Christer Bergsten

Prevalence and interrelationships of hoof lesions and lameness in Swedish dairy cows

The prevalence of hoof lesions and lameness in 4899 heifers and cows was determined at claw trimming one time in a cross-sectional study on 101 Swedish dairy farms, 1996-1998. The percentage of affected animals was 41% for heel-horn erosion, 30% for sole haemorrhages, 27% for erosive dermatitis, 21% for abnormal claw shape, 14% for white-line haemorrhages, 8.8% for white-line fissures, 8.6% for sole ulcers, 3.3% for double soles, 2.3% for verrucose dermatitis, and 1.8% for interdigital hyperplasia (IH). Seventy-two percent of all animals had at least one hoof lesion. The prevalence of lameness was 5.1%; most hoof lesions did not cause lameness. Differences between herds were substantial; the herd-specific, animal-level prevalence of lesions ranged from 25 to 98% and of lameness from 0 to 33%. Sole haemorrhages were found in all herds. The proportion of variance at the between-herd level was particularly high for heel-horn erosion (62%) and abnormal claw shape (54%). Strong correlations between lesions were found within hooves (and animals), e.g. for heel-horn erosion and dermatitis (Spearmans rank correlation, r(s)=0.36 and 0.37, respectively) and for sole and white-line haemorrhages (r(s)=0.25 and 0.28). Most hoof lesions affected hind and front hooves bilaterally, whereas the correlation between hind and front hooves generally was lower. Herds that ranked high for prevalence of sole ulcer also ranked high for sole haemorrhages and for abnormal claw shape and herds that ranked high for dermatitis also ranked high for heel-horn erosion, verrucose dermatitis and IH. Abnormal claw shape was strongly associated with sole ulcer (r(s)=0.41 at cow level)-suggesting the importance of maintaining a correct claw shape for the prevention of hoof-horn lesions.

The effect of claw trimming on the hoof health of Swedish dairy cattle

A 2-year experiment on the effect of claw trimming on hoof health was performed in 77 Swedish dairy herds (3444 dairy cattle) selected on herd size, breed composition and membership in the official milk-recording scheme. In the autumn, cows within each herd were blocked according to breed, parity and stage of lactation and allocated to two treatments: autumn trimming (AT) or no autumn trimming (NAT). Outcome variables were claw measurements and prevalence of hoof lesions and lameness (measured at spring trimming) and the need for hoof treatments between scheduled trimmings. At spring trimming, NAT cows had longer and shallower claws than AT cows. The average net growth of the toe wall was greater for AT than for NAT cattle, with a marked variation between housing systems. Most hoof lesions present at AT had disappeared at the subsequent spring trimming. Controlled for clustering by herd-within-year and for the effects of individual-and herd-level covariates, AT cattle at spring trimmings had significantly lower odds of lameness (OR=0.66) and of haemorrhages of the sole or white-line (OR=0.86), sole ulcer (OR=0.59) and white-line fissure or double sole (OR=0.71)-but not of moderate-to-severe heel-horn erosion or dermatitis (OR=0.96). Acute hoof treatments between claw trimmings were more common in the NAT group (OR=2.02).

Effects of a rubber-slatted flooring system on cleanliness and foot health in tied dairy cows.

Effects on animal cleanliness and foot health of a new rubber-slat system for tied dairy cows, with the ability to drain faeces and urine, were studied in a 2-year controlled quasi-randomised trial in a Swedish university herd. Swedish Red and White cows were kept tied in 42 traditional long-stalls with rubber mats. In total, 82 cows were observed. In 21 stalls, the rearmost 0.74m of the solid stall floor was replaced with nine rubber-coated 53mm wide slats, divided by 29mm slots. The cleanliness was assessed subjectively weekly (year 1) or bi-weekly (year 2) by observations of the hind part of the body. Claw measurements and foot health in hind feet were assessed in connection with hoof trimmings at the beginning, middle and end of the housing period. The foot-health recordings were blinded to flooring. For the analysis of both cleanliness (1781 records, 73 cows) and foot health (240 records, 79 cows), logistic regression was applied, using marginal models and cow observations as repeated measures within each year. The risk of getting dirty on the rubber-slatted floor was significantly lower (odds ratio 0.12 for hind feet when short stall dividers were used, 0.39 for hind legs and 0.38 for thighs and udder), comparing with the solid stall floor. The prevalence of foot diseases in hind feet at trimming was significantly lower on the rubber slats (odds ratio 0.23 for dermatitis, 0.09 for heel horn erosion, and 0.34 for sole ulcer or sole or white line haemorrhage).

