The Management and husbandry aspects of foot lameness in dairy cattle

Abstract

There have always been cases of foot lameness in dairy cows. Even in prewar years there were lame cows, but the majority of these suffered from foul-in-the-foot (infectious pododermatitis), and from the complications of its neglect, whilst other developed pus-in-the-foot due to picked up nails and other penetrating foreign bodies. The incidence was relatively low, and the position of minor economic importance only.

In the post war years of intensive development in dairy managment, however, and particularly since the introduction of loose winter housing, the picture has changed and foot lameness has assumed alarming proportions, becoming a major economic problem in many dairy herds. It is estimated that 10% of all dairy cows in intensive management become lame each year, and that one half of these, i.e. 5%, are lame as a result of laminitis. A rough estimate suggests that lameness costs the dairy industry some £15,000,000 annually, but the true cost may be considerably higher, for many lame cows are recorded as culled due to the resultant poor milk yield, weight loss, or infertility, rather than to the primary lameness itself.

Until comparatively recently very few farmers or veterinary surgeons were genuinely interested in foot lameness, which, by and large, was regarded as an inescapable fact of life, however, the position is now far too serious to allow for futher complacency, and considerable efforts are being made to come to grips with this alarming problem, and to work out satisfactory preventive measures based on a study of the causative factors.