Skip to main content
Download PDF
  • Published:

Sole Haemorrhages in Tied Primiparous Cows as an Indicator of Periparturient Laminitis: Effects of Diet, Flooring and Season

Blödnιngar i sulhornet som ιndιkation på fång hos förstakalvande kvigor under perιoden kring kalvning: inverkan av utfodrιng, båsplatsunderlag och kalvningssäsong

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica volume 37, pages 383–394 (1996)Cite this article

Abstract

Fifty-six tied heifers calving in autumn (trial I) and 21 tied heifers calving in late spring (trial II) were fed either a high or a low concentrate diet from 3 weeks before expected calving until 13 weeks after calving. Half the heifers in trial I were kept on concrete floors and the others were kept on rubber mats; all the heifers in trial II were on concrete floors. The hooves were trimmed and the soles were photographed 3 weeks before expected calving and again 13 weeks after calving. The photographs were evaluated, each claw was scored for sole haemorrhages, and the total score for all 8 claws was calculated. Before calving there were no differences between the groups of heifers within trial I or trial II, but the heifers in trial II had higher scores than those in trial I. Thirteen weeks after calving the scores had increased in both trials. In trial I the animals fed the high concentrate diet and kept on concrete floors had the highest score, and the type of floor had a greater influence than the level of concentrates fed. The heifers calving in the autumn had higher scores than those calving in the spring. The sudden change from being at pasture to being housed, and the events related to the periparturient period were the most significant factors for the development of sole haemorrhages.

Sammanfattning

Femtiosex uppbundna, höstkalvande förstakalvare (Försök I) och 21 uppbundna, vårkalvande, forstakalvare (Försök II) gavs en foderstat som var baserad på endera en stor eller liten kraftfodergiva med successiv början från tre veckor före beräknad kalvning. Hälften av djuren i Försök I uppstallades på gummimatta medan övrιga djur i Försök I och samtliga djur i Försök II ställdes på betongbåspall. Klövarna på samtlιga djur verkades och klövsulorna fotograferades tre veckor före beräknad kalvning och 13 veckor efter kalvning. Klövbilderna bedömdes och sulblödningar på varje klövhalva poängsattes varefter poängen från de åtta klövhalvorna summerades och angavs som sulblödningspoäng. Före kalvnιng förekom ιngen skιllnad mellan djurgrupperna ιnom något av försöken men alla grupper med förstakalvare ι Försök I hade lägre sulblödnιngspoäng än de i Försök II. Tretton veckor efter kalvnιng hade sulblödning-arna ökat i båda försöken. I Försök I hade de djur som fatt hög kraftfodergiva och som stod på betongunderlag den högsta sulblödningspoängen. Båspallsunderlaget hade större ιnverkan än foderstaten. De höstkalvande förstakalvarna (Försök I) hade högre blödningspoäng än de som kalvade på våren (Försök II). De mest sannolika orsakerna till utvecklingen av sulblödnmgar var inställningen från mjukt bete till ett hårdare båspallsunderlag samt faktorer relaterade till perioden kring kalvnιngen.

References

  • Andersson L: Frekvensstudier och kliniska observationer vid fang hos nötkreatur. (Frequency studies and clinical observations in bovine laminitis). Nord. Vet.-Med. 1980, 32, 301–307. (In Swedish).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Andersson L, Bergman A: Pathology of bovine laminitis especially as regards vascular lesions. Acta vet. scand. 1980, 21, (559–566).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Andersson L, Lundström K: The influence of breed, age, body weight and season on digital diseases and hoof size in dairy cows. Zbl. Vet. Med. A 1981, 28, (141–151).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bazeley K, Pinsent PJN: Preliminary observations on a series of outbreaks of acute laminitis in dairy cattle. Vet. Rec. 1984, 115, (619–622).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bergsten C: A photometric method for recording hoof diseases in cattle, with special reference to haemorrhages of the sole. Acta vet. scand. 1993, 34, (281–286).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bergsten C: Haemorrhages of the sole horn of dairy cows as a retrospective indicator of laminitis: An epidemiological study. Acta vet. scand. 1994, 35, (55–66).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bergsten C, Andersson L, Wiktorsson H: Effect of feeding intensity at calving on the prevalence of subclinical laminitis. Proc. V Int. Symp. Disord. Ruminant Digit, Dublin, Ireland, 1986, pp. 34–38.

