lameness 1 Flashcards
Importance of Lameness
- Welfare
<> - Cost – ~ $350/lame cow
<> - Milk production > Lame cows make ~ 200-500 kg less per lactation
> Depends on
– Lesion
– Severity
– Duration
<> - Reproduction
– Less likely to show heat
– Lower conception rate
<> - Culling
– Lame cows at 1.5 to 2 X greater risk of culling
prevalence of lameness? vs lesions? when is it a problem?
- Lesions doesnt mean lameness
- Prevalence of lameness > ~ 5 to 30% of cows
- Prevalence of lesions > ~ 30 to 70% of cows
- Every case is urgent to the affected animal
- A herd problem when prevalence of mild lameness is > 20% (?)
location of lameness
- 90% in foot
> 90% of foot lameness is in the hind foot
> hind foot lameness is mostly in the lateral claw
stances that imply lameness
– Arched back
– Shifting
– Heels over edge of stall
– Body contours and swelling - compare symmetry
locomotion patterns that could mean lameness? scores?
- Slow, cautious walking (“on eggshells”)
- Shortened stride; not tracking up * Decreased weight bearing
- Head bob
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– Arched back – score 2, 3 or 4
– Abnormal gait – score 4 or 5
at what lameness stage do we want to intervene? what does it look like?
-intervene at stage 3, ideally - this is when we can first notivce, usually
- arched back while walking and standing, but her gait may not be recognized as abnormal.
- Once she reaches this point, the total cost of her lameness averages more than 300
- V-posture stance
locomotion stage 4 - what do we notice?
- what about stage 5
- Stage 4: Gait is abnormal at this point
- Stage 5: refuse or have great difficulty moving from lying position
stats for Ontario dairy free stalls barns
- how many locomotion scores of 4 and 5?
4: 23%
5: 6%
best ways to do detailed lameness exam?
- Standing trimming chute with belly band
- Tilt table or standing mechanical chute
weight bearing part of the bovine hoof
bearing surface is the wall, and part, but not all, of the sole
- important as helps us understand where lesions are
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- the wall and part, but not all, of the sole
- avoid bearing weight where pedal bone has pretuberances
issue with a lesion in P3
coronary band approximately through P2
- below this, joints are encased in the hoof > if they get infected, nowhere to go if they want to swell
- note that the bottom of P3 is not flat!
important measurements for assessing hoof
- toe angle: forelimb 50, hindlimb 45
- toe length 3”
- heel height 1 1/4”
The Dutch method of hoof trimming
- Cut the toe of the inner claw to the correct length (75mm)
- Trim the sole of the claw flat from front to back maintaining sole thickness of 1⁄4 inch (6.4 mm). It should be level side to side. Target 1.5” (38 mm) heel depth.
(basically leave the heels alone > they dont walk on them so they dont wear down) - Cut the toe of the outer claw to the same length as the inner claw
- Trim the sole so it is flat and level with the inner claw
- Model the sole
- take a little more off the lateral claw than the medial
7 rules for corrective hoof trimming
- Proper restraint
- Thoroughly clean foot and interdigital space
- Use sharp knives
- Start by performing a functional trim i.e. remove overgrowth and balance the heels
- Remove loose and undermined horn
- Remove weight-bearing from affected claw by placement of a block on the normal claw – required if corium is exposed
- Pain relief during (IV regional) and after trimming (NSAID)
types of blocks we can use for cow feet
- Bovi-bond + wooden block
- Methyl methacrylate + wooden block
- Cow Slips
* Polymer shoe and adhesive
