduced libido and reluctance to mount in bulls?
Hip dysplasia
Osteochondrosis
What are 3 treatments for degenerative joint disease?
DIP joint in calves 1. Block sound claw 2. Amputate digit Fetlock joint 3. Arthrodesis
What is the treatment for hip dislocation?
When does it need to be carried out?
Why?
Closed reduction
< 12 hours after injury
Massive blood clot + fibrosis forms, preventing reduction
How do you distinguish between an abscess and a haematoma?
FNA
Aseptic technique!
What is a common cause of metacarpal/tarsal fractures?
Assisted calving with excessive traction
Especially calving chains
When is the splinting of fractures contraindicated?
If fracture is above the elbow/stifle
What is the treatment for humeral/femoral fractures?
Box rest
When should external co-aption be used?
Only up to the hock
