Detection, Prevention and Control of Lameness and Foot Lesions in Canadian Dairy Herds
Abstract
Lameness is a multifactorial condition and a clinical sign of painful disorders related to the locomotor system. Furthermore, it is a severe welfare issue and production-limiting disorder, ranking third as the most significant health problem in dairy cattle. Approximately 90% of lameness is caused by foot lesions. Understanding the multifactorial nature and interconnected risk factors of lameness and foot lesions is essential for disease prevention and control. This thesis comprises two parts that explore the epidemiology of lameness and foot lesions across Canada. In Part 1, research focused on estimating prevalence and identifying risk factors for lameness and foot lesions, in addition to evaluating automated measures of lying behavior as a diagnostic tool for lameness. Lameness affected 21% of cows; prevalence was higher on farms with poor comfort of surfaces for standing and lying. Lying behavior was not a sensitive diagnostic tool for lame cows, as it was subject to wide variability due to intrinsic cow factors. The most prevalent foot lesion was digital dermatitis (DD), affecting 15% of cows and 94% of herds in Alberta. Digital dermatitis is an infectious foot lesion that causes painful skin erosions, and has large economic and welfare implications. The use of footbaths is the most common herd-level approach to control spread of DD. Suboptimal footbath management was an important reason for the high DD prevalence in Alberta. Therefore, in Part 2, an intervention study was conducted to evaluate effectiveness of a standardized footbath protocol in decreasing DD prevalence. The protocol was based on current scientific literature, including footbath design and management. Additionally, a method for simple and reliable detection of DD lesions was validated and proven highly sensitive (92%) and specific (88%). The footbath intervention was effective in achieving and maintaining a lower prevalence of cows with active DD lesions and a higher prevalence of cows without DD. In addition, cows with poor leg cleanliness more often had DD. Ultimately, adopting management practices intended to improve cows’ comfort and hygiene of surfaces for lying and standing, along with improvements in footbath design and protocol, could decrease prevalence of foot lesions and lameness.
Description
Keywords
Veterinary Science, Epidemiology
Citation
Solano Quesada, L. (2016). Detection, Prevention and Control of Lameness and Foot Lesions in Canadian Dairy Herds (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/25601