Causes, Risk Factors, and Prevention of Laminitis and Related Claw Lesions

Introduction Laminitis is an inflammation of the laminar corium of the hoof wall. In general, the term laminitis is used to describe a systemic disease affecting not only the hooves, but also the general condition of the animal. Researchers believe the inflammation is primarily associated with a dysfunction of the digital vasculatory system that results in hypoxia and malnutrition of the sensitive laminar structure in the hoof wall. The etiology of the circulatory disturbance is not fully understood and there are some possible explanations often related to nutrition, which I will discuss further. Due to mechanical stretching of the attachment between the inner and outer laminar structures of the hoof wall, which has been affected by the inflammation (i.e. laminitis), the claw bone can rotate and or sink inside the hoof. Depending on the severity of the laminitis, the mobility of the claw bone inside the capsule and the counter pressure on the sole from hard floors, the sole corium can be contused and secondary lesions of the sole area can develop (Ossent & Lisher 1998). The pathological alterations inside the rigid hoof capsule cause considerable pain and, therefore, results in lameness, which is an animal welfare issue. A United Kingdom survey (Clarkson et al. 1996) revealed a yearly lameness incidence of 55%, of which sole ulcers (40%) and white line lesions (29%) were the most prevalent lesions (Murray et al. 1996). Such laminitis-related lesions have a greater economic effect than infectious diseases, for example, (Esslemont & Spincer 1993), due to severe influence on reproduction and consequently a higher risk for culling (Sprecher et al. 1997). Other common lesions associated with laminitis are: hemorrhages, fissures and abscesses of the white line, sole hemorrhages and double soles, toe ulcers and toe necrosis, and under-running of the heels. Thus, laminitis has a great economic impact on dairy operations, and all over the world dairy producers are moving towards housing cows in intensive, confined conditions. As we understand the causes of laminitis and identify the risk factors better, it is possible to prevent and reduce the effects of the laminitis syndrome.

Isolation and characterization of Treponema phagedenis-like spirochetes from digital dermatitis lesions in Swedish dairy cattle

BackgroundDigital dermatitis in cattle is an emerging infectious disease. Ulcerative lesions are typically located on the plantar skin between the heel bulbs and adjacent to the coronet. Spirochetes of the genus Treponema are found in high numbers in the lesions and are likely to be involved in the pathogenesis. The aim of this study was to obtain pure cultures of spirochetes from cattle with digital dermatitis and to describe them further.MethodsTissue samples and swabs from active digital dermatitis lesions were used for culturing. Pure isolates were subjected to, molecular typing through 16S rRNA gene sequencing, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and an intergenic spacer PCR developed for Treponema spp. as well as API-ZYM and antimicrobial susceptibility tests. The antimicrobial agents used were tiamulin, valnemulin, tylosin, aivlosin, lincomycin and doxycycline.ResultsSeven spirochete isolates from five herds were obtained. Both 16S rRNA gene sequences, which were identical except for three polymorphic nucleotide positions, and the intergenic spacer PCR indicated that all isolates were of one yet unnamed species, most closely related to Treponema phagedenis. The enzymatic profile and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern were also similar for all isolates. However it was possible to separate the isolates through their PFGE and RAPD banding pattern.ConclusionThis is the first report on isolation of a Treponema sp. from cattle with digital dermatitis in Scandinavia. The phylotype isolated has previously been cultured from samples from cattle in the USA and the UK and is closely related to T. phagedenis. While very similar, the isolates in this study were possible to differentiate through PFGE and RAPD indicating that these methods are suitable for subtyping of this phylotype. No antimicrobial resistance could be detected among the tested isolates.

