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Kuraz Abebe B, Wang J, Guo J, Wang H, Li A, Zan L. A review of the role of epigenetic studies for intramuscular fat deposition in beef cattle. Gene 2024; 908:148295. [PMID: 38387707 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2024.148295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Intramuscular fat (IMF) deposition profoundly influences meat quality and economic value in beef cattle production. Meanwhile, contemporary developments in epigenetics have opened new outlooks for understanding the molecular basics of IMF regulation, and it has become a key area of research for world scholars. Therefore, the aim of this paper was to provide insight and synthesis into the intricate relationship between epigenetic mechanisms and IMF deposition in beef cattle. The methodology involves a thorough analysis of existing literature, including pertinent books, academic journals, and online resources, to provide a comprehensive overview of the role of epigenetic studies in IMF deposition in beef cattle. This review summarizes the contemporary studies in epigenetic mechanisms in IMF regulation, high-resolution epigenomic mapping, single-cell epigenomics, multi-omics integration, epigenome editing approaches, longitudinal studies in cattle growth, environmental epigenetics, machine learning in epigenetics, ethical and regulatory considerations, and translation to industry practices from perspectives of IMF deposition in beef cattle. Moreover, this paper highlights DNA methylation, histone modifications, acetylation, phosphorylation, ubiquitylation, non-coding RNAs, DNA hydroxymethylation, epigenetic readers, writers, and erasers, chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing, whole genome bisulfite sequencing, epigenome-wide association studies, and their profound impact on the expression of crucial genes governing adipogenesis and lipid metabolism. Nutrition and stress also have significant influences on epigenetic modifications and IMF deposition. The key findings underscore the pivotal role of epigenetic studies in understanding and enhancing IMF deposition in beef cattle, with implications for precision livestock farming and ethical livestock management. In conclusion, this review highlights the crucial significance of epigenetic pathways and environmental factors in affecting IMF deposition in beef cattle, providing insightful information for improving the economics and meat quality of cattle production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belete Kuraz Abebe
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, People's Republic of China; Department of Animal Science, Werabe University, P.O. Box 46, Werabe, Ethiopia
| | - Jianfang Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, People's Republic of China
| | - Juntao Guo
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongbao Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, People's Republic of China
| | - Anning Li
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, People's Republic of China
| | - Linsen Zan
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, People's Republic of China; National Beef Cattle Improvement Center, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, People's Republic of China.
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Holzhauer M, Kalsbeek S, Frankena K. Evaluation of selected risk factors for different stages of digital dermatitis in Dutch dairy cows. Vet J 2024; 304:106086. [PMID: 38417669 DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2024.106086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
Digital dermatitis (DD) is a painful infectious disease in dairy cattle that causes ulcerative lesions of the skin just above the coronary band, mainly of the hind legs. Estimates for DD prevalence at cow level in the Netherlands range from 20% to 25%. In this study, risk factors for the various stages of DD were identified and quantified. The hind legs of 6766 cows on 88 farms were scored by trained interns, using the M-scoring system (M0-M4.1). Farms in this study were a convenience sample, based on the prevalence of DD as recorded at the latest herd trim, geographical location and willingness of the farmers to participate. A survey with questions about cow environment and herd management was conducted by the intern at the day of scoring. The data were collected between August 2017 and January 2018. DD was found on 38.6% of the scored legs; 49.8% of the cows had DD on at least one leg and M4 was the most frequent stage (20.9%). Not removing manure on a regular basis resulted in lower odds for M2, M4 and M4.1 compared to cleaning by automatic scrapers ten times a day or more (odds ratio [OR]= 0.16, 0.49 and 0.18, respectively). The odds for M2 and M4 lesions were higher in cows aged 3-5 years than in first-calved cows (OR> 1.5 and > 1.7, respectively). Rubber flooring in the passageways resulted in lower odds for both M1 and M2 (OR, 0.06 and 0.32, respectively). Prophylactic use of footbaths treatment with an alternative active compound resulted in significant higher odds for M4 lesions than formalin and a combination of formalin and copper sulphate (OR= 1.69 and 2.04 respectively). The odds for an M4.1 lesion were lower in cows from smaller herds (n = 50-100) compared to large herds (n >100; OR= 0.67).
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Affiliation(s)
- M Holzhauer
- GD Animal Health, Deventer, PO Box 9, Deventer 7400 AA, the Netherlands.
| | - S Kalsbeek
- Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University, PO Box 338, Wageningen 6700 AH, the Netherlands
| | - K Frankena
- Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University, PO Box 338, Wageningen 6700 AH, the Netherlands
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Weber J, Becker J, Syring C, Ruiters MW, Locher I, Bayer M, Schüpbach-Regula G, Steiner A. Farm-level risk factors for digital dermatitis in dairy cows in mountainous regions. J Dairy Sci 2023; 106:1341-1350. [PMID: 36526455 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2022-22243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Reduction of risk factors for bovine digital dermatitis (BDD) is crucial in current disease control. However, risk factors that might arise especially in mountainous regions are unknown until now, and an adapted BDD control program is consequently missing. The objective of this observational case-control study was to identify farm-level risk factors for BDD in dairy herds in mountainous regions. To investigate predictors for the occurrence of BDD, 100 farms were visited and information about herd characteristics and management practices, potentially relevant explanatory variables for either introduction or establishment of BDD, were gathered by completing a questionnaire with the farmer or herd manager. Within-herd prevalences of BDD assessed during 3 routine claw trimmings with an interval of 6 mo before the survey were used to define cases (BDD within-herd prevalence of ≥26% during each claw trimming) and controls (no BDD cases in each of the 3 routine claw trimmings before the survey). Data were analyzed using 2 separate binomial generalized linear models according to either establishment or introduction of BDD. After prescreening, 15 of 23 explanatory variables were included in the final analysis, which showed 3 variables related to introduction and establishment, each being significantly associated with the occurrence of BDD within a farm. Results of model 1 (i.e., aspects related to BDD introduction) revealed that access to mountain pastures during the summer season (odds ratio, 95% confidence interval: 0.12, 0.04-0.35), participation in dairy shows (0.32, 0.11-0.94), and the number of new animals introduced into the farm during the last 2 yr (1.28, 1.12-1.52) were significantly associated with the occurrence of BDD. Model 2 (i.e., aspects related to BDD establishment) showed that cows kept in freestalls were at higher risk for BDD compared with those kept in tiestalls (20.65, 1.59-649.37). Furthermore, number of days between diagnosis and treatment of a BDD lesion (10.31, 3.55-81.21) and the amount of concentrate feeding (median 5 kg) per cow and day (7.72, 2.46-6.47) were positively associated with BDD occurrence. In conclusion, the findings of this study provide a set of risk factors that are associated with BDD status within herds in mountainous regions. These results may help in development of adapted control programs for BDD in dairy cows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jim Weber
- Clinic for Ruminants, Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland; Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Jens Becker
- Clinic for Ruminants, Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Claudia Syring
- Clinic for Ruminants, Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Maria Welham Ruiters
- Clinic for Ruminants, Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Iwan Locher
- Clinic for Ruminants, Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Magdalena Bayer
- Clinic for Ruminants, Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | | | - Adrian Steiner
- Clinic for Ruminants, Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
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Impact of Nutrients on the Hoof Health in Cattle. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10101824. [PMID: 33036413 PMCID: PMC7600182 DOI: 10.3390/ani10101824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Lameness is currently one of the most important and economically demanding diseases in cattle. It is manifested in a change in locomotion that is associated with lesions, especially the pelvic limbs. The disease of the hoof is painful, affecting the welfare of dairy cows. Important factors that influence the health of the limbs include nutrition, animal hygiene, stable technology, and genetic and breeding predispositions. Nutrition is one of the basic preventive factors affecting the quality and growth of the hoof horn, and the associated prevalence of hoof disease. The strength and structure of the hoof horn are affected by the composition of the feed ration (amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and toxic substances contaminating the feed ration, or arising in the feed ration as metabolites of fungi).
