I’m sure you’ve run into lameness challenges in the past – or perhaps you’re currently facing some challenges? Or maybe they’re looming around the corner but you’re not aware of them yet.

Claw lesions, such as those due to digital dermatitis (DD, hairy heel warts, Figure 1), are a serious problem in dairy cattle herds worldwide and often cause lameness. Treatments for DD include a large variety of products, used at both the herd level and the individual level, and these often involve the application of antibiotics.

It was not long ago that I had a farm visit where I found a substantial lameness issue. The producer was at his wit’s end. He had tried it all, and nothing seemed to be a solution. This had been going on for a number of years, and there seemed to be no end in sight. I could hardly imagine the cost and loss figures for this herd: early culling or death, milk loss, endless footbath solutions and wasted time.

In a 2011 article, “Foot rot in dairy cows,” I explained what foot rot is and briefly mentioned the different hoof problems that could be misdiagnosed as foot rot. Lameness seems to be on the rise, and misdiagnosing a problem can often cause a lot of unnecessary grief and expense.

Lack of time is the number one reason I hear farmers say they don’t have a preventative hoof care plan in place. However, there are some farmers who have found a way to do all their daily chores plus implement a hoof care plan.

I recently received a question by telephone about rubber flooring and what it does for the animal. I would like to share this conversation with you – from a hoof trimmer’s perspective. I have to admit that it is a subject with differing opinions, environments, climates and you name it, and that I certainly do not have all the answers to the flooring options available. I would like to start with a statement: “If you have a lot of lameness in your herd and that is the reason you want rubber in your alleys, then you are one station too far.” It is so important to understand the underlying reason for the lameness before deciding on any flooring option.

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).

TRENDING TOPIC ARTICLE: HERD HEALTH Published: March 22, 2011 print issue In this past article, IntraCare’s Koos Vis discussed the cause and symptoms of foot rot as well as the treatment and preventative steps to take. He also provided information about how to distinguish foot rot from other hoof health problems. to jump to the article. He wrote, “If your cow is lame for a long period of time, the cause most likely is not foot rot. The foot may smell and look ‘rotten,’ but the inflammation is quite probably not caused by foot rot and we’re dealing with another cause of lameness.”