Effect of different flooring systems on claw conformation of dairy cows

The effect of different flooring surfaces in walking and standing areas on claw conformation, claw horn growth, and wear was studied in 2 experiments during 2 consecutive housing seasons in a research dairy herd of 170 cows. In experiment 1, the flooring systems tested were solid rubber mats, mastic asphalt with and without rubber-matted feed-stalls, and aged concrete slats. In experiment 2, slatted concrete flooring was compared with slatted rubber flooring. The cows were introduced to the respective flooring systems in early lactation and their claws were trimmed before the exposure period. Toe length, toe angle, sole concavity, and claw width, as well as claw growth and wear rates were recorded for lateral and medial claws of the left hind limb. Claw asymmetry calculations were based on these claw measurements and on differences in sole protrusion between lateral and medial soles. Asphalt floors caused shorter toe length and steeper toe angle. They also increased wear on rear claws (5.30 +/- 0.31 and 5.95 +/- 0.33 mm/mo for lateral and medial claw, respectively; LSM +/- SE) and horn growth rate (5.12 +/- 0.36 and 5.83 +/- 0.31 mm/mo of lateral and medial claws, respectively). Rubber mats instead of asphalt in walking areas reduced wear (1.36 +/- 0.19 and 2.02 +/- 0.20 mm/mo for lateral and medial claw, respectively) and claw growth (3.83 +/- 0.23 and 3.94 +/- 0.17 mm/mo for lateral and medial claw, respectively). Rubber-matted feed-stalls together with asphalt walkways decreased claw wear (3.29 +/- 0.31 and 4.10 +/- 0.32 mm/mo for lateral and medial claw, respectively). The concavity of claw soles was reduced on asphalt, especially in the lateral rear claws. Rubber matting in feed-stalls prevented loss of sole concavity compared with asphalt. Claw asymmetry did not differ between flooring systems. While different access to abrasive flooring affected claw conformation, there was no evidence that flooring system influenced the disproportion between lateral and medial claws.

Effect of Different Flooring Systems on Weight and Pressure Distribution on Claws of Dairy Cows

Weight and pressure distribution on the claw were studied in Swedish Holsteins housed in different flooring systems. A total of 127 cows housed in different sections of the experimental barn were used. Each section had different flooring in the walking and standing areas. There were rubber mats or abrasive mastic asphalt flooring on the alleys or a low-abrasive slatted concrete floor. Some sections had feed-stalls equipped with rubber mats; other sections did not. The vertical ground reaction force, contact area, and average contact pressure were determined on the left hind foot using the I-Scan system and analyzed with the F-scan system. These determinations were made in each of the following 3 zones of the claw: bulb, wall, and sole. Most of the weight on claws exposed to concrete floors was carried by the bulb (37.4 +/- 3.5 and 18.3 +/- 2.9% of weight exerted on the foot in the lateral and medial claw, respectively) and the wall zone (20.0 +/- 2.6 and 13.4 +/- 2.4% on lateral and medial claw, respectively). The weight and pressure distribution in cows kept on sections with rubber covered alleys but passing daily over the asphalt floor on their way to the milking parlor did not differ in any zones, except for lateral bulbs, compared with those exposed to slatted concrete alone. Still, the weight bearing of the sole zone in cows kept on rubber mats without access to asphalt was less than that of cows kept on concrete slatted floors (5.1 +/- 0.7 vs. 12.7 +/- 1.1% and 1.1 +/- 0.5 vs. 8.7 +/- 0.7% in lateral and medial claws, respectively). In cows kept on asphalt flooring without feed-stalls, most weight was exerted to the sole zone (36.2 +/- 2.9 and 22.2 +/- 1.8% in lateral and medial claws, respectively). Feed-stalls in combination with asphalt flooring yielded a decreased total contact area (30.1 +/- 1.2 cm(2)) compared with asphalt floors without feed-stalls (35.7 +/- 1.2 cm(2)). The largest total contact area was obtained on the asphalt floor without feed-stalls, resulting in a lower contact pressure (39.8 +/- 2.3 N/cm(2)) than in claws exposed to concrete (66.0 +/- 2.7 N/ cm(2)) or rubber mats (56.7 +/- 1.7 N/cm(2)). In conclusion, housing with abrasive floors resulted in claws with increased contact area at the sole surface and therefore, decreased contact pressure, but reduced the weight-bearing role of the strongest part of the claw capsule, the claw wall.