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Bayesian analysis of herd-level risk factors for bovine digital dermatitis in New Zealand dairy herds. BMC Vet Res 2019; 15:125. [PMID: 31029132 PMCID: PMC6487038 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-019-1871-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Bovine digital dermatitis (BDD) is considered the most important infectious cause of lameness in dairy cattle worldwide, but has only recently been observed in New Zealand. Although many studies have investigated the risk factors for BDD in confined dairy systems, information on risk factors in pasture-based system is limited. Therefore a cross-sectional study including 59,849 animals from 127 dairy herds in four regions of New Zealand was conducted to identify the herd-level factors associated with the probability of a herd being BDD-lesion positive and with within-herd BDD prevalence. Results Purchasing heifers was associated with increased odds of a herd being BDD-lesion positive (odds ratio [OR]: 2.33, 95% probability interval [PI]: 1.26–4.42) and a cow being BDD affected (OR: 3.76, 95%PI: 1.73–8.38), respectively. Higher odds of a herd being BDD-lesion positive (OR: 2.06, 95%PI: 1.17–3.62) and a cow being BDD affected (OR: 2.87, 95%PI: 1.43–5.94) were also seen in herds where heifers co-grazed with cattle from other properties. In addition, using outside staff to treat lameness was associated with higher odds of a cow being BDD affected (OR: 2.18, 95%PI: 0.96–4.98). Conclusion This study highlighted that movements of heifers are significantly associated with the spread of BDD within and between dairy herds in New Zealand. To minimise the risk of disease introductions in herds where moving heifers cannot be avoided, it is best to purchase heifers only from herds where BDD-freedom has been confirmed and, if heifers have to graze-off a farm, they should be reared as a single biosecure management group, especially since animals may be BDD-infected without having clinically obvious lesions. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12917-019-1871-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Effects of climate and farm management practices on bovine digital dermatitis in spring-calving pasture-based dairy farms in Taranaki, New Zealand. Vet J 2019; 247:75-80. [PMID: 30971356 DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2019.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Revised: 03/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
To investigate the effect of climate and farm management practices on prevalence of bovine digital dermatitis (BDD) in spring-calving farms in Taranaki, New Zealand, whole herd assessments of BDD were made on 57 farms which had been previously identified as having cows with BDD. Assessments of BDD lesions were made on five occasions between early lactation (September 2015) and drying-off (May 2016; at approximately 6-week intervals). Along with the clinical assessment, data on farm management practices were collected using questionnaires. In addition, climate data including rainfall and soil/air temperature were obtained from a local weather station. The raw temporal pattern was analysed using a generalised estimating equation method, followed by a mixed effects negative binomial model which modelled the associations between prevalence and the covariates including management practices, rainfall and soil temperature. The highest farm and cow level prevalences were seen on the second visit (27/Oct/2015-11/Dec/2015) and were lowest on the fourth visit (29/Jan/2016-10/Mar/2016). Farms with a higher prevalence at the first visit tended to have a higher prevalence at later visits, even though the affected individuals were often different. There was thus a strong correlation (0.94) between prevalence (proportion of cows affected at each time point) and incidence (proportion of cows with new affections at each time point). Two climate measurements were found to have associations with BDD prevalence. Firstly, increased rainfall in the previous month was associated with decreased cow level prevalence; secondly, there was a quadratic relationship between prevalence and soil temperature, with prevalence increasing as soil temperature increased from 11.8 °C to approximately 18 °C and then decreasing as soil temperature increased from approximately 18 °C to 23.9 °C. In addition to the effect of climate, using outside staff to perform hoof trimming was found to increase the risk of BDD affection (risk ratio [RR]: 2.06, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05-4.06).
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7
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Yang DA, Laven RA. Inter-observer agreement between two observers for bovine digital dermatitis identification in New Zealand using digital photographs. N Z Vet J 2019; 67:143-147. [DOI: 10.1080/00480169.2019.1582369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- DA Yang
- School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - RA Laven
- School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
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8
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Yang DA, Laven RA. Detecting bovine digital dermatitis in the milking parlour: To wash or not to wash, a Bayesian superpopulation approach. Vet J 2019; 247:38-43. [PMID: 30971349 DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2019.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Revised: 02/27/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Visual assessment in the milking parlour is a commonly used method to determine the prevalence and severity of bovine digital dermatitis (BDD). It is generally suggested that cows' feet are washed prior to examination to maximise the sensitivity of the assessment, but concern has been expressed that washing cows' feet could contaminate the teats and lead to intramammary infection. Furthermore, the evidence for washing cows' feet is equivocal, as some studies have reported similar sensitivities for detecting BDD without washing as that reported by studies which used washing. Furthermore most of these studies have used data from housed cattle. The findings from these studies may not be applicable to cattle at pasture where feet are often contaminated with mud rather than faeces and lesions may be smaller and less severe. The aim of this study was to compare, in cattle at pasture, the sensitivities of BDD examinations before and after washing. Two herds known to have BDD were enrolled and approximately half of each herd was screened for BDD by examining the cows' hind feet before and after washing. The sensitivities of these examinations were estimated using a Bayesian superpopulation approach, and were found to be 0.34 (95% credible interval [CrI]: 0.088-0.69) and 0.63 (95%CrI: 0.46-0.78) for pre- and post-washing, respectively. There was a 93.95% probability that the sensitivity of examination post-washing was greater than that pre-washing. These results suggest that in pasture-based herds, many BDD lesions will be missed if cattle are examined without their feet being washed.
