scholarly journals Claw Trimming as a Lameness Management Practice and the Association with Welfare and Production in Dairy Cows

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1515
Author(s):  
Mohammed Babatunde Sadiq ◽  
Siti Zubaidah Ramanoon ◽  
Rozaihan Mansor ◽  
Sharifah Salmah Syed-Hussain ◽  
Wan Mastura Shaik Mossadeq

Lameness resulting from claw lesions remains a pressing welfare issue in dairy cows. Claw trimming (CT) is a common practice for prevention and management of clinically lame cows. This review summarizes the results of studies that have investigated various claw trimming (CT) methods, their application in lameness management, and associations with the welfare and production of dairy cows. The papers included in this review fulfilled the following inclusion criteria: published in peer review journal or book chapter within the last 20 years (1999–2019), written in English, and focused on the application of CT for lameness management and the association with either welfare or production variables. Databases used included Google scholar, Web of Science and PubMed. A total of 748 records were assessed and 61 papers were eligible for inclusion and the main objectives and results were used to categorize the results under six topics: CT techniques, association between CT and claw overgrowth/specific claw lesions, timing and frequency of CT, association between CT and behavioral variables, association between CT and physiological parameters, and association between CT and production. The literature findings showed the existence of various CT methods with the common types including the Dutch Five-step, White Line, White Line Atlas, and Kansas techniques. There is data paucity on the efficacy of these techniques in lameness management; however, the slight procedural difference yields varying sole thicknesses and presentations which may influence their prophylactic use. Results regarding the impact of CT on welfare and production were discussed in relation to potential short and long-term benefits. Depending on the lesion type and severity level, CT may induce immediate painful sensation, stress, changes in lying down activities and reduction in milk yield, but the positive impacts were more evident at later stages of lactation following improvement in locomotion score. The majority of the reviewed studies were lacking a detailed description of CT techniques and claw health of the studied animals; thus, reducing the strength of demonstrating CT-related benefits. However, electronic recording of claw health data during every CT visit provides the basis for monitoring hoof health and could assist in curtailing some of these challenges. To elucidate CT-related benefits, certain areas requiring further research were highlighted such as ascertaining the appropriate timing for preventive CT and identifying cows that will benefit more from such intervention during lactation.

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 477-486
Author(s):  
Puneet Singh ◽  
◽  
Swaran Singh ◽  
Dhiraj Kumar Gupta ◽  
C.S. Randhawa ◽  
...  

Lameness is 3rd most prevalent disease after mastitis and infertility, in the dairy industry today and is an important welfare issue causing significant impact on dairy economics. Lameness leads to involuntary culling of lactating dairy cattle due to significant effect on production and reproduction.Mostly lameness occurs due to foot lesions irrespective of breed, management and of animal. Two hundred and four Sahiwal dairy cows were evaluated for lameness and associated claw lesionsin the study from local dairy farms of Punjab. Clinical lameness (lameness score 2 & 3) was evident in 6 per cent of animals. After lameness scoring, each animal was restrained in chute and hooves were examined before and after paring 1 mm of hoof tissue from weight bearing surface. Seventy three per cent animals had at least one lesion in their hooves. On animal level, under run soles (45%) were found to be most prevalent claw lesion followed by white line lesions (29%), overgrown soles (7%), cork screw hooves (5%), sole avulsions (5%), sole hemorrhages (3%), heel erosions (3%), double soles (2%) and wall cracks (1%). At claw level, prevalence of lesions was 35.3 per cent, among which under run soles were the most prevalent lesion (19.3%) followed by white line lesions (16.3%), overgrown soles (2.82%), cork screw hooves (1.84%), sole avulsions (1.47%), sole hemorrhages (1.04%), heel horn erosions (0.61%), double soles (0.49%), wall cracks (0.25%) and toe hemorrhages (0.12%). Lactation length and parity had no effect on lameness. Comparatively more lesions were seen in hind limb hooves (56.8%) as compared to forelimb hooves (43.2%). Fore lateral and hind medial claws had more lesions (58.8% and 76.47%, respectively) as compared to contralateral claws 52.9% and 70.5%, respectively). Overall, a low prevalence of clinical lameness was seen in Sahiwal dairy cows.


