1
|
Ahlén L, Holmøy IH, Nødtvedt A, Sogstad ÅM, Fjeldaas T. A case-control study regarding factors associated with digital dermatitis in Norwegian dairy herds. Acta Vet Scand 2022; 64:19. [PMID: 35964105 PMCID: PMC9375421 DOI: 10.1186/s13028-022-00635-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Digital dermatitis (DD) is a contagious bovine foot disease causing painful lesions, lameness, and reduced animal welfare. Previous studies indicate a complex aetiology of the disease. The aim of this study was to compare DD negative and DD positive herds to identify factors associated with DD in Norwegian dairy herds by analysing data obtained in a questionnaire and data recorded in the Norwegian Dairy Herd Recording System (NDHRS). The questionnaire was e-mailed to the owners of all 380 herds recorded with DD in 2019 and to 1530 randomly selected herds with no recordings of DD. Altogether 559 dairy herds were included in the final study population, of which 113 was classified as DD positive (≥ one cow recorded with DD in NDHRS) and 446 as DD negative. When stratified by housing system, the ratio between DD positive and negative herds was 108/281 in free stalls and 5/165 in tie stalls. Multilevel logistic regression was used to model the association between potential risk factors and variables related to the detection and diagnosis of DD, and the outcome in the free-stall population. Geographical area (county) was included in the model as a random effect. Results In the final study population 108/113 (96%) of the DD positive herds were housed in free stalls versus 5/113 (4%) in tie stalls. The free-stall herds’ DD status was associated with purchase of cattle during the last 5 years (baseline: 0 animals, OR = 2.30 for category 12–27 animals, OR = 4.34 for 28–52 animals, and OR = 5.39 for ≥ 53 animals). The DD status was also associated with claw trimming frequency (Baseline: 1 < 2/year, OR = 0.41 for category < 1/year, and OR = 4.09 for ≥ 3/year), whether the claw trimming was done by a certified professional trimmer or not (baseline: ≤ 90% of the cows, OR = 3.98 for category ≥ 90% of the cows), cleaning of feet in the chute before trimming (baseline: no cleaning, OR = 1.98 for category cleaning), and alley flooring (baseline: slatted floor, OR = 2.36 for category solid floor). Conclusions Digital dermatitis was far more frequent in Norwegian dairy herds housed in free stalls versus those housed in tie stalls. In the free-stall herds purchase of cattle, increasing trimming frequency, use of certified professional trimmer, cleaning of the feet in the chute, and solid flooring in the alleys were associated with increased odds of recorded DD. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13028-022-00635-0.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lina Ahlén
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, 1432, Ås, Norway.
| | - Ingrid Hunter Holmøy
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, 1432, Ås, Norway
| | - Ane Nødtvedt
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, 1432, Ås, Norway
| | | | - Terje Fjeldaas
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, 1432, Ås, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Kofler J, Suntinger M, Mayerhofer M, Linke K, Maurer L, Hund A, Fiedler A, Duda J, Egger-Danner C. Benchmarking Based on Regularly Recorded Claw Health Data of Austrian Dairy Cattle for Implementation in the Cattle Data Network (RDV). Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12070808. [PMID: 35405797 PMCID: PMC8997101 DOI: 10.3390/ani12070808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
While benchmarking is already used for the assessment of performance gaps in cattle herd management and welfare concerns, its application to quantifying claw health performance is relatively new. The goal here was to establish a benchmarking system for claw health in Austrian dairy cattle. We used electronically registered claw health data of cows from 512 dairy herds documented by professional hoof trimmers, culling data from the same herds, and locomotion scores taken at regular milk performance testings in 99 dairy herds during 2020. Mean, median and the 10th, 25th, 75th, and 90th percentiles of the incidences of risk of lameness, 13 common claw lesions, and the annual culling risk directly related to claw and limb disorders were used as key performance indicators. Only validated data sets were used and participating trimmers and locomotion scorers had to pass interobserver reliability tests with weighted Cohen's kappa values ≥ 0.61 indicating substantial interobserver agreement. This claw health benchmarking system is intended to be used henceforth in the transnational cattle data network (RDV) by all participating farmers and is also available for veterinarians and consultants, with the agreement of respective farmers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Johann Kofler
- Department of Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University Clinic for Ruminants, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +43-125077-5223
| | - Marlene Suntinger
- ZuchtData EDV-Dienstleistungen GmbH, 1200 Vienna, Austria; (M.S.); (M.M.); (K.L.); (C.E.-D.)
| | - Martin Mayerhofer
- ZuchtData EDV-Dienstleistungen GmbH, 1200 Vienna, Austria; (M.S.); (M.M.); (K.L.); (C.E.-D.)