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Affiliation(s)
- D A Yang
- School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand.
| | - R A Laven
- School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
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9
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Yang DA, Johnson WO, Müller KR, Gates MC, Laven RA. Estimating the herd and cow level prevalence of bovine digital dermatitis on New Zealand dairy farms: A Bayesian superpopulation approach. Prev Vet Med 2019; 165:76-84. [PMID: 30851931 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2019.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Revised: 01/15/2019] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
A cross-sectional study of 127 dairy herds distributed across four regions of New Zealand (NZ) was conducted to estimate the regional herd-level prevalence of bovine digital dermatitis (BDD) and the prevalence of cows with BDD lesions within affected herds. Each herd was visited once during the 2016-2017 lactating season and the rear feet of all cows in the milking herd were examined to detect the presence of BDD lesions. Of the 127 herds examined, 63 had at least one cow with a detected BDD lesion. Of the 59 849 cows observed, 646 cows were observed with BDD lesions. All of the herds in which BBD was detected were located in three of the four regions (Waikato, Manawatu and South Canterbury). No convincing lesions were observed on the West Coast. The probability of BDD freedom on the West Coast was predicted to be 99.97% using a Bayesian latent class model. For the three regions where BDD lesions were observed, the true herd level and cow level prevalences were estimated using a Bayesian superpopulation approach which accounted for the imperfect diagnostic method. Based on priors obtained from previous research in another region of NZ (Taranaki), the true herd level prevalences in Waikato, Manawatu and South Canterbury were estimated to be 59.2% (95% probability interval [PI]: 44.3%-73.9%), 43.3% (95%PI: 29%-59%) and 65.9% (95%PI: 49.5%-79.9%), respectively, while the true median within-herd prevalences were estimated as 3.2% (95%PI: 2%-5%), 1.7% (95%PI: 0.9%-3.1%) and 3.7% (95%PI: 2.4%-5.5%), respectively. All of these estimates except for the true herd level prevalence in Manawatu were fairly robust to changes in the priors. For Manawatu region, changing from the prior obtained in Taranaki (the best estimate of the herd level prevalence = 60%, 95% sure > 40%) to one where the mode was 50% (95% sure < 80%) reduced the posterior from 43.3% to 35.2% (95%PI: 20.1%-53.5%). The marked variation in BDD prevalence between regions and between farms highlights the need for further exploration into risk factors for disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- D A Yang
- School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand; EpiCentre, School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand.
| | - W O Johnson
- Department of Statistics, University of California, 2232 Bren Hall UC Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - K R Müller
- School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand
| | - M C Gates
- School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand; EpiCentre, School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand
| | - R A Laven
- School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand
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10
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Aspects of lameness in pasture based dairy systems. Vet J 2018; 244:83-90. [PMID: 30825900 DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2018.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2017] [Revised: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 12/07/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Pasture-based dairy systems are implemented all over the world. Access to pasture is perceived to be advantageous for animal welfare in western societies. However, the benefits of grazing on lameness are not uniformly verifiable. This is related to the challenges that grazing cows face which are different from zero-grazing systems to some extent, but may nevertheless be deleterious. The distribution of lesion types comparing housed and pastured cattle differs between studies. This may be caused by differences in how strongly certain risk factors apply in these studies. Major risk factors for lameness in grazing cattle are related to the risk of trauma, for example from long walking distances and lack of track maintenance, and cow factors such as the adaptability of certain breeds to the grazing lifestyle. The consequences of lameness are similar to zero-grazing cattle and negatively affect animal welfare and productivity.
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11
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Sepúlveda-Varas P, Lomb J, von Keyserlingk MAG, Held R, Bustamante H, Tadich N. Claw horn lesions in mid-lactation primiparous dairy cows under pasture-based systems: Association with behavioral and metabolic changes around calving. J Dairy Sci 2018; 101:9439-9450. [PMID: 30100516 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2018-14674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The objectives of this study were to describe the lying behavior of primiparous dairy cows under pasture-based systems during the pre- and postcalving period and characterize the association of lying behavior and analytes related to energy metabolism during this period with claw horn disruption lesion development later in lactation. Our convenience sample included 39 primiparous Holstein cows from 3 commercial farms that were assessed for body condition score (BCS; 5-point scale, 0.25-point increments) and had blood collected at wk -3, -2, -1, 1, 2, and 3 relative to calving date. Blood samples were assayed for nonesterified fatty acids, β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), and cholesterol concentrations. Electronic data loggers (HOBO Pendant G Acceleration, Onset Computer Corporation, Bourne, MA) recorded lying behavior at 1-min intervals from 3 wk before calving to 3 wk after calving. Starting at 4 wk after calving and until 16 wk after calving, cows were examined for claw lesions at approximately 4-wk intervals. Sole lesions and white line lesions were scored on a 0 to 10 scale. Of the 39 primiparous cows, 19 cows scored 0 at all exams during the entire study period and 20 cows had at least 1 severe lesion (score ≥4) between 8 and 16 wk after calving. Time spent lying before calving averaged 10.3 ± 0.3 h/d, but declined to 7.3 ± 0.3 h/d after calving (least squares means ± standard error). At calving, we noted an increase in the number of lying bouts (12.9 ± 0.45 bouts/d) compared with the pre- and postcalving averages of 11.6 (±0.53) and 9.1 (±0.47) bouts, respectively. Cows that developed claw lesions later in mid lactation spent less time lying down than cows without lesions during wk 3 after calving compared with healthy cows (7.29 ± 0.22 vs. 8.51 ± 0.16 h/d). Lesion cows had fewer lying bouts per day, and these bouts were of longer duration than no-lesion cows after calving. Increased odds of lesion were found to be associated with shorter lying times and fewer number of lying bouts during wk 3 (odds ratio = 1.23). Nonesterified fatty acids (747 ± 58 vs. 990 ± 86.85 µmol/L) and BHB (0.77 ± 0.06 vs. 0.60 ± 0.04 mmol/L) concentrations during wk 1 were greater in cows that developed claw lesions relative to cows that did not develop lesions. The BHB concentrations also remained higher in wk 2 for cows that developed claw lesions (0.63 ± 0.04 vs. 0.46 ± 0.03 mmol/L) compared with cows that did not develop any lesions. Cows that developed lesions experienced greater losses in BCS from wk -3 to 3 than cows without lesions (0.74 ± 0.01 and 0.61 ± 0.01 BCS change, respectively). In summary, changes in lying behavior and energy metabolic status after calving were associated with claw horn disruption lesions in mid-lactation primiparous cows under pasture-based systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Sepúlveda-Varas
- Instituto de Ciencias Clínicas Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, 5110566, Chile
| | - J Lomb
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, 2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - M A G von Keyserlingk
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, 2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - R Held
- Instituto de Ciencias Clínicas Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, 5110566, Chile
| | - H Bustamante
- Instituto de Ciencias Clínicas Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, 5110566, Chile
| | - N Tadich
- Instituto de Ciencias Clínicas Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, 5110566, Chile.
