As cows go out to paddocks and get used to travelling on roadways this spring, white line disease and sole bruising are the most common hoof lesions which can lead to serious lameness issues.
These hoof lesions are not infectious and are simply a physical lameness and both have similar risk factors and both share the same methods of prevention.
It can take cows time to get used to travelling to and from the milking parlour and the cubicles out to grazing and at this time of the year, laneways can be in poor condition due to poor weather.
It’s also crucial for farmers to keep an eye on cows as they are coming in for milking or going back out to the paddock as carrying out locomotion scoring can help identify lame cows.
Cows that are constantly lingering at the back of the line into milking or cows that are last into the milking parlour should be monitored to see if treatment is required.
White line disease
The hoof comprises of a horn capsule surrounding the sensitive tissue of the foot which is constantly growing and getting worn down. This horn of the sole grows from the tissue underlying the sole of the foot.
The horn that makes up the hoof wall grows down from the top of the hoof to join with the horn growing from the sole, and where these two meet is a cemented junction called the white line.
This welded junction is a point of weakness on the sole and is a vulnerable point when cows are walking on hard surfaces or uneven surfaces like poor roadways at this time of the year.
White line disease appears as a gap in the white line of the hoof and in grazing animals, it occurs most commonly towards the heel on the outer claw of the horn of the sole and the horn of the wall.
Early damage appears as bruising, discolourisation, or separation and as the longer it is left, grit or stones may get wedged in the area.
This can eventually penetrate into the sensitive tissue of the foot leading to inflammation, underrunning of the horn and the production of pus at the site which can occur from sharp turning points or a rough surface area according to Animal Health Ireland (AHI).
These issues should be discussed with your hoof trimmer and the Dutch five-step method of hoof trimming should follow and a block may be added to the undamaged claw to limit pain and allow mobility.
Sole bruising
Sole bruising is damage of the germinal layer of cells that lie under the sole of the horn and is caused by excessive standing on concrete, pushing and shoving cows, poor roadway surfaces, long walking distances, and too much condition lost.
To treat sole bruising, cows should be rested on soft surfaces by placing them in a nearby paddock or in a straw bedded house and milking these cows once a day may reduce the amount of walking and help build condition.
Cows that are lame should be given more concentrate feed, as their ability to meet their dry matter intake requirements is often impaired as their ability to graze is challenged.
The most important thing with any physical lameness like white line disease or bruising is to give the cows time when they are walking in and out of milking, letting them walk at their own pace.
Cows should have adequate space on the roadways and in the collecting yard to avoid younger stock from being bullied and shoved.
Farmers should consider using a batt latch, which is an automatic paddock handle opener, for the grazing season as it will allow cows to walk in to milking at their own pace.
Even though farmers are still under pressure with calving, there should be an effort to maintain good even roadway surfaces with some fine material on top.
Make sure not to push or shove cows on roadways with a dog or a quad bike and don’t have cows standing in collecting yards before or after milking for any longer than is necessary.
