Campus Units
Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine
Document Type
Article
Publication Version
Published Version
Publication Date
6-2015
Journal or Book Title
Veterinary Medicine: Research and Reports
Volume
6
First Page
273
Last Page
292
DOI
10.2147/VMRR.S62071
Abstract
Lameness is a leading cause of welfare and culling issues in cattle, with claw lesions accounting for the majority of these issues. Although the treatment of claw lesions in cattle is a daily activity for hoof trimmers, veterinarians, and livestock producers, there is surprisingly little information in the peer-reviewed literature on which to base strong evidence-based conclusions. As a consequence, many treatment modalities used are empirical and, in some cases, may be counterproductive to rapid lesion healing. Furthermore, many of these empirical treatment modalities fail to fully consider the underlying pathogenesis of the disease process and the implications that it has on lesion healing. For example, sole ulcers are largely a consequence of metabolic disorders and mechanical overloading. Therapeutic interventions that fail to address the weight-bearing issues are unlikely to be successful. Likewise, white line disease is believed to be predisposed by rumen acidosis and laminitis, and interventions need to include in them appropriate measures to prevent further cases through nutritional management. The goal of this review paper is to review the pathogenesis of claw lesions in the context of the published literature and allow the reader to arrive at rational treatment interventions based on the best available information. The use of an orthopedic block applied to the healthy claw of a lame foot, judicious use of bandage or wrap, careful selection of parenteral or topical therapy, and a treatment protocol to manage pain and promote recovery are key components of responsible management of lameness disorders in cattle.
Rights
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Copyright Owner
JK Shearer, PJ Plummer, and JA Schleining
Copyright Date
2015
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Shearer, Jan K.; Plummer, Paul Joseph; and Schleining, Jennifer A., "Perspectives on the Treatment of Claw Lesions in Cattle" (2015). Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine Publications. 45.
https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/vdpam_pubs/45
Included in
Large or Food Animal and Equine Medicine Commons, Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Epidemiology, and Public Health Commons
Comments
This article is from Veterinary Medicine: Research and Reports 6 (2015): 273, doi:10.2147/VMRR.S62071. Posted with permission.