The effect of an acidified, ionized copper sulphate solution on digital dermatitis in dairy cows

Digital dermatitis (DD) is the most important infectious claw disorder in dairy cattle and herd-based foot bathing with antibacterials, such as 4% formalin, is often used to prevent it. However, there is a lack of long-term studies of the effectiveness of such regimes and in this study the preventive and curative effect of 4% formalin was compared with that of an acidified, ionized copper sulphate solution over a 4-month period on a commercial 120-cow dairy farm. The cows were walked through a split-leg footbath where left claws were treated with an acidified copper solution twice daily for 5 days/week, while right claws were treated with 4% formalin twice daily for 1 day/every second week. Hind claws were scored for the presence and severity of DD in a trimming chute at the start of the study and every 4 weeks throughout the study period. At the start of the study 21/110 cows had ulcerative DD lesions with 10 on the left hind foot, 8 on the right and 3 on both. These lesions, as well as any new lesions which arose during the study, were treated with chlortetracycline spray. During the study 440 observations were made and seven new DD lesions were recorded on left feet (copper treated) and 20 on right feet (formalin treated). Based on survival analysis, the risk of developing a new ulcerative DD lesion on copper-treated (left hind) feet was almost three times less (RR=0.37, 95% CI 0.16-0.91) than formalin-treated (right hind) feet. Cure rates of DD lesions were not different between copper and formalin.

Development of automatic surveillance of animal behaviour and welfare using image analysis and machine learned segmentation technique.

In this paper the feasibility to extract the proportion of pigs located in different areas of a pig pen by advanced image analysis technique is explored and discussed for possible applications. For example, pigs generally locate themselves in the wet dunging area at high ambient temperatures in order to avoid heat stress, as wetting the body surface is the major path to dissipate the heat by evaporation. Thus, the portion of pigs in the dunging area and resting area, respectively, could be used as an indicator of failure of controlling the climate in the pig environment as pigs are not supposed to rest in the dunging area. The computer vision methodology utilizes a learning based segmentation approach using several features extracted from the image. The learning based approach applied is based on extended state-of-the-art features in combination with a structured prediction framework based on a logistic regression solver using elastic net regularization. In addition, the method is able to produce a probability per pixel rather than form a hard decision. This overcomes some of the limitations found in a setup using grey-scale information only. The pig pen is a difficult imaging environment because of challenging lighting conditions like shadows, poor lighting and poor contrast between pig and background. In order to test practical conditions, a pen containing nine young pigs was filmed from a top view perspective by an Axis M3006 camera with a resolution of 640 × 480 in three, 10-min sessions under different lighting conditions. The results indicate that a learning based method improves, in comparison with greyscale methods, the possibility to reliable identify proportions of pigs in different areas of the pen. Pigs with a changed behaviour (location) in the pen may indicate changed climate conditions. Changed individual behaviour may also indicate inferior health or acute illness.

Influence of Soft or Hard Floors before and after First Calving on Dairy Heifer Locomotion, Claw and Leg Health

Simple Summary In this study the effect of different flooring systems on locomotion, claw conformation, loading, claw- and leg disorders was assessed in heifers from one year before to one year after calving. After calving, heifers kept on alleys covered with rubber flooring were found to develop less lameness, fewer claw disorders of the sole horn and fewer leg lesions than those kept on concrete alleys. Recruitment heifers reared on soft deep straw bedding had fewer sole horn lesions and more overgrown claws before calving, but were more prone to severe sole horn lesions after calving, than those reared in cubicles with hard concrete floors. Abstract Claw health, an important dairy cow welfare parameter, may be affected by early-life foot/leg stresses. To investigate this, groups of pregnant heifers were allocated to deep straw bedding (Soft) or cubicles (Hard), both with scraped concrete feeding alleys. After the grazing season, they were re-housed in cubicle systems, half on slatted concrete (Hard) and half on slatted rubber (Soft) alleys. Claw measurements, contact area and pressure distribution claw/flooring, claw disorders and leg lesions were recorded at the start and end of each housing season. Locomotion and leg lesions were also scored monthly after calving. Prevalence of sole haemorrhages was higher among pregnant heifers in cubicles than in deep straw. After calving, first-calvers on Hard floors had higher odds for lameness (OR = 3.6; p < 0.01), sole haemorrhages/ulcers (OR = 2.2; p < 0.05), white-line haemorrhages (OR = 2.8; p < 0.01) and leg lesions (OR = 2.6; p < 0.02) than those on Soft floors. Lowest prevalence and severity of sole and white-line haemorrhages (non-significant) in first-calvers was found in those on Soft floors and reared on Hard floors and the highest prevalence and severity on those on Hard floors reared on Soft floors. Soft flooring after calving is of most importance for healthy feet and legs.