Sore Feet, Sour Rumens, Clinical Quandaries

Abstract

Clinical investigations of herds with a high prevalence of laminitis are complex. Laminitis has a multifactorial etiology. Visible signs of laminitis sometimes appear weeks or months after the inciting events. Once developed, some of the clinical signs of laminitis can remain with the cow throughout her lifetime.¹⁴

Ruminal acidosis is considered to be one of the primary causes of laminitis. The use of rumenocentesis as a diagnostic test by veterinarians has served to increase awareness of ruminal acidosis and has given them an ability to rule rumen acidosis "in-or-out" as a risk factor in a laminitis investigation.

For this program, I was asked to present the clinical picture of laminitis and ruminal acidosis based upon the many investigations by the Food Animal Production Medicine group at the University of Wisconsin. Because of the nature of the request, this paper will be a clinician's report including findings, observations, and opinions.