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12
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Yang DA, Laven RA, Heuer C, Vink WD, Chesterton RN. Farm level risk factors for bovine digital dermatitis in Taranaki, New Zealand: An analysis using a Bayesian hurdle model. Vet J 2018; 234:91-95. [PMID: 29680401 DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2018.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2017] [Revised: 01/16/2018] [Accepted: 02/18/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
As part of a cross-sectional study of bovine digital dermatitis (BDD) in 60,455 cows across 224 herds, in Taranaki, a region of the North Island of New Zealand, from September 2014 to February 2015, questionnaires from 114 farms were analysed to identify the key management practices which affect the probability of a farm being affected by BDD and the prevalence of an individual cow being affected on affected farms. The data from the questionnaires were analysed using a Bayesian hurdle model. Two factors were identified as being associated with farm level infection status: (1) milking parlour type; farms which had rotary platforms were more likely to be recorded as having BDD than those which had herringbone parlours (odds ratio, OR, 3.19; 95% probability interval, PI, 1.31-8.51); and (2) young stock movement; farms whose young stock were reared on farms alongside heifers from other farms had a higher odds of being BDD positive than farms where heifers were kept separate (OR 4.15; 95% PI 1.39-15.27). Two factors were associated with an increase in the prevalence of BDD within affected farms: (1) farms which used outside staff to trim feet had a higher prevalence of BDD (prevalence ratio, PR, 3.13; 95% PI 1.25-7.29) than farms which did not use outside staff; and (2) farms examined in spring (September to November) had a higher prevalence of BDD (PR 2.16; 95% PI 1.05-4.43) than farms examined in summer (December to February).
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Affiliation(s)
- D A Yang
- Institute of Veterinary Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North 4474, New Zealand.
| | - R A Laven
- Institute of Veterinary Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North 4474, New Zealand
| | - C Heuer
- Institute of Veterinary Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North 4474, New Zealand
| | - W D Vink
- Operations Branch Ministry for Primary Industries, Upper Hutt 5140, New Zealand
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Armbrecht L, Lambertz C, Albers D, Gauly M. Does access to pasture affect claw condition and health in dairy cows? Vet Rec 2018; 182:79. [DOI: 10.1136/vr.104554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2017] [Revised: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 11/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Linda Armbrecht
- Department of Animal Science; University of Göttingen; Göttingen Germany
| | | | - Dirk Albers
- Chamber of Lower Saxony; Field Testing Station for Grassland Management and Cattle Farming; Oldenburg Germany
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14
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Orsel K, Plummer P, Shearer J, De Buck J, Carter SD, Guatteo R, Barkema HW. Missing pieces of the puzzle to effectively control digital dermatitis. Transbound Emerg Dis 2017; 65 Suppl 1:186-198. [PMID: 29124910 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.12729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Since the first report of bovine digital dermatitis (DD) in 1974, there is a large body of the literature published; however, effective prevention and control of the disease remain elusive. Although many aspects of the pathogenesis of DD have been investigated, even some of the most basic questions such as the aetiology of this disease remain under debate. Treponema spp. have been strongly associated with DD lesions and occur in abundance in advanced lesions; however, efforts to induce disease with pure cultures of these organisms have been largely underwhelming and inconsistent. Furthermore, although the disease has been presented for several decades, there is limited scientific evidence regarding effective treatment of DD. Apparent discrepancies between effectiveness in vitro and in vivo have challenged the scientific community to identify new potential treatment options. With no treatment resulting in a 100% cure rate, the current expectation is manageable control, but prospects for the eradication of the disease are unlikely using current approaches. In order to develop more effective approaches to control DD on-farm, there is a critical need for a deeper understanding regarding the causation, ecology, transmission and treatment of this disease. In this article, we attempt to provide insights into specific research needs related to DD in order to assist the industry, researchers, pharmaceutical companies and research sponsors with decision-making and identified research gaps.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Orsel
- Department of Production Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - P Plummer
- Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Ames, IA, USA.,Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventative Medicine, Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Ames, IA, USA
| | - J Shearer
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventative Medicine, Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Ames, IA, USA
| | - J De Buck
- Department of Production Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - S D Carter
- Department of Infection Biology, Institute of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - R Guatteo
- BIOEPAR, INRA, Oniris, Nantes, France
| | - H W Barkema
- Department of Production Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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15
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Estimating the true prevalence of bovine digital dermatitis in taranaki, New Zealand using a bayesian latent class model. Prev Vet Med 2017; 147:158-162. [PMID: 29254714 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2017.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2017] [Revised: 08/11/2017] [Accepted: 09/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
A Bayesian latent class model was developed to estimate the true prevalence of bovine digital dermatitis (BDD) in Taranaki, New Zealand. This model allowed farms to have zero prevalence as well as also accounting for between farm heterogeneity that was conditional on whether a farm was positive for bovine digital dermatitis. The estimated true farm level prevalence was 68.9% (95% credible interval [CrI]: 50.0%-85.7%), while on infected farms the overall cow level prevalence (number of infected cows/total number of cows on infected farms) was 2.9% (95%CrI: 2.1%-4.3%). The sensitivity analyses suggested that the prevalence estimates were reasonably robust when the variation of the priors fell within the biologically plausible range. These results indicated that visual inspection of standing animals during milking was sufficiently accurate to identify infected farms. However, for every 100 animals identified through visual inspection, 84 animals with lesions were missed. In other words, 46% (calculated as 84/184) of true positives at the animal level could be missed by visual inspection. The high and robust specificity (99.9%, 95%CrI: 99.8%-99.9%) suggested that lesions reported as BDD were very unlikely to be false positives.