| | - Kristina Linke
- ZuchtData EDV-Dienstleistungen GmbH, 1200 Vienna, Austria; (M.S.); (M.M.); (K.L.); (C.E.-D.)
| | - Lorenz Maurer
- Department of Sustainable Agricultural Systems, University of Natural Resources and Livestock Sciences, 1180 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Alexandra Hund
- Department of Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University Clinic for Ruminants, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria;
- Landwirtschaftliches Zentrum für Rinderhaltung, Grünlandwirtschaft, Milchwirtschaft, Wild und Fischerei Baden-Württemberg (LAZBW), 88326 Aulendorf, Germany
| | - Andrea Fiedler
- Praxisgemeinschaft für Klauengesundheit, 81247 Munich, Germany;
| | - Jürgen Duda
- Landeskuratorium der Erzeugerringe für Tierische Veredelung in Bayern e.V. (LKV), 80687 München, Germany;
| | - Christa Egger-Danner
- ZuchtData EDV-Dienstleistungen GmbH, 1200 Vienna, Austria; (M.S.); (M.M.); (K.L.); (C.E.-D.)
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Use of Bandaging in the treatment of Digital Dermatitis. FOLIA VETERINARIA 2021. [DOI: 10.2478/fv-2021-0019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The aim of this study was to compare two different methods for the treatment of digital dermatitis (DD) in dairy cows. Moreover, both treatment methods were tested if they could stop the recurrences of DD in the same patient. For this study, data were collected on two separate occasions across a six-month period (spring and the following autumn). During these two periods, 280 and 232 Holstein Friesian dairy cows were examined respectively in the crush. The following two treatment methods were compared:
1. Scarification of the lesion surface and antibiotic spray;
2. Resection of the lesion, antibiotic spray and powder, and covering with a bandage.
A first control 3 weeks after the initial trimming period was carried out to check the condition of the lesions. The recurrence rate of DD was assessed during the second hoof trimming (autumn). In this study, no differences between two treatment methods could be observed as all treated animals have shown a 100 % healing. The assessment of a recurrence rate showed no new cases of acute DD in the group 1 (non-bandaging) and in the group 2; however, there was a 28.6 % recurrence rate in the group 1 (non-bandaging). The material costs and treatment time were also several times higher in the bandaging group. In conclusion, the tested methods did not differ in healing success rate, however, there are other important factors like time and costs that play an important role in the decision of a farmer or manager as to which treatment to use for their dairy cows.
Collapse
|
4
|
Kulow M, Merkatoris P, Anklam KS, Rieman J, Larson C, Branine M, Döpfer D. Evaluation of the prevalence of digital dermatitis and the effects on performance in beef feedlot cattle under organic trace mineral supplementation. J Anim Sci 2018; 95:3435-3444. [PMID: 28805925 DOI: 10.2527/jas.2017.1512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bovine digital dermatitis (DD) is a contagious and multifactorial disease that leads to painful, ulcerative lesions of the skin near the heel-horn border of the foot, most commonly in dairy cattle. With regard to beef cattle, the pathogenesis and etiology of DD has not been widely reported or studied over the past several decades. A longitudinal field trial in a commercial feedlot was conducted to compare prevalence and effects of DD in beef steers provided a diet supplemented with a novel formulation of inorganic and organic trace mineral sources (OTM diet) compared to a diet provided with similar levels of trace minerals solely from inorganic sources (CON diet). A secondary objective was to evaluate the prevalence of DD and the potential effects on growth performance and carcass yield and quality. One thousand seventy-seven steers were assigned to 1 of the 2 treatment groups (CON diet or OTM diet) based on location of their home pens which were situated in 1 of 2 barns. All pens in the B barn (group B) were assigned to the OTM diet, and all pens in the A barn (group A) were assigned to the CON diet. The study was conducted in 2 phases: adaptation phase (AP) comprising the initial 60 d of feeding CON and OTM diets and postadaptation phase (PAP) which lasted until cattle were sent to harvest. In the AP, pens in group B had a greater proportion of steers (54.03%) with DD lesions compared to pens in group A (26.72%). During the PAP, the relative risk of observing an increased DD prevalence was significantly ( < 0.05) higher in CON group compared to OTM group. Growth performance, final live weight, and hot carcass weight were negatively impacted when steers were observed to have active DD lesions (M2 lesions) compared to steers with no M2 lesions over the study period. For ADG, a calculated loss per steer of 0.08 kg/d from type I (no M2 lesions) to type II (one M2 lesion; SE = 0.028; = 0.003) and loss of 0.14 kg/d from type I to type III (multiple M2 lesions; SE = 0.038; = 0.0003) were observed. A significant BW loss of approximately 10.06 kg (SE = 4.18; = 0.022) and a mean reduction of 5.5 kg per steer in HCW (SE = 2.74; = 0.043) were also found between type I and type II steers.
