Lame - Bovine lameness intro

Question 1

Why is bovine lameness important to think about?

Answer 1

Welfare - health
Productivity - yeilds
Cost - economic impact

Question 2

What are some behaviour changes from lameness in cows?

Answer 2

Increased lying times
Reduced feed intake
Suppression of oestrus expression
Unwilling for milking

Question 3

What are some direct costs that come from bovine lameness?

Answer 3

Treatment cost
Vet time
Farmer time
Milk discard
Milk yield

Question 4

What are some indirect costs that come from bovine lameness?

Answer 4

Increased risk of culling
Effects on fertility
Risk of further lameness cases
Risk of secondary disease

Question 5

How much does a moderate lameness case cost?

Answer 5

£330

Question 6

What is the prevalence of lameness in cows in the UK?

Answer 6

1 in 3 cows - bad
But there is a big range in farms for this - some a lot worse than others

Question 7

Where does lameness occur?

Answer 7

Always the foot - not really hip, knee etc.
Mostly outer claw of hind foot
And inner claw of forefoot

Question 8

What is the coronary band?

Answer 8

Junction between the skin and the horn
Produces the wall horn

Question 9

How quickly does cow hoof grow?

Answer 9

5mm/month - quite slow healing process

Question 10

What is the periople?

Answer 10

Junction between the skin and horn at the coronary band - forms a waxy coat to the hoof

Question 11

What is the sole? What is it formed from?

Answer 11

Bottom of hoof which is formed from the papillae

Question 12

What is the white line?

Answer 12

The join between the wall and the sole - point of weakness
Soft sponge horn
(Doesnt need any treatment mostly)

Question 13

What is the pedal bone?

Answer 13

P3 - distal phalanx
Inside the hoof - mainly attached to the dorsal wall

Question 14

Where does the flexor tendon attach to?

Answer 14

The palmar/plantar edge of the pedal bone

Question 15

Where is the navicular bone found?

Answer 15

Between the flexor tendon and P2

Question 16

What is the corium?

Answer 16

Stratum germinativum - produces horn
Very important sensitive feature full of blood vessels and nerves

Question 17

Where is the corium found?

Answer 17

Fills the space between sole and P3

Question 18

What can damage the corium?

Answer 18

Weight bearing on the heel of the foot due to concrete - weight through heel can pinch the corium and P3 together and damage it

Question 19

What is the digital cushion? What are its functions?

Answer 19

Pad of fat and elastic tissue that acts as a shock absorber and pumps blood from the foot

Question 20

In what types of cows is the digital cushion less effective?

Answer 20

Cows with less fat such as
Heifers
Old cows
Thin cows

Question 21

What is the laminae?

Answer 21

The junction between the wall and P3
Interdigitates with interlacing fingers
Suspends P3 within the hoof capsule

Question 22

What can affect the laminae in cows?

Answer 22

Hormonal changes around calving - relaxes ligaments etc.

Question 23

What is the normal length of the anterior wall of a cows hoof?

Answer 23

80mm

Question 24

What determines hoof conformation?

Answer 24

A balance between growth and wear
When growth is more than wear then overgrowth occurs, predisposing to lameness

Question 25

What is growth rate affected by?

Answer 25

Loading - increased loading increases growth
Claw - inside or outside claw
Nutrition
Age/breed

Question 26

Where does a cow hoof’s wall grow from?

Answer 26

From the coronary band down to the toe

Question 27

Where does the cow hoof’s sole grow from?

Answer 27

From the sole corium - grows downwards and forwards

Question 28

What cow factors affect horn wear?

Answer 28

Horn quality
Hoof conformation
Limb conformation
Udder size and structure

Question 29

What external factors affect horn wear?

Answer 29

Underfoot conditions - how abrasive the surface is, the depth of the slurry
Management factors - walking distances, foot trimming, housing programme

Question 30

What affects horn quality?

Answer 30

Lameness
Damage to corium or coronary band
Underfoot conditions
Foot bathing - hardens the hoof
Systemic illness
Nutrition
Breed/age

Question 31

How can you change nutrition to improve horn quality?

Answer 31

Feed biotin
Feed less concentrates

Question 32

Where should cows be weight bearing on their hooves?

Answer 32

On the wall of the foot and the heel
Should not be walking on the sole of the foot

Question 33

Which claw carries more weight in the forelimbs? Which carries more in the hindlimbs?

Answer 33

Inside claw - forelimbs
Outside claw - hindlimbs

Question 34

What causes toe overgrowth?

Answer 34

In housed cattle the wall is worn more rapidly at the heel
This shifts their weight back causing overgrowth at the heel

Question 35

What can overgrowth at the toe cause?

Answer 35

Overgrowth of the middle of the sole
Pinching of the corium causing pain and sole bruising