There are few if any diseases in dairy cattle that impact the performance, profitability and welfare of animals more than lameness. Indeed, it justifies a conscious effort on the part of every dairy to invest whatever time or effort is needed to optimize foot health. Effects on performance Lame cows are less competitive at the feedbunk, when choosing a stall or when involved in aggressive interactions with other cows. Add to this studies that suggest pain alone is sufficient to decrease feed intake, and it’s not hard to see why milk yield is reduced by lameness.

Lameness is an animal welfare issue and a major economic loss on many dairy farms. Common causes of lameness include sole hemorrhages, white line hemorrhages and sole ulcers, which can be categorized as claw horn lesions. These claw horn lesions can develop around calving and early lactation, and become noticeable around peak or mid-lactation. The current hypothesis is that claw horn lesions are a result of a bruise within the claw horn capsule. Physiological changes around calving and early lactation, such as weakening of connective tissue of the hoof suspensory apparatus and the decrease in thickness of the digital cushion, increase the risk of bruising, especially in poor housing conditions.

Question: We have a lot of lameness in our herd and it seems to be mainly caused by hairy heel warts. We are desperate and we need advice on how to tackle this problem. How often should we run a foot bath and would that do the trick? Answer: I’m glad to hear that you are interested in how to reduce lameness in your herd. Lameness is an economical loss in prosperous times, but it’s even more serious when times are tough; it shows no mercy. The complexity of the issues that cause lameness will not allow me to explain everything in one article – perhaps some other time I can go into more detail in a special series. Right now though, I’m sure you’ve already tried various options, but I will give you a short overview on a good approach for curing and preventing lameness caused by warts (digital dermatitis).

Fly control is one of the top issues facing dairy farmers. Summer brings warmer weather, longer days, pasture growth and grazing – things that we all look forward to during the long, cold and dark time of winter. The explosion of life in spring also brings with it the perennial and unwelcome problem of flies. Flies cause both irritation and serious economic losses to dairy farmers by spreading disease, feeding on animals (causing blood loss) and greatly decreasing productivity in grazing cattle by triggering them to crowd together and stop feeding. Pinkeye, mastitis and other diseases such as bovine leukosis are spread among cattle by the actions of flies feeding on them.

The fresh cows on any dairy are the most profitable cows in the herd as they reach their peak milk production. But this is often the time in which they are experiencing the most stress due to the hormonal changes associated with calving and the excessive demands of milk production. Proper nutrition both pre-calving and post-calving will aid in the prevention of overstressing the immune system. A healthy immune system will help in preventing mastitis. Mastitis is considered to be the most costly disease affecting the dairy industry. One study concluded that 1/3 of all dairy cows will experience mastitis in at least one quarter. Lost milk production was estimated to be over 800 pounds of milk during a lactation.

At the first sign of a new case of mastitis, the last thing the herdsman wants is to be left waiting for a call from the milk quality lab to tell them if treatment is worth the expense. You’ve been taught that prompt attention to the health status of your cows always pays off. Meanwhile, the case of mastitis is getting worse and you’re not sure what treatment route to follow. The call, e-mail or mailed letter you’re waiting for will tell you the results of the mastitic milk sample you sent over a week ago. So, do you treat or do you wait? Or is there a more serious issue on your hands?

Times are changing and treating just to clear up visible mastitis is no longer an acceptable goal. Reaching a complete cure, not just a clinical fix, is critical for producers to meet that demand: improved milk quality, a healthier bottom line and productive cows at maximum performance. In this roundtable, three veterinarians share their focus on quality milk management and their approach to partner with clients to do more than just clear up abnormal milk. Their passion is on eradicating the pathogen for each mastitis case by using an extended mastitis therapy protocol to achieve a bacteriological cure.