Collapse
|
5
|
Pathogenesis and Treatment of Toe Lesions in Cattle Including "Nonhealing" Toe Lesions. Vet Clin North Am Food Anim Pract 2017; 33:301-328. [PMID: 28579046 DOI: 10.1016/j.cvfa.2017.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Toe lesions in cattle include apical white line disease, thin soles, toe ulcers, toe necrosis, digital dermatitis-associated toe ulcers/toe necrosis, and fracture of the claw capsule and the apex of the distal phalanx. For anatomic reasons, the early stages of toe abnormalities (thin sole, apical white line disease, toe ulcer) are at risk of developing into a bone infection. The prevalence of toe lesions differs in dairy herds and feedlots: it is low at the animal level in feedlots and dairies; however, the herd prevalence of toe lesions can reach 50% in dairy herds with endemic digital dermatitis infection.
Collapse
|
6
|
Plummer PJ, Krull A. Clinical Perspectives of Digital Dermatitis in Dairy and Beef Cattle. Vet Clin North Am Food Anim Pract 2017; 33:165-181. [PMID: 28579041 DOI: 10.1016/j.cvfa.2017.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Digital dermatitis is a polybacterial disease process of dairy and beef cattle. Lesions are most commonly identified on the plantar aspect of the interdigital cleft of the hind limbs. Treponema spp are routinely present in large numbers of active lesions. Lesions are painful to the touch and can result in clinical lameness. The infectious nature generally results in endemic infection of cattle herds and management requires a comprehensive and integrated multipronged approach. This article provides current perspectives regarding management and treatment of digital dermatitis on dairy and beef cattle operations and provides a review for clinicians dealing with a clinical outbreak.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paul J Plummer
- Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Ames, IA USA.
| | - Adam Krull
- Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Ames, IA USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Oliveira VHS, Sørensen JT, Thomsen PT. Associations between biosecurity practices and bovine digital dermatitis in Danish dairy herds. J Dairy Sci 2017; 100:8398-8408. [PMID: 28803007 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2017-12815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2017] [Accepted: 07/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The relationship between biosecurity and digital dermatitis (DD) was evaluated in 8,269 cows from a convenience sample of 39 freestall dairy herds. The hypothesis was that poor implementation of biosecurity was associated with higher within-herd prevalence of DD. All lactating cows were scored as negative or positive for DD at the hind legs during milking in the milking parlor. Information about biosecurity was obtained through questionnaires addressed to farmers, on-farm observations, and information from the Danish Cattle Database (www.seges.dk). These assessment tools covered potential infection sources of DD pathogens to susceptible cows (e.g., via animals, humans, manure, vehicles, equipment, and facilities). External and internal biosecurity measures were explanatory variables in 2 separate logistic regression models, whereas within-herd DD prevalence was the outcome. Overall DD prevalence among cows and herds were 24 and 97%, respectively; the within-herd DD prevalence ranged from 0 to 56%. Poor external biosecurity measures associated with higher prevalence of DD were recent animal purchase, access to pasture, lack of boots available for visitors, farm staff working at other dairy farms as well, hoof trimming without a professional attending, and animal transporters having access to cattle area. For internal biosecurity, higher DD prevalence were associated with infrequent hoof bathing, manure scraping less than 8 times a day, manure removal direction from cows to heifers, animal pens' exit without water hoses, manure-handling vehicle used in other activities, and water troughs contaminated with manure. These findings showed that improvements on biosecurity may be beneficial for controlling DD in dairy herds. The study is relevant for farmers facing problems with DD, as well as hoof trimmers, advisors, and veterinarians, who can use the results for optimized recommendations regarding biosecurity in relation to DD. Furthermore, our results might be considered by future studies investigating DD pathogen reservoirs and transmission routes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Victor H S Oliveira
- Department of Animal Science, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé 20, 8830 Tjele, Denmark.
