Hoof trimmers and veterinarians can benefit from collaborating on dairy farms. When they work as a team, they are better able to address lameness issues and advise producers. Both professionals bring unique expertise and perspectives that can improve cow health and reduce economic losses for producers. Regular communication of trimming records and health information allows early detection and treatment of problems.

1. Dairy producers rely on a number
of professionals to help them day in and
day out. While each professional works
closely with the producer, more and
more farms are learning that benefits
can be gained when those professionals
collaborate with one another. Hoof
trimmers and veterinarians are one
such pairing that can find advantages in
working together.
Progressive Dairyman interviewed
hoof trimming consultant, Koos
Vis with Diamond Hoof Care Ltd.
in Diamond City, Alberta, and Emil
Sabau, DVM, with Emil Vet Services
Hoof trimmers and veterinarians can work better together
in Picture Butte, Alberta, to learn their
perspectives on how each profession
could help the other and the farm as
well.
How long have you been
in your profession?
VIS: After being a dairy herdsman for
several years, the opportunity arose
to start a hoof-trimming career. As a
firm believer in training, I participated
in the professional hoof trimmer
training (IPC Dier in Oenkerk, The
Netherlands). In the fall of 1994, my
active career started – and looking
back, it’s a wonderful, exciting
profession. In the spring of 2012, due to
“wear and tear” on my body, I made the
choice to focus on hoof care consulting
rather than the daily trimming practice.
The excitement about the four hooves of
the dairy cow keeps going and lameness
challenges continue to appear.
SABAU: I have been a veterinarian
for 22 years. I practiced veterinary
medicine in Romania for seven years
and have practiced in Canada for past
15 years.
Do you think the hoof trimmer
and veterinarian should collaborate
on farms?
VIS: No doubt about this. These two
professions are servicing the well-being
of the animal and are supporting each
other. I’ve often reached out to our
local veterinarian for advice on certain
herds in our clientele, and this team
approach was phenomenal and a great
experience for the producer.
SABAU: We should have a team
approach on the dairy farm. All the
professionals should work together,
including the hoof trimmer and
veterinarians.
What is the main benefit
of this collaboration?
VIS: Sometimes there are deeper-lying
causes to lameness problems, and
we cannot get to the bottom of it. I
know that we, as trimmers, are not
alone in the lameness challenges.
Our veterinarians have been of great
support and, in my opinion, it gives a
satisfying feeling of being recognized
by the veterinary profession and that
together we can help the producer.
SABAU: The benefits will be healthier
cows and a better understanding of the
problems in the dairy and solving the
issues.
What does the hoof trimmer bring
to the table for the veterinarian?
VIS: The hoof trimmer brings an
overview, or rather snapshot, of
what is going on in the herds’ hooves
today. Proper record-keeping on hoof
care procedures for each cow (either
manual or digital) is a must to be able
to share the trimming information.
This benchmarking is shared with the
other professionals and, as a team,
we assist the producer in making
the right decisions. I’ve also had
veterinarians visit me on the farm
while I was trimming, and they used
my equipment to provide extensive
veterinarian hoof care when needed.
SABAU: Most of the hoof trimmers
come twice a year on a farm. After
every trim, they leave a summary of
the hoof problems in the herd. As
veterinarians, we can analyze the
findings, talk it over with the producer
and, in some cases, with the hoof
trimmer. We are both specialists, and
we have to be on the same page to be
able to advise the producer in the same
direction.
What does the veterinarian bring to
the table for the hoof trimmer?
SABAU: The veterinarian should
be involved more in foot problems,
especially when it is necessary to
use tranquilizing agents and local
anesthesia for the welfare of the
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60 Progressive Dairyman Issue 2 • February, 2014

2. animals. The hoof trimmer should refer
these types of cases to the veterinarian.
How often should the hoof trimmer
and veterinarian (and producer)
meet?
VIS: A producer is at all times the
coordinator of these meetings. Open
communication lines (on demand) are
often enough, but I’ve also met the
veterinarian around the client’s coffee
table and discussed the options at hand
to control lameness.
SABAU: We should meet once a year
to go over the farms that we serve
together, but it is important that we are
available at any time.
What records and reports should be
shared back and forth? Why?
VIS: Regular hoof trimming records
are often the gauge for the veterinarian
to monitor lameness behaviours and
seasonal patterns. There are often
links to the overall health of the
herd. If there are a lot of displaced
abomasums, retained placentas,
mastitis etc., the possibility is that the
hoof trimmer will find some lameness
cases related to these occurrences. It
is most profitable if this veterinarian
information is shared with the trimmer
and positive progress monitored by the
hoof trimmer and referred back to the
veterinarian.
SABAU: All information needs to be
shared. For example what hoof bath
products are used, how many times per
week and what the treatment protocols
are for lame cows. The records need
to be shared on how well the cattle
respond to treatments in order to make
improvements and ensure the cattle
have healthy feet. The hoof trimmers
should share any concerns that they
see at a particular farm with the
veterinarian so that any issues can be
caught early.
What’s the benefit for the
producer of the hoof trimmer and
veterinarian’s collaboration?
VIS: Each profession brings its own
expertise and experiences. The
great benefit for the producer is that
by using the connection between
all the professionals that serve his
farm, he will see a better hoof care
experience, healthier cows and return
on his investments (in both time and
money).
SABAU: Producers will have healthy
cattle and see the economic benefits.
Any final thoughts?
VIS: The global industry is changing
the focus to sustainability by using
fewer antibiotics to avoid resistance
and residues. A close relationship
between the hoof trimmer and the
veterinarian is an asset to help the
producer apply alternative ways to
control lameness that will achieve
a sustainable future. I’ve used
antibiotic-free products for eight years
with great success, and my clients’
veterinarians are supporting us in this
safer approach.
SABAU: As a veterinarian, I think we
have to work together with the hoof
trimmers. In the past few years, this
partnership has gotten closer, but we
have more work to do to improve even
more. We have to be open-minded
and work together as a team. PD
Koos Vis
koosv@diamondhoofcare.com
Hoof trimming consultant
Diamond Hoof Care, Ltd..
Diamond City, Alberta
Emil Sabau
mobilevet2@hotmail.com
DVM
Emil Vet Services
Picture Butte, Alberta
Hoof trimming consultant Koos Vis (left) and veterinarian Dr. Emil Sabau
(right) team up to provide dairy producer Walter Vandenberg (center) with
the best insight into his herd’s hoof health issues. Photo by Carien Huijzer.
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Issue 2 • February, 2014 Progressive Dairyman 61