STRATHBOGIE VETERINARY CENTRE LTD
VETERINARY SURGEONS
39 Gordon Street, Huntly, Aberdeenshire, AB54 8EQ,
Telephone: 01466 792627 Fax: 01466 794962
“SERVING TOWN AND COUNTRY”
Newsletter December 2015
First things first: as the festive season is nearly upon us we wish each and every
one of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
A bit on cattle lameness: The common foot problems.
Just a quick run-down of the common conditions affecting the foot and what to
do about them.
Foul in the foot:
This is a common bacterial infection that can cause very severe lameness
quite quickly, but is easily treated. The skin above the hoof (at the coronary
band), swells, till it splits, or bursts. There can then be pussy discharges from
the broken skin. If left untreated, the infection can track up the leg and / or
spread to the sensitive structures in the joint, resulting in permanent damage.
Treatment is usually fairly straight forward, with a long acting injection, or a
short (at least 3 day) course of most antibiotics.
As this condition usually occurs after the skin has been broken or grazed,
incidences can be reduced by trying to avoid keeping cattle on stoney ground, or
crops that might damage the foot: for instance stubble, rape and kale.
Interdigital Dermatitis (scald):
Not to be confused with digital dermatitis (see below), this is usually
recognised as damaged, but not broken skin. It is most likely caused by the
same bugs as foul in the foot and can progress to foul if left untreated. The
interdigital skin is red and oozes with a very recognisable smell, but there is no
real damage to the hoof structures. Tetracycline sprays are usually sufficient to
treat this.
Interdigital growths (fibromas, or granulomas):
This is particularly common in bulls, but can be seen in cows too. It is where
there is pinching, and irritation of the skin between the hooves over time which
causes overgrowth of that skin. The growth itself then gets pinched further,
making the condition worse. Careful trimming can reduce chafing but large
growths will need to be surgically removed by the vet, using anaesthetic.
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STRATHBOGIE VETERINARY CENTRE LTD
VETERINARY SURGEONS
39 Gordon Street, Huntly, Aberdeenshire, AB54 8EQ,
Telephone: 01466 792627 Fax: 01466 794962
“SERVING TOWN AND COUNTRY”
Digital Dermatitis:
This is a highly infectious condition, which has spread steadily though the UK
cattle population over the last few years. It has been a particular problem in
dairy herds but is now causing some big problems in the beef sector too.
You see a moist oozing lesion in the skin most commonly between the heel
bulbs. The outer surface is covered with a layer of grey exudate and matted
hair, but once this is removed, a red raw area is found, usually round and about
1-2 cm across (in the early stages). It is excruciatingly painful to the cow and,
unlike foul in the foot; there is very rarely any associated tissue swelling. As it
progresses, warty scar tissue can form in the area and the bug can spread to
under-run the heel and affect the skin between the toes, and at the top of the
coronary band. It sometimes affects the udder as well.
The best way to manage an outbreak is to catch and treat affected cases early
on in the disease process. Early, uncomplicated cases can be treated with
tetracycline spray. However most cows will need longer acting antibiotics that
penetrate the foot more effectively. Remember most importantly all cases can
shed the bacteria and will be a source of infection to other animals.
In the case of an outbreak, there are series of measures to consider. Treating
cases early, and regularly, with either long acting antibiotic injections or daily
topical sprays (for at least 3 days) is important. A well-planned foot-bathing
programme could also be fairly effective. However, complete eradication of the
bacteria, once in a herd, is virtually impossible.
Slurry heel:
As the name suggests, this is usually a problem of cattle standing for long
periods of time, in very wet, conditions. The heel gradually becomes worn
away. This changes the angle that the foot sits on the ground (as there is not
enough support at the back), and can lead to rotation of the foot, and overgrowth
of the toe. Keeping the cow in dry conditions should avoid this problem.
Laminitis / Coriitis:
This is often an underlying cause of many foot conformation problems. It is
inflammation of the tissues that hold the foot and horn together, and can be
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STRATHBOGIE VETERINARY CENTRE LTD
VETERINARY SURGEONS
39 Gordon Street, Huntly, Aberdeenshire, AB54 8EQ,
Telephone: 01466 792627 Fax: 01466 794962
“SERVING TOWN AND COUNTRY”
caused by all number of factors. Most commonly in beef animals, rapid diet
changes, particularly to high concentrate / barley diets will trigger it. It can also
be a sequal to severe metritis or mastitis. Or trauma or overload on one
particular foot. (for instance lameness such as foul on one foot can trigger
laminitis in the other.) ‘Subclinical’ laminitis is extremely common. The
affected animal may not be obviously severely lame, but still has pain over a
period of time, which results in a foot that does not grow correctly. You will
see this as ‘hardship lines’, or rings in the hoof, which, if severe will weaken the
horn and predispose the foot to further damage and infection.
And those jokes:
 Who carries a sack and bites people? Santa jaws
 Have you ever seen a man-eating tiger?
o No but in the cafe next door I once saw a man eating chicken!
 What lies at the bottom of the sea and shivers?
o A nervous wreck!
 When is it bad luck to be followed by a black cat?
o When your a mouse.
 Who was the first underwater spy?
o James Pond.
 What did the tie say to the hat?
o You go on ahead and I’ll hang around.
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