About 25 percent of cows suffer from lameness, largely because of hoof lesions caused by digital dermatitis, sole ulcers or white line disease. Dr. Nigel Cook of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine discussed methods to correct the conditions that lead to hoof lesions, as well as claw corkscrew deformity during a webinar for dairy producers.
Research shows a dramatic increase in digital dermatitis (DD) during first lactation if an animal suffered from a lesion during rearing. Once a cow develops a lesion, she is at greater risk of reoccurrence during her next and future lactations because the disease causes permanent anatomical changes.
Source: Wisconsin State Farmer, December 28, 2017 via AVMA Smart Brief.
Solutions must include all stages of a cow’s life cycle. “We know how to do this,” Cook said. “It’s just a case of motivating our farming community to implement these changes.”
INSIGHTS: Lameness continues to be a serious problem on dairies. It is largely caused by hoof lesions. The three most common types are DD, sole ulcers and white line disease.