Livestock Lameness Flashcards
Weight bearing in the Normal Hoof
Front Feet: ____ claws bear more weight than ___ claws
Hind Feet: ____ claws bear more weight than ____ claws
*These particular claws are more prone to disorders of the hoof and particularly of the sole
FF: Medial > Lateral
HF: Lateral > Medial
With ____ claw pain - again, more often seen in the forelimb - the ruminant may adDuct the limb in order to place more weight on the sound _____ claw
Medial
Lateral
With _____ claw pain - more often seen in the hindlimb - the ruminant may aBduct the limb in order to place more weight on the sound ____ claw; the limb may be held in a slightly outwardly rotated position as well
Lateral
medial
When looking at a ruminant from the rear… what are you looking for to determine if swelling is present?
Wide dewclaw spread
What can overgrown claws cause?
Bruising or even pressure necrosis of the heel horn. The latter is termed a SOLE ULCER or Rusterholz ulcer
Bacteria can invade these ulcers!
What does a foot with early (erosive) or an advanced (papillomatous) lesion look like?
Slide 28
Big red/dark circle between claws on plantar surface
What is the treatment for DD? Why does topical therapy work?
Topical antiseptics or Abx under a light bandage
The bacteria only invade the EPIDERMIS, so topical therapy will contact the bacteria and elicit a cure
What are the preventative measure for DD?
Spray feet with disinfectant, antiseptic, or Abx solution
What is the #1 cause of lameness in dairy cattle worldwide?
Digital Dermatitis (DD) aka hairy heel warts, papillomatous digital dermatitis
What bacteria is responsible for DD? is it contagious? What does it invade?
Treponema spp and others!
CONTAGIOUS
Epidermis
What is the pathogenesis of laminitis in cattle?
Ration contains too much readily fermentable CHOs –> ruminal acidosis –> rumen wall inflammation becomes severe –> translocation of bacterial Ag, bacteria, toxins, and other bacterial metabolites into the portal system –> filtering capacity of liver is overwhelmed –> vasoactive compounds and endotoxins enter systemic circulation –> these compounds - along with inflammatory cytokines are released by the host’s immune cells - act on laminae –> leading to inflammation and degeneration of this tissue
Describe the common findings of a laminitic sole, white line, and (weeks later) hoof wall. Also be able to ID in photo
Affected areas of lamine lose their attachment to the overlying horn, creating a dead space….
- hemorrhage in sole and along white line (slide 37)
- this sets the stage for sole abscesses… when these develop along the white line its called “white line dz” (slide 38)
- If the white line abscess ascends between the corium and the hoof wall, the abscess may rupture out at the coronet –> “gravel” (slide 40)
- “hardship rings” - the damaged laminae may stop synthesizing horn for hrs-days… once the synthesis resumes, this cessation can be seen (slide 41)
Can you ID a diagram showing proper and improper methods of paring out a sole abscess?
Remember the cone shape
slide 48
Describe the appearance of the BFR lesion and the generalized swelling it creates
Acute, severe lameness
GENERALIZED SWELLING of the foot! SYMMETRICAL!!! (slide 54)
Stinky interdigital fissures –> dark in color, watery exudate (slide 53)
Can you tell the difference between DD and BRF on a photo?
Remember SYMMETRY and GENERALIZED swelling of BRF!