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16
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Jacobs C, Orsel K, Barkema HW. Prevalence of digital dermatitis in young stock in Alberta, Canada, using pen walks. J Dairy Sci 2017; 100:9234-9244. [PMID: 28865852 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2017-13044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Digital dermatitis (DD), an infectious bacterial foot lesion prevalent in dairy cattle worldwide, reduces both animal welfare and production. This disease was recently identified in replacement dairy heifers, with implications including increased risk of DD and decreased milk production in first lactation, poor reproductive performance, and altered hoof conformation. Therefore, a simple and effective method is needed to identify DD in young stock and to determine risk factors for DD in this group so that effective control strategies can be implemented. The objectives of this study were to (1) determine prevalence of DD in young stock (based on pen walks); and (2) identify potential risk factors for DD in young stock. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 28 dairy farms in Alberta, Canada; pen walks were used to identify DD (present/absent) on the hind feet of group-housed, young dairy stock. A subset of 583 young stock on 5 farms were selected for chute inspection of feet to determine the accuracy of pen walks for DD detection. Pen walks as a means of identifying DD lesions on the hind feet in young stock had sensitivity and specificity at the animal level of 65 and 98%, with positive and negative predictive values of 94 and 83%, respectively, at a prevalence of 37%. At the foot level, pen walks had sensitivity and specificity of 62 and 98%, respectively, with positive and negative predictive values of 92 and 88%, respectively, at a prevalence of 26%. Pen walks identified DD in 79 [2.9%; 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 2.3-3.6%] of 2,815 young stock on 11 (39%; 95% CI: 22-59%) of 28 farms, with all 79 DD-positive young stock ≥309 d of age. Apparent within-herd prevalence estimates ranged from 0 to 9.3%, with a mean of 1.4%. True within-herd prevalence of DD in young stock, calculated using the sensitivity and specificity of the pen walks, ranged from 0 to 12.6%, with a mean of 1.4%. On the 11 DD-positive farms, the proportion of young stock >12 mo of age with DD lesions was 9.9% (95% CI: 7.8-12.0%). Multilevel logistic regression was used to assess associations with potential risk factors for DD lesions, including age, leg cleanliness, and lactating herd DD prevalence. Presence of DD in young stock increased as their age increased and was associated with increased prevalence of DD in the lactating herd. Pen walks can be used to identify specific young stock with DD or groups where management practices can be implemented to prevent disease proliferation and transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Jacobs
- Department of Production Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 4N1.
| | - K Orsel
- Department of Production Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 4N1
| | - H W Barkema
- Department of Production Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 4N1
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17
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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: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [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.
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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
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18
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Yang DA, Heuer C, Laven R, Vink WD, Chesterton RN. Farm and cow-level prevalence of bovine digital dermatitis on dairy farms in Taranaki, New Zealand. N Z Vet J 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/00480169.2017.1344587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- DA Yang
- Institute for Veterinary, Animal, Biomedical Research, Massey University, Palmerston North 4474, New Zealand
| | - C Heuer
- Institute for Veterinary, Animal, Biomedical Research, Massey University, Palmerston North 4474, New Zealand
| | - R Laven
- Institute for Veterinary, Animal, Biomedical Research, Massey University, Palmerston North 4474, New Zealand
| | - WD Vink
- Operations Branch, Ministry for Primary Industries, Upper Hutt 5140, New Zealand
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Thomsen PT, Hansen I, Martin HL, Kudahl AB. Sole haemorrhages in Danish bull calves: Prevalence and risk factors. Vet J 2017; 224:44-45. [PMID: 28697874 DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2017.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2016] [Revised: 06/02/2017] [Accepted: 06/09/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
To evaluate the prevalence of sole haemorrhages among Danish dairy breed bull calves and associated risk factors, 730 calves were hoof trimmed shortly before slaughter and the presence of sole haemorrhages was recorded. Associations between the outcomes sole haemorrhages and severe sole haemorrhages, and the explanatory variables daily weight gain, liver abscesses and flooring, were analysed. Of the 730 calves, 545 (74.7%) had sole haemorrhages and 119 (16.3%) had severe sole haemorrhages. Calves housed on slatted concrete floors with cubicles had higher odds of sole haemorrhages (odds ratio, OR, 2.69, 95% confidence interval, CI, 1.81-4.00; P<0.001) and severe sole haemorrhages (OR 2.07, 95% CI 1.36-3.14; P<0.001) than calves housed on deep litter straw. The odds of severe sole haemorrhages increased with increasing daily weight gain (OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.07-1.54 for an increase of 100g/day; P=0.008).
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter T Thomsen
- Aarhus University, Department of Animal Science, Tjele, DK-8830, Denmark.
| | - Isabella Hansen
- Aarhus University, Department of Animal Science, Tjele, DK-8830, Denmark
| | - Henrik Læssøe Martin
- SEGES Dairy and Beef Research Centre, Agro Food Park 15, Aarhus N, DK-8200, Denmark
| | - Anne B Kudahl
- Aarhus University, Department of Animal Science, Tjele, DK-8830, Denmark
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20
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Holzhauer M, Ploegmakers-van Deventer R, Smits D, Swart W. Comparing the curative efficacy of topical treatment with thiamphenicol and oxytetracycline on digital dermatitis lesions in dairy cattle. Vet Rec 2017; 180:500. [DOI: 10.1136/vr.103758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Holzhauer
- GD Animal Health; P.O. Box 9 Deventer 7400 AA The Netherlands
| | | | - D. Smits
- GD Animal Health; P.O. Box 9 Deventer 7400 AA The Netherlands
| | - W. Swart
- GD Animal Health; P.O. Box 9 Deventer 7400 AA The Netherlands
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21
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Cross-sectional study of the prevalence of and risk factors for hoof disorders in horses in The Netherlands. Prev Vet Med 2017; 140:53-59. [PMID: 28460750 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2017.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2016] [Revised: 02/06/2017] [Accepted: 02/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Information is scarce on the prevalence of hoof disorders in horses. In this study, we examined the prevalence of and risk factors for hoof disorders in a population of horses in The Netherlands. In a group of 942 randomly selected horses, hoof health was scored during regular foot trimming (one horse/farm). Hooves were assessed for the occurrence of one of 12 hoof disorders by a group of 21 certified farriers in two periods i.e. winter and summer of 2015. The mean age of the group of horses was 11.2±5.6years. They were mainly used for recreation (28.2%), dressage (26.8%), other disciplines (such as carriage driving and breeding) (18.7%), showjumping (17.6%) or combinations of these activities (8.6%). The horse farms studied were evenly distributed throughout the country. The horses were housed on different types of bedding, including straw (51.0%), shavings (17.5%), flax (16.1%) or other materials (11.0%), or were kept at pasture (4.4%). In 85% of the horses, at least one hoof disorder was observed during regular foot trimming. Most of the lesions were mild. The most frequently diagnosed hoof disorders were: thrush (T; 45.0%); superficial hoof wall cracks (SHWC; 30.4%); growth rings (GR; 26.3%); and sole bruises (SB; 24.7%). Less frequently observed hoof disorders included: perforating hoof wall cracks (PHWC; 16.4%); white