2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (01) ◽  
pp. 5-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Feldmann ◽  
M. Hoedemaker ◽  
T. Schulz ◽  
Y. Gundelach

Summary Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of specific hoof lesions on the locomotion score (LS) as well as the effect of early detection and treatment on duration and prevalence of lesion-specific lameness. Material and methods: In a dairy herd in Lower Saxony, Germany, with 144 lactating cows, claw trimming was performed by a professional claw trimmer at the beginning and the end of a 41-week trial period. Weekly a veterinarian assessed the LS according to Sprecher et al. (1997) in 99 cows. The front and hind claws of cows with an LS > 1 were examined and treated within 5 days. For individual diagnoses, the duration of lameness was calculated as the number of weeks from first treatment until recovery (LS = 1).Results: In total, 580 examinations and treatments were performed on 94 cows. There were 189 new lameness cases with a total of 290 diagnoses. At the first treatment, 81.0% of the cows displayed an LS of 2. Cows with digital dermatitis (DD), heel horn erosion and white line disease (WLD) more often had an LS > 2 compared to cows with Rusterholz’ sole ulcer, interdigital hyperplasia or inadequate claw length/posture (p < 0.05). Cows with only one affected leg, more often had an LS > 2 than cows with several affected legs (p < 0.1). Lameness caused by WLD and arthritis/ periarthritis remained for the longest time period. The prevalence of sole haemorrhages and/or double soles, WLD, interdigital dermatitis and interdigital hyperplasia decreased significantly during the test period. Prevalence of sole ulcer (sole ulcer and Rusterholz’ sole ulcer) and DD remained unaffected. Conclusion and clinical relevance: Locomotion score was affected by the type of claw/limb disorder and the number of diseased limbs. Regular locomotion scoring and continuous treatment of cows with an LS > 1 is associated with a decrease in the prevalence of several claw lesions. Therefore, prevalence of severe claw lesions like WLD, which was associated with a long duration of lameness, can be reduced. In con trast, for decreasing prevalence of digital dermatitis more than weekly treatment of every cow with LS > 1 is required. Preventive measures like footbaths or improved hygiene should accompany the individual animal treatment.


2011 ◽  
Vol 56 (No. 12) ◽  
pp. 581-588 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Olechnowicz ◽  
JM Jaskowski

Claw horn disorders, infectious diseases of hooves and leg injuries cause lameness in dairy cows. However, such diseases as sole haemorrhages, sole ulcers or white line diseases, cause clinical lameness. Lameness reduces milk production, the fertility of cows and also causes earlier culling of cows, as well resultings in a deterioration of their welfare. In this review we focus on the impact of lameness on bovine behaviour. The time spent lying down is an important behaviour of dairy cows. As an increased locomotion score is associated with an increased percentage of cows lying down, also the position of cows within the milking parlour is associated with lameness. Lame cows are more likely to present toward the end of milking. Clinical lameness is a chronic stressor, reducing progesterone concentrations prior to oestrus, and resulting in reduced sexual behaviour; however, lame cows have the same potential period of oestrus when compared with non-lame cows. Hoof diseases, particularly those which are a source of pain, also reduce animal welfare. A high standard of cow welfare may be achieved by improving the lives of animals and the people who work with them. A lack of comfort while lying presents a significant risk for lameness. Improvements in comfort on more than 75% of farms (32 out of a total number of 53&nbsp;farms) reduced the incidence of mastitis, while on 42 farms it reduced the prevalence of lameness. The keeping of cows on the straw bed of stalls does not only improve animal welfare, mainly through the greater comfort of the floor, but has also been showed to increase eating and ruminating behaviour. Cows also prefer straw to sand bedding and lay down longer on straw than on sand; however, cleanliness and hoof health have been shown to be better on sand. Apart from comfort, the main factors which promote improvements in bovine welfare and health, include good management of dairy farms, keeping cows in free stalls with accompanying regular exercise, and a long time spent at pasture. The prevalence of clinical lameness was demonstrated to be higher on farms using mattresses when compared with farms using deep-bedded stalls. No differences were found in behaviour among cows with different degrees of lameness housed in mattress stalls. Hence, measures of laying behaviour are not good indicators of lameness. &nbsp;


2016 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 14-19
Author(s):  
P. Mudroň

