Part two of Dr. Ernest Hovingh's presentation on lameness prevention and hoof care for dairy cattle.

1. Heel horn erosion
• Other ‘external factors’ – such as poor hygiene
- also play a role!

2. Poor quality/defective sole
• Discoloration (yellow, red) of sole
• Poor quality sole tissue
– Soft, ‘chalky’ tissue
• “Interrupted” horn production
– “Double sole”
– Infection in damaged sole may lead to abscesses
– Sole ulcers may develop

3. Corium of the sole
Formed here…
grows ‘down’/out

4. Discoloration
Blood/serum
trapped in sole tissue

5. Soft, chalky, sole tissue

6. Interrupted production of sole tissue
P3
Corium
Sole

7. Interrupted production of sole tissue
There should NOT be any separation
between the corium & sole tissue
‘Coritis’ – bruising,
inflammation

8. Interrupted production of sole tissue
P3
Fat pad
Corium
Sole

9. Interrupted production of sole tissue
P3
Fat pad
Corium
Sole

10. Interrupted production of sole tissue
P3
Defective layer
Sole in sole

11. Interrupted production of sole tissue
Defective layer
Sole in sole

12. Interrupted production of sole tissue
Defective layer
in sole

13. “Double sole”

14. Sole abscess
Pus from
abscess

17. Sole ulcer
ulcer: “…a local defect, or
excavation of the surface of
an organ or tissue…”
(a.k.a. “a hole through the sole”)
Dorland's Medical Dictionary online

18. Sole ulcer
Corium

19. Septic arthritis
bacteria

20. Septic arthritis

21. So…
• ‘Laminitis’ can affect all areas of the corium
• Problems are often observed ~6-10 weeks after
the laminitis occurred
• Chronic ‘laminitis’ can be a common problem &
is involved in many lameness conditions in
dairy cows
• Other ‘factors’ are also involved!

22. Internal factor: Loss of cushioning
• “Prevalence of sole ulcers and white line
disease was significantly associated with
thickness of the digital cushion.” (Bicahlo, 2008)
Images courtesy of C. Lischer, Sweden
Digital cushion
(“Fat pad”)

23. P3

24. Excessive pressure on corium
Lateral Medial Both
Left forelimb Left hindlimb
First claw(s) to contact floor of left
fore and hind limbs. (n=12 cows)
Left-rear foot
* High-speed cinematographic evaluation of claw-ground
contact pattern of lactating cows. Schmid et al, 2009

25. Pressure on (“pinching”) corium
• Laxity in tendons/ligaments around calving
P3 P3
Lischer CJ, Ossent P. “Pathogenesis of sole lesions attributed to laminitis in cattle.” 12th International
Symposium on Lameness in Ruminants. 2002.
Knott L.,et al. “Effects of housing, parturition and diet change on the biochemistry and biomechanics of the
support structures of the hoof of dairy heifers.” Vet Journal. 2007.

26. Trauma to the corium
Photo: Dan McFarland, PSU

27. Excessive pressure on corium
• Pressure reduces blood flow to
corium (+/- bruising)
• Shape & conformation
of P3 & sole P3
• Interaction with
trimming, housing &
cow comfort factors
– flooring, excessive
standing time

28. Healthy feet – from the outside in…
• “External” factors affecting the quality/ health
of the hoof:
– Cow comfort
– Heat stress
– Walking surfaces
– Handling
– Hygiene & foot bathing
– Trimming

29. Cow comfort – stall usage
• Adequate lying time – 12+ hrs/day
• Stall size/structure that allows ANY cow to:
– enter & recline easily
– rest comfortably
– rise & exit easily
Photo: Dan McFarland, PSU

31. Goal: 80-90% (or more!)
of the cows in the stalls
should be lying down

32. Effect of bedding quantity
Tucker and Weary, JDS Amount of sawdust on mattress
Statistically
87:2889
0 kg 1 kg 7.5 kg significant?
Lying time (hr.) 12.3 12.5 13.8 Y
Time standing
1.77 1.42 1.17 Y
in stall (hr.)

33. Minimize ‘forced standing’ time
• In headlocks
• “Time out-of-pen”
 max. ~3 hr/day

34. Heat stress
• Heat stress  rumen acidosis
• Shades, fans
• Water;
misters, sprinklers, evaporative
pads, etc.

35. Condition of walking surfaces

36. Animal handling
• Calm & slow! (No prods,
dogs or yelling)

37. Hygiene
Photo credit: J. Shearer

38. Use of footbaths
Photo:Jan Shearer

39. Use of footbaths
• Work best as a preventive measure
or  SUCCESS
CLEAN CLEAN
FEET + FOOTBATH = SUCCESS!!
• Optimal footbath solution and schedule
vary from farm to farm

40. Preventative trimming

41. What can we do with trimming?
• Optimize weight distribution
From Toussaint Raven, Cattle Footcare and Claw Trimming

42. Optimize weight distribution

43. Optimize weight distribution
Instabilityconcrete
On on concrete

44. Cow on her way to the trimming table

45. Functional
Claw Trimming
For lame cows, and routine
(maintenance) trimming
“If you don’t do it (trimming) right,
you can cause a lot of lame cows!!”

46. The soles should be
flat front-to-back &
side-to-side.
Picture courtesy J Shearer (with modifications)

47. Increased weight-
After trimming: ~1
bearing surface area 
Cow coming back from the trimming table decreased pressure

48. Trimming tips
• Have & use good chute/table & tools
• Ideally, check ‘normal’ cows twice/lactation
– early dry-off & at mid-lactation
• Not every cow needs (a lot of) trimming…
– …but they should all be ‘put on the table’
– Too much trimming can be a disaster!
• Cows should not routinely become lame 3-7
days after trimming

49. Dealing with lameness…
• Prevent lame cows
• Identify lame cows
• Manage/treat lame cows

50. Identifying lame cows…
• The obviously lame…
• But not only the obviously lame!!

51. Locomotion Scoring for Dairy Cattle
Trim twice per lactation
Trim if time permits
(+ twice per lactation)
Trim now!
Trim NOW!!
Do something NOW!
www.zinpro.com

52. Dealing with lameness…
• Prevent lame cows
• Identify lame cows
• Manage/treat lame cows

53. Treating lame cows – When?
• Clinically lame cows (Locomotion score 4 & 5)
– As soon as possible (within ~24 hrs)
– Make it a priority…make the time necessary
• Locomotion score 2 & 3 cows
– When time permits
– Regularly scheduled hoof
trimmer visits

54. If they’re not a problem yet…
• Untreated lameness problems usually get
worse…not better!
– Locomotion score 3 cows 3X more likely to be
clinically lame in 4 weeks than a LS 1or 2 cow
– White line separation can become an abscess
– A sole abscess may become an ulcer
– A sole ulcer may develop into septic arthritis

55. Treating lame cows – When not?
• Incurable lameness
– Fractures, nerve problems, etc
– Septic arthritis
– Very thin/weak cows
• Take appropriate medical
steps (eg. amputate claw)
or euthanize (properly!)
Work with your vet!!

56. Treating lame cows – How?
• Have at least one trained person on the farm
• Be aggressive…BUT - protect the corium!!
• Use blocks / shoes

57. Any wraps should come off
within ~2-4 days!

58. Dealing with lameness…
• Prevent lame cows
– From the inside-out, and the outside-in
• Identify lame cows
– Monitor trends and trim early
• Manage/treat lame cows
– Aggressively but properly

59. Thank you!
eph1@psu.edu