Cows are enjoying the good weather and enjoying lush covers of grass as growth rates have powered on, but lameness can become an issue as cows are suddenly into a 21-day grazing rotation with a lot more walking required.
This coupled with the fact that heat activity is ramping up on roadways and gathering yards as the breeding season kicks off, which causes damage to cow’s feet.
According to Animal Health Ireland (AHI), more than 80% of the conditions that cause lameness occur in the foot of the cow and, of these, over 80% occur in the hind foot, with the most common cause in grazing herds being non-infectious.
In grazing herds, with the risk ramping up in early May, the non-infectious foot lesions are white line disease, sole haemorrhages, or bruising and sole ulcers.
What is causing the lameness?
Infectious causes of lameness include mortellaro, foul in the foot, and heel horn erosion and would have to be treated differently to physical lameness, with constant foot bathing, treatment if necessary, and hoof trimming.
Sole bruising occurs when there is trauma and damage to the germinal layer of cells (‘the quick’), that are responsible for producing the sole horn.
A sole ulcer is worsened sole bruising, when ‘the quick’ is so severely damaged that the cells can no longer produce an sole horn at all.
With sole ulcers, a complete hole in the sole horn results, which allows the sensitive corium to protrude. It is extremely painful and can affect both hind feet.
Sole ulcers will commonly require a hoof trimmer or vet to inspect the problem and, in severe conditions, the cow may require local anaesthetic.
Treatment of sole ulcers, according to the AHI, should be as follows:
- Trim to remove the underrun horn and relieve the pressure on the lesion;
- Application of a block/shoe to the sound claw;
- Administration of an anti-inflammatory and if infectious is also present, an antibiotic may also be required.
As a cow calves, the connective tissue attachments that hold the pedal bone within the hood capsule will become soft and loose at the point of calving, which results in the pedal bone sinking and putting pressure on the germinal cell layer between the pedal bone and sole horn.
So, as cows calve down – and hopefully there will only be a couple left to calve down at this stage, if any at all – it is important to handle them and move them around with care and calmness.
Prevention
If cows lose too much condition – which easily occurs with cows in the lead-up to peak milk production as they are in a negative energy balance with their dry matter intakes lower than their requirements – it can result in lameness.
As the cow loses condition, it results in a thinner digital cushion, which is the fat pad towards the heel of the hoof that acts as a shock absorber.
If the cow or heifer has a shallow foot angle or an overgrown claw, it may contribute to sole bruising or a sole ulcer.
If cows are standing in collecting yards for long periods of time due to the number of cows and rows going through the parlour, or if there is an insufficient number of cubicles, it can lead to bruising.
Poorly kept roadways and infrastructure can lead to hoof trauma, or if cows are rushed on roadways or when being moved, they are unable to scan the floor for hazards.
If a cow is coming in for milking with her head up, it means she is being rushed, which can often happen when a dog is rounding cows up or the operator is herding them up with a quad and little patience.
If a cow is in bad condition, ideally, she should be kept in a paddock close to the yard, which will keep her on a soft surface and limit the amount of walking the cow has to undergo to and from the parlour.
The cow may also benefit from getting milked just once a day, as it will help her put back on condition and use her energy for recovery.
She will also benefit from an anti-inflammatory drug. An excessive horn should not be removed, as the soles are often too thin and it could do more damage than good.
