Control Lameness
By Dr. John Underwood

Lameness is a profit stealer that can be mitigated through vigilance.

Lameness continues to be a major cost in dairy herds. Data shows nearly 35 percent of herds have a cost per lameness incident that costs more than $300. These figures place lameness behind only mastitis and reproductive failure as the most costly disorders. So controlling lameness is a vital management issue if dairy producers want to remain profitable.

To maintain herd foot health, keep in mind the basic anatomy and function of feet. The part of the foot we see is the hoof horn. Similar to our finger nails, it protects the inner soft tissue from the outside environment and allows the cow to walk on rough surfaces. The hoof horn forms near the top of the foot in the coronary region. The normal hoof is about 3 inches long, and it takes 12 to 15 months for new horn to reach the bottom of the foot.

Beneath the hoof horn is the soft tissue called the corium. The corium consists of capillaries for blood to flow to supply nutrients for hoof horn formation. The sole horn is produced by the solar corium.

On the bottom of the foot where the sole and wall meet is called the white line. The white line glues the weight-bearing wall to the sole. The soft tissue of the foot surrounds the pedal bone, which supports the leg bones and when the dairy cow takes a step, the pedal bone pushes down into the soft tissue.

If the weight is evenly distributed, there is no stress on the soft tissue of the foot. So properly functioning claws protect the quick while carrying the body weight of the cow. It is when there is a breakdown of the proper function of the claw and corium tissue that lameness occurs.

The most common cause of lameness is heel warts. This disorder is characterized by a red, raw, strawberry-like lesion found on the back of the heel. Swelling usually does not occur, but the lesion causes severe lameness. Being a skin lesion, topical treatment is usually successful.

There are three basic methods of treatment:

1. The foot is cleaned and oxytetracycline, soaked in cotton balls or gauze, is placed on lesion and wrapped.
2. Treatment solution can be put in a foot bath for cow to walk through.
3. Spraying a solution directly to the back of the foot. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages, and each farm should find the method that works best.

Another major cause of lameness is laminitis, which is inflammation of the soft tissue within the foot. There are many causes of laminitis. The most common is reduced lying times, reduced feeding of long-stemmed forages, heat stress causing reduced hay intakes, unbalanced diets that cause wide rumen pH changes and other factors which impair rumen health.

Normal rumen pH is in the 6.0 to 6.8 range. If rumen pH falls to 5.6 or lower for extended periods, various microbial bacteria die and release endotoxins into the bloodstream. These endotoxins result in the release of histamines, which cause vasodilation and constriction of blood vessels in the feet. The disruption of blood flow to the corium causes inflammation.

Laminitis can result in a variety of foot ailments, including sole ulcers, white line disease, abscesses and abnormal hoof horn growth, which causes the cow to walk or stand abnormally to cope with the lack of even weight distribution on her feet. The great race horse, Barbaro, recently had to be put down because of laminitis, which shows how devastating laminitis can become. Once a cow gets laminitis there is no effective treatment to cure it. Only if the cow can walk reasonably well and her feet can be trimmed to remove abnormal growth can the cow eventually overcome the disorder.

Keeping dairy cattle feet healthy is a constant battle, because of the stress placed on feet while walking and resting. By working diligently at improving foot health, producers can reduce the cost of lameness. They can also improve the bottom line with healthy footed cows that can eat well, milk to their potential and remain in the herd for many years.

Keep Bovine Foot Disorders to a Mininum

1. Keep diets balanced for fiber and starches.
2. Feed additives (bicarb, organically-complexed minerals, biotin, etc.) can be effective for rumen health and proper hoof growth.
3. During heat stress, cool cows where possible and ensure fiber intake is not reduced drastically. Feed more fibrous by-products.
4. Treat heel warts promptly and aggressively.
5. Allow cows plenty of time to lie down. Cows need up to 14 hours a day for resting.
6. Utilize a good foot trimmer, preferably one who trims based on the Dutch method, which trims to balance weight distribution on the claws.
7. Keep good records of lameness incidents so effective strategies can be employed to deal with problems.
8. Most importantly, treat a lame cow that very day if possible. Delaying treatment will only lead to a less successful cure rate and more pain for the cow.

Dr. John Underwood is a dairy specialist for MFA Incorporated.

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