Contents
Laminitis in cows is a diffuse aseptic inflammatory process of the hoof dermis. This disease is multifactorial, it is based on many causes of development. The disease in cattle can occur in subclinical, acute and chronic forms. The most common type of laminitis is subclinical. It is he who is the main cause of cow lameness. The disease develops gradually and sometimes manifests itself in full, when the animal can no longer step on the limb and the wound becomes visible.
Causes of laminitis in cattle
The hoof is a modified skin that forms a sheath from the stratum corneum of the epidermis next to the third and fourth phalanxes. The hoof consists of a border, a corolla, a wall, a crumb and a sole. With laminitis, the layer of sheets between the shoe and the coffin bone becomes inflamed. Inflammation is characterized by an excessive accumulation of fluid under the skin in the soft tissues.
Often the disease occurs as a complication of rumen acidosis, which occurs in a chronic form after regular feeding of low-quality feed in combination with starch grain concentrates. In this case, carbohydrates are fermented to form acids. The internal environment of the preventricles begins to release toxins, becomes unsuitable for the correct microflora. Metabolites with blood flow penetrate the skin, reach the base of the hoof and cause tissue inflammation.
In addition to these reasons for the development of laminitis in cows, the factors provoking inflammation include the following points:
- too hard floor surface, in which the load on the hoof is not evenly distributed;
- lack of daily exercise;
- poor quality hoof care;
- deficiency of carotene (a vitamin necessary for the skin of a cow);
- high humidity in the barn;
- irregular cleaning of manure;
- weakened immunity of the animal, beriberi;
- transferred complex diseases;
- calving, postpartum period;
- physical overload of the cow (long haul);
- monotonous diet;
- stressful situations (transportation);
- hypothermia
Symptoms of hoof laminitis
One of the main symptoms indicating the appearance of a hoof problem in a cow is the lameness of the animal. After its appearance, it is necessary to examine the hooves of the individual, carefully cleaning them before the procedure. Next, the breeder needs to carefully examine the color of the horny tissue, skin, check the hooves for erosion and damage.
Other symptoms of laminitis in cows include:
- the animal prefers to lie down, gets up with difficulty;
- when moving, stiffness is noticeable, the cow slaps its limbs, minces;
- muscle tension and trembling;
- swelling of the crumb and corolla;
- local temperature increase, rapid pulse;
- possible detachment of the horny coating of the hoof;
- pain on palpation;
- hoof deformity;
- with severe pain, there is no appetite;
- reduction of milk yield, possibly a complete cessation of its allocation.
In laminitis in cows, the pelvic limbs are most commonly affected. At the same time, the animal bends its back, trying to pick up the limbs for itself. She pushes the front hooves back, reducing the load on the hind hooves.
Forms and course of the disease
Laminitis occurs in cows in accordance with the degree of damage. This disease is characterized by several forms of development: acute and chronic.
Acute bovine laminitis is defined by rapid heart rate, fine trembling, sweating, and impaired milk production. The sick individual lies, gets up with difficulty. On palpation of the hoof, a painful reaction is observed. Note the general weakness of the cow, clouding of the eyes.
Chronic laminitis develops if the cause of the disease has a long-term effect or the acute form of the disease recurs constantly. Chronic laminitis is characterized by significant deformity of the hoof. Its end is square, has a rough surface. The bone of the third finger is displaced and compresses the skin of the corolla. The tissues located above it are lowered, a certain dent is formed there. When cleaning the hoof, bruising is observed in the sole of the horn shoe. When delamination of the horn, two soles are formed. The junctions with the walls also bleed. Vascular changes indicate a violation of blood circulation in the horn-forming tissue.
Another type of laminitis in cows is a subclinical form of the course of the disease. Its peculiarity is that there are no clinical signs of pathology. However, blood-yellow markings are visible on the hoof horn. Subclinical laminitis is the cause of many other hoof diseases, such as heel horn erosion and sole ulcers.
Diagnostics
When making a correct diagnosis, it is necessary to examine the dorsal and abaxial wall of the hoof by palpation and percussion. With these diagnostic methods, hoof tongs and a hammer are used. This is how the local temperature of the hooves, tension, pain in the area of the corolla, interdigital gap are determined, the pulsation of the digital arteries is established, which indicates the onset of inflammation in the tissues.
Hoof forceps reveal the localization of the pathological process in the region of the sole, walls, crumb. When tapped, the cow withdraws the limb. By changing the sound, an empty wall, a horn column is installed.
A picture is taken of a cow with a dubious diagnosis. To conduct an X-ray examination, it is necessary to properly fix the cow. To do this, the animal is installed on the boards. Paint is applied to the toe part of the hoof wall along the sole – a special x-ray marker, then a picture is taken from a side view.
Treatment of laminitis in cows
Treatment of laminitis in cattle is aimed at eliminating the factors that caused the disease. Next, you should take care of a soft bed for the cow, as well as provide her with complete peace. The following activities help get rid of laminitis:
- balanced diet;
- limiting water consumption;
- cold clay compresses;
- cleaning the cow’s hoof, giving it the correct shape;
- treatment with disinfectant solutions (hydrogen peroxide, furacillin);
- application of wound healing ointments;
- dressing the hoof until the wound heals.
You should also use general strengthening drugs to raise immunity. Symptomatic treatment includes antipyretics and painkillers. With large lesions, severe pain, antibiotic therapy is prescribed, novocaine blockade is used.
In the chronic form of laminitis in cows, conservative treatment is ineffective. In this case, the animal must be culled.
Can hooves be fixed after laminitis?
After carrying out all the necessary therapeutic measures to eliminate laminitis, the cow should adjust the hooves every 2-3 months. Before pruning, you need to evaluate their appearance. The procedure is not done for inflammatory processes and hoof injuries.
For cropping, you will need the following tool:
- professional hoof knives;
- cutter;
- hoof tongs;
- scissors;
- machine for fixing a cow;
- disinfectants in case of injury.
The day before the procedure, the cow is transferred to a wet litter so that the upper stratum corneum softens somewhat. It is necessary to prepare and disinfect tools in advance. If necessary, you can enter sedatives.
Work begins with trimming the forelimbs. The hand should move from the inner layer to the keratinized tissues. Scissors can remove tufts of hair. A hoof model is made with a knife, sharp edges are rounded off with a file. Movements must be careful not to damage the inner layer of the hoof and not aggravate the situation.
To determine a well-executed procedure, there is a special test. It helps to identify the presence of an angle between the sole and the front of the hoof.
disease prevention
Preventive measures against the occurrence of laminitis in cows include:
- daily inspection of the limbs of the cow after exercise;
- regular hoof trimming;
- baths 1 time in 3 days for cleaning from pollution and disinfection;
- a complete diet;
- vitamins and microelements in feed;
- careful change of diet;
- daily active exercise.
It is important to observe all the necessary sanitary and hygienic rules for keeping cows. It is necessary to remove the contaminated litter in a timely manner, check it for the presence of foreign traumatic objects that can injure the limb of the cow and, if necessary, repair the floor covering.
Conclusion
Laminitis in cows often occurs with inadequate care, maintenance and feeding of cattle. It is possible to fight this disease, the prognosis for acute laminitis is favorable. However, in some forms of the development of the disease, the pathology can go unnoticed for a long time, so it is important to conduct a daily examination of the limbs and clean the hooves in a timely manner.