line disease (WLD; 17.8%); and white line widening (WLW; 11.8%). Horizontal hoof cracks (5.2%), chronic laminitis (3.9%), quarter cracks (2.7%), keratoma (1.8%) and frog cancer (1.0%) were less frequently observed. Factors significantly associated with the occurrence of thrush comprised a wet stable floor (OR 1.6 and 2.9, for somewhat wet to wet respectively, compared to dry), the use of straw as bedding (OR=1.5, compared to flax), the housing strategy (e.g. permanent housing in contrast to permanent pasturing) (OR=1.7) and poor horn quality (OR=3.4). A higher prevalence of WLD was associated with less frequent hoof picking (OR=2.1 if performed weekly instead of daily), the use of flax bedding (OR=2.1, compared to straw) and poor horn quality (OR=8.1). A higher prevalence of SB was observed in horses used for multiple disciplines (OR=3.5, compared to dressage), with white-coloured hooves (OR=5.0, compared to black hooves), with longer intervals between trimming sessions (OR=4.8 in case of 8-10 weeks compared to weekly) and with poor horn quality (OR=5.4). A higher prevalence of WLW was observed in older horses (OR=15.5 for horses >19years, compared to <5years), in those with longer intervals between trimming sessions (OR=1.8 in case of 8-10 weeks compared to weekly), and in certain breeds (OR=3.2 for Friesian horses, 2.9 for Welsh ponies and 13.1 for Shetland ponies, all compared to Dutch Warmblood). In conclusion, although most of the hoof disorders identified were only in a mild stage, still an unexpectedly high prevalence of hoof disorders was observed during regular hoof trimming. Analysis of the data showed that some parameters, such as the use of flax bedding, may be protective for certain hoof disorders but a risk factor for others. This study provides useful guidelines for monitoring hoof health, reducing lameness and optimizing equine welfare.
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22
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Solano L, Barkema HW, Mason S, Pajor EA, LeBlanc SJ, Orsel K. Prevalence and distribution of foot lesions in dairy cattle in Alberta, Canada. J Dairy Sci 2016; 99:6828-6841. [PMID: 27236761 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2016-10941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2016] [Accepted: 04/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The objectives of this cross-sectional study were to determine the prevalence and distribution of foot lesions and associated cow- and herd-level risk factors in dairy cows in Alberta, Canada. Foot lesion data were recorded electronically by 7 hoof trimmers on 28,607 cows in 156 dairy farms from June 2009 to November 2012. Foot lesion prevalence estimates differed between farms that had the whole herd trimmed at once (≥80% of lactating cows were trimmed; n=69 farms and 8,020 cows) and farms on which part of the herd was trimmed (selection of cows was determined by farmer and <80% of lactating cows were trimmed; n=87 and 20,587 cows). Estimates were consistently higher for the latter likely because farmers presumably prioritized lame cows in partial-herd trims. On farms with whole-herd trims, digital dermatitis was the most common lesion among all housing types, present in 15% of cows and 94% of herds. Sole ulcers and white line disease were detected in 6 and 4% of the cows and 92 and 93% of herds, respectively. Other infectious and claw horn lesions each affected 1 to 2% of cows and 62 to 78% of herds. Intraclass correlation coefficients for hoof trimmers ranged from 0.01 to 0.20 for all lesions, indicating some clustering of recorded lesions by trimmer. Multilevel mixed logistic regression models were constructed (including hoof trimmer as fixed and farm as random effects) for the 3 most frequently identified lesions. Prevalence of digital dermatitis decreased with increasing parity, but this effect interacted with days in milk (DIM); primiparous cows had higher odds of digital dermatitis in mid lactation (100-199 DIM) and late lactation (≥200 DIM) compared with cows at other stages of lactation. In contrast, prevalence of sole ulcers and white line disease increased with increasing parity; compared with cows in parity 1, those in parity 4 had 5 or 7 times higher odds of having these lesions, respectively. Cows in mid lactation and late lactation had higher odds of sole ulcers and white line disease than cows at other stages of lactation, regardless of parity. Digital dermatitis prevalence was 2 times higher in herds housed in barns with access to an exercise area. The odds of sole ulcers and white line disease were ≥2 times higher in cows housed in freestalls than those housed in deep-bedded packs. Therefore, preventive measures for control of digital dermatitis merit emphasis, especially in primiparous cows and on farms with exercise areas. In addition, improving housing environment by providing a deep-bedded area for older cows in mid lactation or late lactation could reduce prevalence of claw horn lesions. We inferred that foot lesion data recorded by hoof trimmers can provide useful information not only to develop effective foot health programs at herd level, but also for disease surveillance and genetic improvement at regional and national levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Solano
- Department of Production Animal Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 4N1.
| | - H W Barkema
- Department of Production Animal Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 4N1
| | - S Mason
- Department of Production Animal Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 4N1
| | - E A Pajor
- Department of Production Animal Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 4N1
| | - S J LeBlanc
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, N1G 2W1
| | - K Orsel
- Department of Production Animal Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 4N1
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Schöpke K, Gomez A, Dunbar KA, Swalve HH, Döpfer D. Investigating the genetic background of bovine digital dermatitis using improved definitions of clinical status. J Dairy Sci 2015; 98:8164-74. [PMID: 26364113 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2015-9485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2015] [Accepted: 07/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Bovine digital dermatitis (DD) is an increasing claw health problem in all cattle production systems worldwide. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of an improved scoring of the clinical status for DD via M-scores accounting for the dynamics of the disease; that is, the transitions from one stage to another. The newly defined traits were then subjected to a genetic analysis to determine the genetic background for susceptibility to DD. Data consisted of 6,444 clinical observations from 729 Holstein heifers in a commercial dairy herd, collected applying the M-score system. The M-score system is a classification scheme for stages of DD that allows a macroscopic scoring based on clinical inspections of the bovine foot, thus it describes the stages of lesion development. The M-scores were used to define new DD trait definitions with different complexities. Linear mixed models and logistic models were used to identify fixed environmental effects and to estimate variance components. In total, 68% of all observations showed no DD status, whereas 11% were scored as infectious for and affected by DD, and 21% of all observations exhibited an affected but noninfectious status. For all traits, the probability of occurrence and clinical status were associated with age at observation and period of observation. Risk of becoming infected increased with age, and month of observation significantly affected all traits. Identification of the optimal month concerning DD herd status was consistent for all trait definitions; the last month of the trial was identified. In contrast, months exhibiting the highest least squares means of transformed scores differed depending on trait definition. In this respect, traits that can distinguish between healthy, infectious, and noninfectious stages of DD can account for the infectious potential of the herd and can serve as an alert tool. Estimates of heritabilities of traits studied ranged between 0.19 (±0.11) and 0.52 (±0.17), revealing a tendency for higher values for more complex trait definitions. In terms of genetic selection, all trait definitions identified the best (i.e., most resistant) animals, but only the new trait definitions were able to distinguish between animals with average and high predispositions for DD. Considering repeated measurements resulted in heritability estimates ranging between 0.13 (±0.05) and 0.29 (±0.10).
