Production Animal Lameness Flashcards
What is important to get in a history of a lame cow?
Which lactaion? How long has she been calved? Any previous problems? Any other problems? How long has she been lame? What treatment has she had? Is she pregnant/milking well/cull cow?
What are the economic consequences of lameness in dairy cows?
Sole ulcer costs £524 per case and can result in a cull cow
White line disease costs £330 per case and can result in a cull cow
Digital dermatitis costs £75 per case but tends to occur in outbreaks so can become expensive
What are the different lameness scores?
0 = even weight bearing and rhythm on all four feet with a flat back and long fluid strides 1 = steps uneven or strides shortened with affected limb/limbs not immediately identifiable 2 = uneven weight bearing on a limb that is immediately identifiable and/or obviously shortened strides and arched back 3 = unable to walk at a brisk human pace and can't keep up with the healthy herd
Where does most lameness occur in the cow?
88% in the feet
Of that 88%, 92% is in the hind legs
Of that 92%, 65% is in the lateral claw
What is the Dutch 5 step foot trim?
- Trim to the correct length of 7-8cm
- Trim 2nd claw to match correct length of first claw
- Transfer weight onto wall, heel and toe
- Remove weight from painful claw
- Remove loose or sharp horn
How do you examine a diseased foot?
Look for visible lesions on the sole, wall, heel, skin, between claws, swelling above coronary band or heel and redness
Feel for heat, pain, between claws and softening at the heels or coronary band
Smell for odour
What is the treatment for sole ulcers?
Treat early with Dutch 5 step, put block on other claw, remove collar to prevent trapping of corium
Topical antibiotics if no swelling above coronary band (systemic if swelling present)
NSAIDs, nursing, clean yard and things that promote wound healing
What is the prognosis for sole ulcers?
Generally ok, recurrence next lactation is possible
Reduced fertility and lifespan in the herd
Milk yield will recover in a few weeks
What is the pathogenesis of sole ulcers?
Mostly stems from environmental conditions, BCS (decrease reduces digital cushion thickness)and claw horn growth rates may be important
Laminae of suspensory apparatus relax at parturition so P3 rotates and drops = bruise and takes 4 months to see = 100-120 days lactation
Poor foot angle, trauma, chronic overload, treponemes and bony exostoses
What is the treatment for white line disease?
Trim out wall and under-run sole, cut back 2/3 and use blue spray and an NSAID
Allow for pus drainage and use sharp knives to avoid cutting into the corium
How does white line disease present?
Diseased horn affecting the junction between the sole and wall including bruising (haemorrhage), separation (fissure), abscessation and ulceration
What is the pathogenesis of white line disease?
Unknown but linked to poor horn quality, wet conditions, stones, P3 descent, loss of BCS, thin soles and turns
What supplement can help prevent white line disease and at what dose?
Biotin with 50% reduction if given at 20mg/h/d
How is digital dermatitis scored?
M1 = ulcerative < 2cm M2 = ulcerative > 2cm M3 = regressing M4 = Hyperkeratotic M4.1 = Reactivating
What are the treatments for digital dermatitis?
M1 and M3 = cleaning, drying and topical oxytetracycline
M2 = same as M1 but also debride with gauze/paper towel and consider bandaging with an antibacterial agent
M4 = cleaning, debriding/debulking and bandaging with an antibacterial agent
What are effective herd interventions for digital dermatitis?
Footbathing in appropriately concentrated solutions (5% formalin/5% copper sulphate)
Slurry management
Biosecurity
What is foul in the foot?
An acute bacterial infection of the subcutaneous tissues characterised by symmetrical swelling, separation of the claws and interdigital skin necrosis yielding a pungent odour
Associated with FBs or sand between the claws
What is super-foul?
Severe, peracute form of foul in the foot possibly involving mixed bacterial infections
What is the treatment for foul in the foot?
Cleaning and debridement of interdigital space, disinfection and a licensed injectable antibiotic
What is corkscrew-claw?
Bony swelling deep to abaxial coronary band
Shouldn’t be confused with gross claw overgrowth
What cows should surgical amputation of the claw be performed on?
Sound medial claw, normal foot placement, sound on their other feet, not on a cull list, farms that can cope with aftercare or submitted to surgery for aftercare
How do you prepare a cow for a claw amputation?
