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Lameness and foot lesions in Swiss dairy cows: I. Prevalence.

  • Becker J Clinic for Ruminants, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Berne, Switzerland.
  • Steiner A Clinic for Ruminants, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Berne, Switzerland.
  • Kohler S School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, Bern University of Applied Sciences, Zollikofen, Switzerland.
  • Koller-Bähler A School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, Bern University of Applied Sciences, Zollikofen, Switzerland.
  • Wüthrich M Clinic for Ruminants, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Berne, Switzerland.
  • Reist M Veterinary Public Health Institute, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Berne, Switzerland.
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  • 2014-01-28
Published in:
  • Schweizer Archiv fur Tierheilkunde. - 2014
Klauenerkrankung
Klauengesundheit
Lahmheit
Milchkuh
Prävalenz
claw health
dairy cow
foot lesion
prevalence
Animals
Cattle
Cattle Diseases
Dairying
Female
Foot Diseases
Hoof and Claw
Lameness, Animal
Prevalence
Switzerland
English Prevalences of foot lesions and lameness were recorded in 1'449 Swiss dairy cows during routine claw-trimming on 78 farms from June 2010 until February 2011. Lameness was present in 14.8 % of cows and on 80.8 % of investigated farms. Highest prevalences were seen for widened white line (80.7 %/100 %), signalling foot lesion (65.6 %/98.7 %), heel-horn erosion (34.2 %/88.5 %), digital dermatitis complex (29.1 %/73.1 %), severe hemorrhages (27.9 %/87.2 %), and Rusterholz' sole ulcers (11.5 %/74.4 %) at cow and herd level, respectively. Lower prevalences were found for subclinical laminitis (5.4 %/47.4 %), chronic laminitis (3.3 %/25.6 %), white line disease (4.7 %/42.3 %), double soles (2.6 %/33.3 %), interdigital hyperplasia (3.1 %/33.3 %), sole ulcers (0.4 %/6.4 %), toe infections caused by faulty claw-trimming (3.9 %/39.7 %) and by injury (0.1 %/2.6 %), deep lacerations (0.4 %/6.4 %), and interdigital phlegmona (0.1 %/1.3 %). Lameness and foot lesions were shown to represent important health problems of dairy cows under the conditions of the typical grass-based production system in Switzerland. Digital dermatitis has developed to the most relevant foot disease with a high impact on welfare of Swiss dairy cows within the past 10 years.
Language
  • English
Open access status
green
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Persistent URL
https://sonar.rero.ch/global/documents/138733
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