Reducing Lameness - Manage

Opportunities for conversations around Reducing Lameness:

80% of lameness in NZ dairy cows is due to claw horn lesions (eg: white line and sole disease). The greatest risk period for development of claw horn lesions starts at least 2 weeks before calving, and lasts for at least 12 weeks after calving – hence lameness is most commonly observed around mating, with a second peak in late summer. The remaining 20% of lameness is caused by bacterial infection (eg: footrot and digital dermatitis). 

• Lameness is painful. Treat with 3 days of KetoMax to reduce pain and inflammation, improve recovery rates and reduce the risk of future lameness and culling. ¹²³
• Claw horn lesions are the result of inflammation of the corium, so it is important to reduce weight on the affected claw with the 5 step hoof trimming process and applying a hoof block. 
• Left untreated, inflammation of the corium can result in permanent changes to the hoof structure, increasing the risk of future lameness.
• Dairy cows acutely lame with claw horn lesions, treated with therapeutic trim and block along with 3 days of ketoprofen, were significantly less likely to be lame five weeks after treatment compared to a trim alone¹. 

AgriHealth Resources include:

Cow Hoof Model

Show farmers the differences between a healthy hoof and a hoof with damage to the corium. Explain the long-term impacts of lameness, and how to keep cows in the milking herd for longer.

On-farm poster for dairy farmers

This poster for farmers is designed to minimise, monitor and manage dairy cow lameness. Download here

Technical Bulletin N7 - Lameness management in NZ cows

Download here

AgriHealth Website

https://agrihealth.co.nz/products/lameness-in-cattle  

Contact your AgriHealth representative to access additional training and resources for reducing lameness.

Note DairyNZ also has some useful resources including:

• Lameness scoring system to identify lame cows
• Healthy Hoof app 
• Lameness cost calculator

_{1Thomas, H.J., et al. 2015. Evaluation of treatments for claw horn lesions in dairy cows in a randomised controlled trail. Journal of Dairy Science 98(7):4477-4486}

_{2Groenevelt, M., et al. 2014. Measuring the response to therapeutic foot trimming in dairy cows with fortnightly lameness scoring. Veterinary Journal 201(3):283-288}

_{3Wilson, J., et al. 2022. Effects of routine treatment with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs at calving and when lame on the future probability of lameness and culling in dairy cows: A randomised controlled trial. Journal of Dairy Science 105(7):6041-6054}