Abstract This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of claw diseases in dairy cows housed on two different bedding systems: deep straw bedding and unsterilized recycled manure solids. On the farm (farm A) with the straw bedding, 403 and on the farm (farm B) with manure solid bedding, 226 dairy cows were examined. The prevalence of cows with one or more claw lesions on the farm with straw bedding and with manure solids were 37 % and 69 %, respectively (P < 0.001). In both bedding systems, two claw lesions dominated: digital dermatitis and inflammatory disorders of corium (white line diseases, toe ulcer, and sole ulcer). The prevalence of the digital dermatitis housed in deep-bedded freestalls and in freestalls with manure solids were 17.8 % and 53.1 % (P < 0.001), respectively. The prevalence of the white line diseases and toe ulcer were 12.1 % and 15.7 % on farm A and 3.88 % and 2.59 % on farm B, respectively (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of the sole ulcer between farms. These data indicate a relatively high prevalence of claw lesions on the studied dairy farms. Moreover, a long-term contact of claws with manure (boxes and corridors) on the farm with unsterilized recycled manure solids seems to be associated with a higher prevalence of digital dermatitis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 99 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 38-39
Author(s):  
Bradley J Johnson ◽  
Luke Fuerniss

Abstract The U.S. cow inventory includes approximately 31 million beef cows and 9 million dairy cows, so flow of cattle from dairies into beef production influences the traditional beef industry structure. Dairy-influenced cattle have historically entered the beef supply chain as cull cows and calf-fed Holstein steers. Culled dairy cows account for approximately half of the cows harvested in the United States annually. Fed steers and heifers of dairy influence are estimated to account for 15% of annual steer and heifer slaughter. Advancements in data availability, genomics, and reproductive technologies have enabled more precise selection of dairy replacement heifers and more pregnancies to be allocated to a terminal sire. Recently, the use of beef semen to breed dairy cows that are not desirable for producing replacement heifers has become more widespread. Beef-on-dairy calves are often moved to calf ranches shortly after birth where they are weaned and grown before transitioning to traditional grow yards or feedlots. In comparison to traditional range beef production, calves of dairy origin are weaned at a younger age, have more restricted mobility early in life, and are fed a delivered ration for a greater number of days. While carcasses of dairy-originated fed cattle excel in subcutaneous leanness and marbling, calves originating from dairies typically experience greater morbidity, poorer feed conversion, and poorer dressed yields compared to native fed cattle. Future opportunities to optimize beef production from the dairy herd include refining sire selection to consistently produce high quality calves, reducing variation in calfhood management, and identifying optimal nutrition and growth technology programs for calves from dairies.


Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 907
Author(s):  
Monika Dziuba ◽  
Vickie J. Ruggiero ◽  
Catherine Wilson ◽  
Paul C. Bartlett ◽  
Paul M. Coussens

Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is a retroviral infection that disrupts the immune function of infected animals. It is widespread among U.S. dairy cattle. In this pilot study, the average total IgA and IgM concentrations in milk, saliva, and serum samples from BLV ELISA-positive (ELISA+) dairy cows were compared against samples from BLV ELISA-negative (ELISA−) cows using the Kruskal–Wallis test (with ties). The results from ELISA+ cows were also stratified by lymphocyte count (LC) and proviral load (PVL). In milk and saliva from ELISA+ cows, the average total IgA and IgM concentrations were decreased compared to ELISA− cows, although this was only statistically significant for saliva IgM in cows with low PVL (p = 0.0424). Numerically, the average total IgA concentrations were 33.6% lower in milk and 23.7% lower in saliva, and the average total IgM concentrations were 42.4% lower in milk and 15.5% lower in saliva. No significant differences were observed in the total serum IgA concentrations, regardless of PVL and LC. The total serum IgM from ELISA+ cows was significantly decreased (p = 0.0223), with the largest decreases occurring in the highest PVL and LC subgroups. This pilot study is a first step in investigating the impact of BLV on mucosal immunity and will require further exploration in each of the various stages of disease progression.