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Affiliation(s)
- K Schöpke
- Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences, University of Halle, 06099 Halle, Germany
| | - A Gomez
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, 2015 Linden Drive, Madison 53706-1102
| | - K A Dunbar
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, 2015 Linden Drive, Madison 53706-1102
| | - H H Swalve
- Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences, University of Halle, 06099 Halle, Germany.
| | - D Döpfer
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, 2015 Linden Drive, Madison 53706-1102
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24
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Bergsten C, Carlsson J, Jansson Mörk M. Influence of grazing management on claw disorders in Swedish freestall dairies with mandatory grazing. J Dairy Sci 2015; 98:6151-62. [PMID: 26162788 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2014-9237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2014] [Accepted: 05/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Our hypothesis was that grazing time, the number of days (duration) and number of hours per day, affected claw health. From Swedish freestall herds that fulfilled our criteria of claw-trimming routines, 201 herds were randomly selected for a telephone interview regarding grazing management. Herd data were retrieved from the Swedish Official Milk Recording Scheme. Claw disorders to be analyzed were recorded at maintenance claw trimming before and after the grazing period and included mild and severe dermatitis, severe heel-horn erosion, and sole ulcer (including severe sole hemorrhage). Any remark included one or more of these recorded disorders. The odds for having a recorded claw disorder at the autumn trimming in relation to grazing management, as well as to herd- and cow-related parameters, was tested using multilevel logistic regression models. The final statistical analysis included 17,600 cows in 174 herds, which were distributed from the south to the north of Sweden with decreasing length of mandatory grazing period because of climate. Grazing duration was statistically associated with the risk of sole ulcer, but it was not linear. However, grazing duration was not statistically associated with the odds for any remark, dermatitis, or heel-horn erosion. The odds for dermatitis were lower with access to pasture for 24 h compared with either day or night access. Otherwise, the number of hours that the animals had access to grazing per day was not significantly associated with any of the other analyzed claw disorders. Higher pasture stocking density (number of cow hours per day per hectare) was associated with a higher odds for dermatitis and sole ulcer. For all recorded claw disorders, the highest odds for having a disorder after the grazing period were consistently when the cow had the same claw disorder before the release to pasture. The positive effects of grazing on claw health were less than expected, and the previous known effects of breed, days in milk, parity, production system, housing environment, and management were verified for most claw disorders. If cows in today's loose housing systems have a more restrictive grazing than cows in tie-stall herds previously experienced, one cannot expect as strong an effect even if grazing is mandatory in all Swedish dairy cattle. Despite some positive effects of grazing, good stall environment and management during the housing period seem to be more important to obtain good claw health.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Bergsten
- Department of Biosystems and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), SE-230 53 Alnarp, Sweden.
| | - J Carlsson
- Department of Animal Health, Växa Sverige, SE-101 24 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - M Jansson Mörk
- Department of Animal Health, Växa Sverige, SE-101 24 Stockholm, Sweden
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25
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Somers J, O'Grady L. Foot lesions in lame cows on 10 dairy farms in Ireland. Ir Vet J 2015; 68:10. [PMID: 26097681 PMCID: PMC4475306 DOI: 10.1186/s13620-015-0039-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2015] [Accepted: 06/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Little is known about foot lesions in dairy cattle in Ireland, managed under a pasture based system with housing during the winter and grazing for the rest of the year. Ten Irish dairy herds, with a lameness prevalence ranging from 9 to 17 % were locomotion scored routinely during the 2013 grazing season. Lame cows were foot trimmed and foot lesions recorded. FINDINGS 11.8 % and 89.6 % of cows had lesions recorded on front and hind feet respectively. No lesions were found in 6.9 % of cows. Sole haemorrhage and white line disease were the most prevalent lesions, and overall 76.8 % of lesions affecting the claw horn were diagnosed on the lateral hind claw. CONCLUSIONS Treatment success, as measured by improved LS post treatment, was not significantly affected by the LS prior to foot trimming, the presence of lesions or the type of lesion identified. Exposure to both risk factors for lameness at housing and pasture may have resulted in the development of a combination of foot lesions typically associated with zero-grazing or all-year-round grazing management systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joris Somers
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4 Ireland
| | - Luke O'Grady
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4 Ireland
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Gomez A, Cook NB, Socha MT, Döpfer D. First-lactation performance in cows affected by digital dermatitis during the rearing period. J Dairy Sci 2015; 98:4487-98. [PMID: 25958279 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2014-9041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2014] [Accepted: 03/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The long-term effects of prepartum digital dermatitis (DD) on first-lactation performance were evaluated in a cohort of 719 pregnant heifers. All heifers were followed for a period of 6 mo until calving and classified on the basis of the number of DD events diagnosed during this period as type I, type II, or type III (no DD, one DD event, and multiple DD events, respectively). Health during the initial 60d in milk (DIM), reproductive and hoof health outcomes, and milk production were compared between the 3 heifer type groups. All logistic and linear models were adjusted for age, height, and girth circumference at enrollment, and the type of trace mineral supplementation during the prepartum period. Overall, cows experiencing DD during the rearing period showed worse production and health outcomes compared with healthy heifers during the first lactation. The percentages of assisted calvings, stillbirths, culled before 60 DIM, and diseased cows during the fresh period were numerically higher in type III cows compared with type I cows. However, none of these differences were statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. Significantly lower conception at first service [odds ratio (OR)=0.55, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.33, 0.89] and increased number of days open (mean=24d, 95% CI: 5.2, 43) were observed in type III cows compared with type I cows. In relation to hoof health, a significantly increased risk of DD during the first lactation was found in type II and III cows (OR=5.16, 95% CI: 3.23, 8.29; and OR=12.5, 95% CI: 7.52, 21.1, respectively), as well as earlier occurrence of DD following calving (OR=59d, 95% CI=20, 96, and OR=74d, 95% CI: 37, 109). Compared with type I cows, statistically significant milk production losses during the initial 305 DIM of 199 and 335kg were estimated in type II and III cows, respectively. This difference was due to a greater rate of production decline (less persistence) after peak yield. No differences in monthly fat and protein percentages or somatic cell counts were observed between the heifer types. Given the long-term effects of DD on health, reproduction, and production, one of the priorities during the rearing period of dairy heifers should be efficient DD prevention and control programs. Such intensive intervention programs based on active long-term DD surveillance, mitigation of risk factors, and prompt treatment are expected to increase overall animal well-being and farm profitability by minimizing the effect of DD during the first lactation.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Gomez
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706-1102.
