Lameness in Dairy Cattle

Abstract

The most common noninfectious causes of lameness affecting the bovine digit are ulcers, white line disease, and traumatic lesions of the sole, including thin sole toe ulcers (TSTUs) predisposed by thin soles due to excessive wear or overtrimming. Some of these conditions are predisposed by metabolic disorders including rumen acidosis and laminitis along with other physiological factors that affect the integrity of the suspensory apparatus of the third phalanx, particularly during the transition period. All are complicated by mechanical factors induced by life on hard flooring surfaces that contribute to lameness either by encouraging overgrowth and altered weight bearing, or by predisposing to traumatic lesions of the sole sometimes exacerbated by abrasive flooring conditions. The second group of disorders affecting the ruminant digit is the infectious disorders of the foot skin. These represent some of the most common and important causes of lameness in cattle; however, unlike the lesion associated with a sole ulcer or white line disease that specifically affects the claw, these diseases affect the "skin" of the interdigital space, heel bulbs, and interdigital cleft (on the back of the foot above the interdigital space). Although there are some differences in the way these conditions develop and the way they appear, they all have at least one thing in common: They are caused by infectious agents capable of inducing inflammation and lameness. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.