| | - Jan T Sørensen
- Department of Animal Science, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé 20, 8830 Tjele, Denmark
| | - Peter T Thomsen
- Department of Animal Science, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé 20, 8830 Tjele, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Krull AC, Shearer JK, Gorden PJ, Scott HM, Plummer PJ. Digital dermatitis: Natural lesion progression and regression in Holstein dairy cattle over 3 years. J Dairy Sci 2016; 99:3718-3731. [PMID: 26923049 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2015-10535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2015] [Accepted: 01/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Bovine digital dermatitis (DD) is a leading cause of lameness in dairy cattle in the United States, with prevalence estimates as high as 30%. Whereas clinical lesions have been well described, little is known about the morphologic changes that are associated with the early stages of lesion development from normal skin to clinical lesions. This study used the Iowa DD scoring system to evaluate the epidemiology of natural lesion development by digitally photographing the rear legs of a cohort of dairy cows over a 3-yr period. Sixty-one adult Holstein dairy cows were monitored for 1,032 cow foot-months. The incidence rate of lesion development was 4 lesions per 100 cow foot-months, with the average time for a lesion to develop being 133 d. Whereas 20% of the 1,678 foot observations exhibited clinical DD lesions, an additional 55% of all observations exhibited preclinical stage 1 and 2 lesions that were indicative of DD lesion development. Utilizing the dichotomous categorization of preclinical lesions in the Iowa DD scoring system, it was found that first-lactation heifers had a higher rate of the thickened and crusted "B" type lesions, whereas the ulcerative "A" type lesions were more likely to be identified in multiparous animals. For clinical DD lesions that received topical treatment, scoring of the post-treatment lesions using the Iowa DD scoring system was found to be useful in prognosticating both the risk of recrudescence and the time until recrudescence. Systemic disease, systemic antibiotic therapy, and periparturient stress were not associated with an increase or decrease in DD lesion scores. Treatment with a single topical tetracycline wrap was associated with a significant decrease (-1.17) in DD lesion score. The results of this study demonstrate that the complex morphologic changes associated with digital dermatitis can be readily classified using the Iowa DD scoring system and the scores can be used to predict and monitor the effects of treatment and prevention measures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam C Krull
- Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames 50011
| | - Jan K Shearer
- Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames 50011
| | - Patrick J Gorden
- Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames 50011
| | - H Morgan Scott
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M, College Station 77843
| | - Paul J Plummer
- Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames 50011; Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames 50011.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Gomez A, Anklam KS, Cook NB, Rieman J, Dunbar KA, Cooley KE, Socha MT, Döpfer D. Immune response against Treponema spp. and ELISA detection of digital dermatitis. J Dairy Sci 2014; 97:4864-75. [PMID: 24931522 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2013-7616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2013] [Accepted: 04/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The objective of this longitudinal study was to evaluate the immune response against Treponema spp. infection in dairy heifers affected with digital dermatitis (DD). In addition, the accuracy of an indirect ELISA detecting anti-Treponema IgG antibodies in identifying clinical DD status has been assessed. A cohort of 688 pregnant Holstein heifers was evaluated at least 3 times before calving during a period of 6 mo. Complete clinical assessment of DD presence on the back feet of each heifer and blood extraction were performed in a stand-up chute. Digital dermatitis cases were characterized by the M-stage classification system and size and level of skin proliferation. An ELISA was performed on blood serum samples obtained from a subcohort of 130 heifers. For description purposes, the animals were classified by the number of clinical cases experienced during the study period as type I (no clinical cases were observed), type II (only 1 acute clinical case diagnosed), and type III (at least 2 acute clinical cases diagnosed). Multivariable repeated-measures models were used to evaluate the immune response against Treponema spp. infection. A binormal Bayesian model for the ELISA data without cut-point values was used to assess the accuracy of the ELISA as a diagnostic tool. Animals that never experienced a DD event throughout the study kept a constant low level of antibody titer. A 56% increase in mean ELISA titer was observed in heifers upon a first clinical DD case diagnosis. After topical treatment of an acute DD case with oxytetracycline, the antibody titer decreased progressively in type II heifers, achieving mean levels of those observed in healthy cows after a mean of 223 d. Surprisingly, antibody titer was not increased in the presence of M1 (DD lesion <20mm in diameter surrounded by healthy skin) and M4.1 (DD lesion <20mm in diameter embedded in a circumscribed dyskeratotic or proliferative skin alteration) DD stages. Type III cows showed a slight increase in antibody levels. The presence of skin proliferation at first DD diagnosis was found to be associated with an odds ratio of 2.04 of becoming a type III heifer in relation to heifers presenting first lesions without skin proliferation. The ELISA validity was estimated by an area under the curve of 0.88. Predicted probabilities of infection are provided for a range of ELISA values and prevalence of infection. Early detection and treatment is essential to control DD and the ELISA can be used in understanding the immunopathology of DD and shows great promise for prescreening purposes during DD management programs in combination with traditional clinical inspection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A Gomez
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706-1102.
| | - K S Anklam
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706-1102
| | - N B Cook
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706-1102
| | - J Rieman
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706-1102
| | - K A Dunbar
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706-1102
| | - K E Cooley
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706-1102
| | - M T Socha
- Zinpro Corporation, 10400 Viking Dr., Ste. 240, Eden Prairie, MN 55374
| | - D Döpfer
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706-1102
| |
Collapse
|