2021 ◽  
Vol 108 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
C Luney ◽  
C Little

Abstract Introduction Audit of waste management in an elective orthopaedic complex was interrupted due Covid-19 pandemic. We investigated the impact of the enforced changes on theatre waste due to Covid-19. Method Over a 1week period data on waste bag availability and number of bags of each category of waste per surgical case in an elective theatre complex was collated; this was compared to waste generated during Covid-19 pandemic. Results Prior to Covid-19 only clinical waste bins were available in many non-dominant clinical areas providing evidence of inappropriate routine disposal of domestic/recyclable waste. Pre-Covid-19 a mean of 6waste bags were used per surgical case (3.7yellow clinical bags, 1.3black domestic bags, 0.4clear recycling bags), with Covid-19 changes to waste management practice the mean number of waste bags used per case increased to 11 (9 orange contaminated bags, 0.5black, 0.3clear bags). Conclusions Clinical waste management has a significant economic and environmental impact. Covid-19 has led to nearly all waste being deemed to be contaminated and so requiring incineration, with increased volumes of waste generated per case through widespread adoption of PPE. This has increased cost and reduced the ability to recycle non-contaminated waste.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 4723
Author(s):  
Rosaria Scudiero ◽  
Chiara Maria Motta ◽  
Palma Simoniello

The cleidoic eggs of oviparous reptiles are protected from the external environment by membranes and a parchment shell permeable to water and dissolved molecules. As a consequence, not only physical but also chemical insults can reach the developing embryos, interfering with gene expression. This review provides information on the impact of the exposure to cadmium contamination or thermal stress on gene expression during the development of Italian wall lizards of the genus Podarcis. The results obtained by transcriptomic analysis, although not exhaustive, allowed to identify some stress-reactive genes and, consequently, the molecular pathways in which these genes are involved. Cadmium-responsive genes encode proteins involved in cellular protection, metabolism and proliferation, membrane trafficking, protein interactions, neuronal transmission and plasticity, immune response, and transcription regulatory factors. Cold stress changes the expression of genes involved in transcriptional/translational regulation and chromatin remodeling and inhibits the transcription of a histone methyltransferase with the probable consequence of modifying the epigenetic control of DNA. These findings provide transcriptome-level evidence of how terrestrial vertebrate embryos cope with stress, giving a key to use in population survival and environmental change studies. A better understanding of the genes contributing to stress tolerance in vertebrates would facilitate methodologies and applications aimed at improving resistance to unfavourable environments.


Trials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Przemysław Kunert ◽  
Łukasz Przepiórka ◽  
Jan Fortuniak ◽  
Karol Wiśniewski ◽  
Ernest Jan Bobeff ◽  
...  

Abstract Background In the early days of neurosurgery, extradural haemorrhages (EDHs) contributed to a high mortality rate after craniotomies. Almost a century ago, Walter Dandy reported dural tenting sutures as an effective way to prevent postoperative EDH. Over time, his technique gained in popularity and significance to finally become a neurosurgical standard. Yet, several retrospective reports and one prospective report have questioned the ongoing need for dural tenting sutures. Dandy’s explanation that the haemostasis observed under hypotensive conditions is deceiving and eventually causes EDH may be obsolete. Today, proper intra- and postoperative care, including maintenance of normovolemia and normotension and the use of modern haemostatic agents, may be sufficient for effective haemostasis. Thus, there is a fundamental need to evaluate the necessity of dural tenting sutures in a solid, unbiased, evidence-based manner. Methods This study is designed as a randomised, multicentre, double-blinded, controlled interventional trial with 1:1 allocation. About one half of the participants will undergo craniotomy without dural tenting sutures and will be considered an intervention group. The other half will undergo craniotomy with these sutures. Both groups will be followed clinically and radiologically. The primary outcome is reoperation due to extradural haematoma. Secondary outcomes aim to evaluate the impact of dural tenting sutures on mortality, readmission risk, postoperative headaches, size of extradural collection, cerebrospinal fluid leak risk and the presence of any new neurological deficit. The study protocol follows the SPIRIT 2013 statement. Discussion It is possible that many neurosurgeons around the globe are tenting the dura in elective craniotomies which brings no benefit and only extends the operation. Unfortunately, there is not enough data to support or reject this technique in modern neurosurgery. This is the first study that may produce strong, evidence-based recommendations on using dural tenting sutures. Trial registration, ethics and dissemination The Bioethics Committee of the Medical University of Warsaw approved the study protocol (KB/106/2018). The trial is registered at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03658941) on September 6, 2018. The findings of this trial will be submitted to a peer-reviewed neurosurgical journal. Abstracts will be submitted to relevant national and international conferences. Trial status Protocol version and date: version 1.5, 14.01.2020 First recruitment: September 7, 2018 Estimated recruitment completion: September 1, 2021


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document