| | - N B Cook
- 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
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Gomez A, Cook NB, Rieman J, Dunbar KA, Cooley KE, Socha MT, Döpfer D. The effect of digital dermatitis on hoof conformation. J Dairy Sci 2014; 98:927-36. [PMID: 25497818 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2014-8483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2014] [Accepted: 10/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Digital dermatitis (DD) is the most prevalent cause of lameness of infectious origin in cattle. However, little is known about the effects of DD on hoof conformation (HC) during the clinical disease. The objectives of the present study were to (1) evaluate the changes in HC observed in feet affected with clinical DD lesions and (2) investigate the temporal relationship between DD and heel horn erosion (HHE). A longitudinal study was carried out including a cohort of 644 Holstein heifers. Digital dermatitis, HC, and presence of HHE in the rear feet of each heifer were assessed during a period of 6 mo. A total of 1,979 feet evaluations were included in the data set, of which 157 corresponded to feet presenting DD lesions >20mm [mean (SD) size of 27.2 (8.2) mm]. Age, days of pregnancy, hip height, and girth circumference were also recorded at cow level. Significant HC changes were observed in DD-affected feet. Results standardized to a period of 90d of follow-up showed an increase in heel height [mean (95% CI) 3.4 (2.5, 4.4) and 2.8 (2.0, 3.7) mm] and claw angle [0.8 (0.2, 1.4) and 1.4 (0.7, 2.0) degrees] of the medial and lateral claws, respectively. In addition, an increase in depth of the interdigital cleft [3.2 (2.7, 3.7) mm] and on debris accumulation [14% (7, 21) of feet] was also observed. Feet affected with clinical DD lesions also experienced a 46% point increase in the presence of severe HHE. In the short term, HC changes returned to normal levels when clinical cure of DD was achieved after topical treatment. In conclusion, significant HC changes occur in heifers affected by clinical DD before lameness symptoms are detected. The transformation of the heel area in feet affected by DD likely promotes the creation of a local environment that favors the persistence of the disease and the occurrence of severe HHE. To avoid further hoof damage, active surveillance and early intervention to reduce HC changes are recommended to improve DD control programs. Successful restoration of HC can be achieved upon clinical cure of DD. The long-term effects in lifetime performance of the HC changes due to DD remain to be further investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Gomez
- 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
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Gomez A, Bernardoni N, Rieman J, Dusick A, Hartshorn R, Read D, Socha M, Cook N, Döpfer D. A randomized trial to evaluate the effect of a trace mineral premix on the incidence of active digital dermatitis lesions in cattle. J Dairy Sci 2014; 97:6211-22. [DOI: 10.3168/jds.2013-7879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2013] [Accepted: 06/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Knappe-Poindecker M, Gilhuus M, Jensen TK, Vatn S, Jørgensen HJ, Fjeldaas T. Cross-infection of virulent Dichelobacter nodosus between sheep and co-grazing cattle. Vet Microbiol 2014; 170:375-82. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2014.02.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2013] [Revised: 02/24/2014] [Accepted: 02/27/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Knappe-Poindecker M, Gilhuus M, Jensen TK, Klitgaard K, Larssen RB, Fjeldaas T. Interdigital dermatitis, heel horn erosion, and digital dermatitis in 14 Norwegian dairy herds. J Dairy Sci 2013; 96:7617-29. [PMID: 24140335 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2013-6717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2013] [Accepted: 08/28/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess infectious foot diseases, including identification and characterization of Dichelobacter nodosus and Treponema spp., in herds having problems with interdigital dermatitis (ID) and heel horn erosion (E) and in control herds expected to have few problems. We also wanted to compare diseased and healthy cows in all herds. The study included 14 dairy herds with a total of 633 cows. Eight herds had a history of ID and E, and 6 were control herds. All cows were scored for lameness, and infectious foot diseases on the hind feet were recorded after trimming. Swabs and biopsies were taken from the skin of 10 cows in each herd for bacterial analyses. In total, samples were taken from 34 cows with ID, 11 with E, 40 with both ID and E, and 8 with digital dermatitis (DD), and from 47 cows with healthy feet. Swabs were analyzed for identification and characterization of D. nodosus by PCR, culture, virulence testing, and serotyping. Biopsies were analyzed by fluorescent in situ hybridization regarding histopathology, identification, and characterization of Treponema spp., and identification of D. nodosus. Interdigital dermatitis was the most frequent foot disease, with a prevalence of 50.4% in problem herds compared with 26.8% in control herds. Heel horn erosion was recorded in 34.8% of the cows in problem herds compared with 22.1% in control herds. Dichelobacter nodosus was detected in 97.1% of the cows with ID, in 36.4% with E, in all cows with both ID and E, in all cows with DD, and in 66.0% of cows with healthy feet. All serogroups of D. nodosus except F and M were detected, and all isolates were defined as benign by the gelatin gel test. Treponema spp. were detected in 50.0% of the cows with ID, in 9.1% with E, in 67.5% with ID and E, in all cows with DD, and in 6.4% of those with healthy feet. In total, 6 previously described phylotypes (PT) of Treponema were detected: PT1, PT3, PT6, PT13, and PT15 in cows with ID, PT1 in a cow with E, and PT1, PT2, PT3, PT6, and PT13 in cows with both ID and E. One new phylotype (PT19) was identified. The epidermal damage score was higher but the difference in inflammatory response of the dermis was minor in cows with ID versus those with healthy feet. Fisher's exact test revealed an association between ID and D. nodosus, and between ID and Treponema spp. Logistic regression revealed an association between both ID and E and dirty claws (odds ratios=1.9 and 2.0, respectively). Our study indicates that D. nodosus, Treponema spp., and hygiene are involved in the pathogenesis of ID.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Knappe-Poindecker
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, PO Box 8146, 0033 Oslo, Norway.
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