Lameness of dairy cattle
Consequences and causes
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21423/bovine-vol1998no32.1p79-85Keywords:
abscesses, cattle housing, claws, cows, dairy cows, dermatitis, disease prevalence, economics, foot diseases, foot rot, foreign bodies, lameness, laminitis, milk yield, reproduction, skin diseases, treatment, ulcersAbstract
Feet and leg problems constitute a major health problem for many dairy herds. The causes and/or predisposing factors are many and include: nutrition and feeding, housing and environment, concurrent disease, management factors and genetic influences. The majority of lameness (<90%) involves the foot. Claw disease (sole ulcers and white line disease) are a primary cause of lameness in most herds and are predisposed by laminitis and confinement on concrete. Foot rot and digital dermatitis are diseases with an infectious component responsive to antibiotic treatment, particularly when identified early-on in the course of disease. Manure slurry, mud, and otherwise wet conditions seem to favor the occurrence of these diseases, however specific data to support these thoughts is limited.
