Production Animal Lameness Flashcards
What are the four most common causes of lameness in production animals?
Sole Ulcers
White Line disease
Digital Dermatitis
Foul
Vets are mostly called out to deal with which three causes of lameness?
Toe/ claw necrosis
Deep digital sepsis (foul)
Hip dislocation/ lesions
What causes wall ulcers in cattle?
White line disease not treated quick enough
How do we treat toe/ claw necrosis?
Amputation
What is foul?
Infection of the hoof capsule
An exposed corium on a cow indicates a….
sole ulcer
How do we mobility score cattle?
Given a score of 0-3
0 being even weigh bearing and fluid gait
3 being unable to walk at the same pace as human with uneven weight bearing and shortened strides
How regular should we foot trim ideally?
a 100 day in milk check and a trim at the dry off stage
Cows tend to weight bear on….
hindfeet and on the the lateral/ outside claw
What are we checking for when performing a cattle physical exam in terms of lameness? (5)
Foot vs leg lameness
Check symmetry
Feel for heat- especially at the joints and tendons
Check sensation- penniculus reflex
Manipulate rectal exam- check for scraping of the pelvis
Briefly describe the objectives in each step of the Dutch 5 Step Trim?
- create a foot angle of 52 degrees
- create balance between claws
- transfer weight from sole to wall, toe and heel
- remove weight from painful claw
- remove loose or sharp horn
What do we mean by an uncomplicated sole ulcer?
a full thickness ulcer that goes all the way through the corium (sometimes with the corium prolapsing through)- occurs over 3-4 months
How is it best to treat an uncomplicated sole ulcer?
Relieve weight/ pressure & remove collar then add a block and give anti-inflammatories
What NSAIDs can be given to cattle after sole ulcer removal and what should be considered when prescribing these? (2)
Metacam- milk withdrawal
Ketofen- no milk withdrawal but slower onset of action
What are the biggest risks that may cause cattle to develop sole ulcers after calving?
Prolonged standing
Overgrown claws (weight distribution changes after birth)
BCS loss (loss of fat pad)
What are the characteristic physical signs of White line disease on the hoof? (2)
bruising
‘train tracks’
What antibacterial product can be given to cattle after hoof treatment?
Oxytetracycline spray
What increases cattle’s risk of developing white line disease?
Poor horn quality
Environment- Wet conditions, stones & sharp turns in the yard
BCS
How is digital dermatitis scored?
M1- M4
with M1 being ulcerative but less than 2cm and M4 being hyperkeratotic
How do we treat M1 & M2 digital dermatitis?
keep clean & dry, apply topical antibacterial (blue/ oxytetracycline) spray
How do we treat M4 digital dermatitis?
clean, debride (under local anaesthetic if necessary), bandage with antibacterial agent and then treat with copper spray, salicylic acid aka aspirin (not licensed!) or tetracycline
What is the most effective herd level management we can do to prevent production animal lameness?
Footbathing!
What bacteria causes foul in the foot?
Fusobacterium necrophorum
What is superfoul of the foot?
Severe peracute form of foul- involving mixed bacterial infections
How is foul of the foot treated?
Clean/ debride the interdigital space, disinfect and then inject antibiotic such as Cephalexin
What anaesthesia is provided for cattle claw amputation?
procaine
What three methods are there for claw amputation and what are the problems with each method?
- Amputate at the P1-P2 joint- leaving cartilage exposed (poor healing)
- Amputate further down leaving a small fragment of P2 left which disturbs blood flow and healing
- Amputate 1/4 of the way up P1
