Dr. Ernest Hovingh presented this information as part of DAIReXNET's webinar on Lameness, Hoof, and Leg Issues on January 12, 2012.

1. Lameness:
from the
inside
out…
…and the outside in.
Ernest Hovingh eph1@psu.edu
Dept. of Veterinary & Biomedical Sciences Pennsylvania State University

2. Is lameness important?
Death loss
Treatment Milk loss
$24
$23 $67
Days open
$56
ased
lity
Culling $167
Estimated cost per lame cow: $346 USD (C. Guard, Cornell)
(Not included: “Frustration factor”)

3. The animal welfare „cost‟

4. Ethical/moral obligation
• “Dairy farming includes a contract with the
cattle - a barter of housing, feeding, safety
and comfort in exchange for milk and meat.”
. (N. Anderson, OMAFRA)
• “Animal husbandry” has been replaced by
“animal science” (B. Rollin, Colorado State Univ.)

5. McDonald’s cares about the humane treatment of animals, and we
recognize that being a responsible purchaser of food products means
working with our suppliers to ensure industry-leading animal
husbandry practices.
Our approach is based on our Animal Welfare Guiding Principles,
which express our commitment to ensuring that animals are “free
from cruelty, abuse and neglect.”
…snip…
from: www.aboutmcdonalds.com

6. Animal rights groups
• Campaigns against animal agriculture,
especially „factory farming‟
• HSUS (Humane Society of the United States), and
PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals)
– Use obvious animal abuse cases as a „hook‟ to
get people interested in their cause

7. PA Dairy Farm – in the news
Undercover Investigation Reveals Cows Suffer for Land O’Lakes

8. Is lameness important?
• YES!!
– Expensive: reproduction, production,
culling, market value, treatment costs…
– Frustration / nuisance factor
– Ethical / moral obligation
– Retailer / Consumer concern

9. Dealing with lameness…
•The P-I-M approach
–Prevent lame cows
–Identify lame cows
–Manage/treat lame cows

10. Preventing lame cows…
• Requires knowledge of the causes
of lameness…

11. Where does lameness occur?
• Almost all lameness in cattle occurs in
the feet.
– Most often happens in the
outside claw of the hind feet
danaslowcarbforlife.com

12. Why does lameness occur?
• From the inside out…
– „Internal factors‟ affecting
hoof health
• From the outside in…
– „External factors‟ affecting
hoof health

13. Metabolic disorders Nutrition
• Milk fever • Lack of effective fiber
• Ketosis • Poor feeding management
• Incorrect forage:concentrate ratio
• Poor rumen buffering
• Weight loss
Death of “gram negative” bacteria
Infectious diseases Endotoxin release Infectious claw disease
• Digital dermatitis
• Metritis
Changes in blood circulation in claw • Septic arthritis
• Mastitis
• Foot rot
Laminitis
Genetics
• Weakened claw capsule • Conformation
Environment & • Horn quality
• Poor quality horn formation
management • Breakdown of support system in the claw Other?
• Trauma & handling
• Trimming
• Heat stress / cow comfort
• Cleanliness
LAMENESS

14. From the inside out…
• Internal factors affecting the
quality/health of the hoof tissue:
– Genetics
– “Laminitis”
– Loss of cushioning
– Excessive pressure
on corium

15. Internal factor: Genetics
• “Low foot angle, hocking in, and wide
rumps were associated with clinical
lameness.” (Boettcher et al, JDS 1998; also
Boelling, 1999; van der Waaij, 2005; and others)
Source: O.M. Obike, PhD thesis`
Narrow Wide

16. Internal factor: “Laminitis”
• What is the lamina/corium?
• What is laminitis/„coritis‟?
• What does it matter?

17. The anatomy of the bovine foot
P3
P3

18. P3 & the claw capsule
P3 Claw
capsule
P3

19. Corium
• Tissue between
P3 & claw
capsule that
„makes‟ the
claw capsule
The corium is also on the sole
Photo courtesy C. Mülling, Berlin

20. Different areas of the corium
Coronary band & heel
Hoof wall
White line
Sole
Photo courtesy of C. Mülling

21. Laminae
insensitive sensitive lamina
lamina (“laminar corium”)

22. Laminae
Photo courtesy C. Mülling

23. What is laminitis?
• Strictly, inflammation of the lamina
– But, inflammation (irritation/injury) can
occur in any part of the corium (“coritis”)

24. What is laminitis?
Inflammation/irritation/ Rumen acidosis, toxic mastitis,
injury in corium mechanical injury, etc.
Reduced/altered
blood flow

25. Altered blood flow in the feet
• Rumen acidosis  death
pH
of bacteria in rumen
www.lhup.edu/smarvel

26. Nutrition & rumen acidosis*
• Excessive carbohydrate/starch (Thoefner et al., 2004)
• Sorting of ration, lack of effective fiber
• Inability to buffer pH (esp. heat stress)
* This syndrome is often referred to as
SARA – Sub-Acute Ruminal Acidosis

27. Nutrition – it‟s not all bad for feet!
• Besides a balanced ration, supplements,
additives, etc., may IMPROVE hoof
quality/health…
• …but ask for „proof‟ before spending
money!

29. Altered blood flow in the feet
• Death of bacteria in rumen,
udder or uterus
• Dead bacteria release
“vaso-active” substances
• Absorbed into bloodstream
www.lhup.edu/smarvel
 change blood flow in
foot

30. What is laminitis?
Inflammation/irritation/ Rumen acidosis, toxic mastitis,
injury in corium mechanical injury, etc.
Reduced/altered
Death of cells in corium
blood flow may also occur…
Reduced oxygen and
nutrients to corium
Corium stops producing
claw tissue*, or produces
poor quality claw tissue*
* Claw tissue affected may be the sole,
www.tcb-bagmfg.com white line, hoof wall, heel, or coronary band

31. Why does it matter?
• Unhealthy/damaged corium = poor quality/
defective claw tissue (sole, heel, wall, etc.) =
more susceptible to infection, mechanical
damage, etc.

32. Poor quality/defective lamina
• Poor quality/compromised white line
• Separation of sensitive/insensitive lamina
– White line disease
– P3 „sinks‟ in the claw
capsule
– “Pancake feet”
Sensitive lamina
Sole

33. P3 Outer hoof wall
This is a defective Lamina (corium)
area in the white line
Corium
White line

34. White line disease
This is a defective
• White line widens & area in the white line
separates
– Bacteria can enter and
cause infection of lamina
– Infection can “break out” at
the coronary band

35. White line infection that has
opened up at the coronary band
Travels up inside
of hoof wall
Infection entered
‘white line’ here

36. „Sinking‟ of P3 due to laminitis
Insensitive lamina Sensitive lamina
Edge of P3 bone
Weight
Increased pressure
Laminae do
on corium of the sole
not hold tightly
together Hoof wall can move outwards
Image courtesy of C. Lischer, Sweden (with modifications)

37. “Pancake feet”
• Significant separation
of lamina/white line
– Hoof wall is not held
„tight‟ to the P3 bone
– Permanent condition
– Can be trimmed to be
functional – but
requires frequent
trimming!
Normal
Pancake claw

39. The sensitive lamina (exposed
due to hoof wall being broken)

40. Poor quality/defective hoof wall
• Hoof wall growth
slows down or stops
– hardship groove
Hoof wall
Sole

41. Hardship groove
Make your very own
“hardship groove!”

42. “Thimble toe”

43. Poor quality heel/coronary band
• Poor quality heel horn
– Erosion
Coronary band &
heel
Sole

44. Heel horn erosion