A new technique for use in the study of lameness in dairy cows

Extract

Lameness in dairy cattle is a major cause of suffering and financial loss with an estimated cost to the dairy sector of £44 million in 1989 (Booth 1989). Surveys have shown that the most common forms of lameness in the dairy cow originate from lesions of the hoof. A variety of predisposing factors including stage of lactation, time of year, housing and nutritional management, and age of the cow and its genetics have been implicated. Although it is evident that solear haemorrhages which are often observed after calving generally precede the appearance of lesions which cause lameness, (Greenough & Vermunt 1991) there is still relatively little known of the patho-physiological factors which underly hoof lesion development. Greenough & Vermunt examined the feet of heifers in a herd with severe lameness problems and noted considerable solear haemorrhage up to four months before first calving. They associated this with mixing the heifers with dry cows as soon as they were diagnosed pregnant. However similar lesions have been seen in heifers in other problem herds where no such mixing took place (Bazeley & Pinsent 1984, Bradley, Shannon & Neilsen 1989). There is little knowledge of the development of hoof lesions in herds with little or no lameness, although this vital background information is essential to understanding the aetiology of these lesions and the development of lameness.