Antibiotics and analgesia
IV regional analgesia by placing tourniquet below hock, inserting butterfly needle and injecting 20ml of procaine. Test interdigital space 10 mins after and inject a bit more if necessary
What is the process of claw amputation?
Incise into interdigital space about 2-3 cm creating a skin flap, insert embryotomy wire up IDS and then obliquely outwards making sure you cut through P1, curette and remove excess tissue, apply melolin and pressure bandage to prevent bleeding once tourniquet is removed
When should redressing of the amputated claw occur?
After 48 hrs, 96 hours and then at 7 days assess if another bandage is needed or if granulation tissue is sufficient
Consider putting a block on the other claw to raise wound to help prevent infection
What is the prognosis of a claw amputation?
Good, about 980 days mean survival time
What is the aetiology of arthritis in pigs? What pathogen most commonly causes group outbreaks?
Rarer in outdoor pigs
Caused by sporadic opportunistic pathogens such as E.coli, Staphs and Streps that gain access through wounds
Group outbreaks could be due to Step suis type 14 via tonsils
How does arthritis in piglets present?
2d post weaning, can’t stand, dog sitting, enlarged joints
Won’t see if its just one or two will typically be called out to outbreaks where need drugs
What causes lameness in grower pigs?
Injuries (fractures), osteochondrosis dessicans (PM), rarely pantothenic acid deficiency or ionophore toxicity, Mycoplasmas, Erysipelas
How do you diagnose lameness in growers?
History, examination, PM and paired serology
What drugs do you use to treat infectious causes?
Tiamulin, tylosin or lincomysin
What are common physical causes of lameness in adult pigs?
Osteochondrosis, osteochondritis, dyschondroplasia, DJS, weak bones or fractured bones
What are common infectious causes of lameness in adult pigs?
Mycoplasmas and Erysipelas
What is septic laminitis/bush foot?
How would you treat it?
Pig equivalent of white line disease and is caused by a bacterial infection
Treat with lincomycin and NSAIDs
How do you restrain a pig to diagnose lameness?
Sedation or a crush and nose snare
How does SCALD/interdigital dermatitis present?
Red, wet interdigital space
May be white/grey pasty scum and loss of hair from interdigital space
What is the risk of SCALD progressing to footrot?
Presence of D.nodosus on the farm, D. nodosus virulence and dose, susceptibility of the sheep and the promptness of treatment of the foot
What is the treatment for SCALD?
Footbath if there is a group outbreak
For single ewes oxytet on clean foot, long acting parenteral AB, stand on clean concrete, clean area and isolate for 14 days
What is foot rot?
Separation of the horn from the underlying live tissue
Starts between claws
Foul smelling greyish oozing pus
How do you control foot rot?
Manage and treat footrot and scald as one disease
Separate sheep with footrot/scald
Routine foot trimming is unnecessary and could lead to permanent damage
How do you treat foot rot?
Oxytetracycline spray on a clean foot and long acting systemic oxytetracycline
Stand on clean concrete and clean up area
Isolate sheep for 14 days
What is the prognosis for foot rot?
90% recover in 5 days
What does CODD stand for?
Contagious Ovine Digital Dermatitis
How does CODD present clincially?
Loss of hair above coronary band, separation of horn from coronary band, blood with some grey scum, no significant smell, may be compete detachment of hoof horn
How do you treat CODD?
Tilmicosin and footbath with lincomycin or tylosin
What is the clinical appearance of shelly hoof?
Some separation of the horn from the wall, pocket impacted with soil
Half moon appearance
What is the clinical presentation of foot abscess?
Sheep is very lame with swelling of skin or pus oozing above coronary band
Hoof horn is normal but hot with separation of the white line or penetration with stone/thorn visible
What does a toe granuloma look like?
Strawberry like growth at the toe sometimes hidden under overgrown horn and bleeds when handled
What are some general foot disease control measures in sheep?
Watch the group walk twice weekly, trim enough for diagnosis, dispose of foot clippings, treat foot and record for culling/selection
Cull if still lame after two AB treatments, foot bath in 10% zinc sulphate or 3% formalin standing for 2 mins and for 1 hour to dry
Footvac before high risk periods (autumn/spring) primarily 6 weeks apart then every 6 months