  • Bergsten C, Frank B: Sole haemorrhages in tied heifers in early gestation as an indicator of laminitis: Effects of diet and flooring. 1995, in manuscript.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bergsten C, Herlin AH: Haemorrhage of the sole and heel horn erosion in dairy cows: The influence of housing system on their prevalence and severity. 1995, in manuscript.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boosman R: The influence of calving and puerpérium on clinical and histopathologic changes associated with laminitis and sole ulceration in a group of first-calving cows. J. Vet. Med. A 1990, 37, (513–519).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cermac J: Cow comfort and lameness - design of cubicles. Bovine Pract. 1988, 23, (79–83).

    Google Scholar 

  • Colam-Ainsworth P, Lunn GA, Thomas RC, Eddy RG: Behaviour of cows in cubicles and its possible relationship with laminitis in replacement heifers. Vet. Rec. 1989, 125, (573–575).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • David GP: The influence of building design and management practices on lameness in heifers and cows. Proc. Brit. Cattle Vet. Assoc. 1984-85, Windermere, UK, 1986, pp. 155–159.

  • David GP: Epidemiological factors associated with a high incidence of sole ulcer and white line dis ease in dairy cattle. Proc. Soc. Vet. Epidem. Prev. Med., Exeter, UK, 1989, pp. 149–158.

  • Duncan DB: Multiple range and multiple F tests. Biometrics 1955, 20, (1–42).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Edwards GB: Acute and subacute laminitis in cattle. Vet. Ann. 1982, 22, (99–106).

    Google Scholar 

  • Enevoldsen C, Gröhn YT, Thysen I: Sole ulcers in dairy cattle: Association with season, cow characteristics, disease, and production. J. Dairy Sci. 1991, 74, (1284–1298).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Espinasse J, Savey M, Thorley CM, Toussaint Raven E, Weaver AD: Atlas en couleur des affections du pied des bovins et des ovins. Terminologie internationale. (Colour atlas on disorders of cattle and sheep digit. International terminology). Editions du Point Vétérinaire, Maisons-Alfort, France, 1984. (In French, English, Spanish).

    Google Scholar 

  • Galindo FA, Broom DM: The relationships between social behavior of dairy cows and the occurence of lameness. J. Brit. Cattle Vet. Ass. 1993, 1, (360–364).

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenough PR: The subclinical laminitis syndrome. Bovine Pract. 1985, 20, (144–149).

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenough PR, Vermunt J J: Evaluation of subclinical laminitis in a dairy herd and observations on associated nutritional and management factors. Vet. Rec. 1991, 128, (11–17).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jonsson G, Pehrson B: Studies of the downer syndrome in dairy cows. Zbl. Vet. Med. A 1969, 16, (757–784).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kempson SA, Logue DN: Ultrastructural observations of hoof horn from dairy cows: changes in the white line during the first lactation. Vet. Rec. 1993, 132, (524–527).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kruskal WH, Wallis WA: Use of rankings on one criterion variance analysis. J. Am. Stat. Ass. 1952, 47, 583–621 (corrections appear in 48, pp. 253-265).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leonard FC: Effect of different housing on behaviour and foot lesions in Friesian heifers. Vet. Rec. 1994, 134, (490–494).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Livesey CT, Fleming FL: Nutritional influences on laminitis, sole ulcer and bruised sole in Friesian cows. Vet. Rec. 1984, 114, (510–512).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Logue DN, Offer JE, Hyslop JJ: Relationship of diet, hoof type and locomotion score with lesions of the sole and white line in dairy cattle. Anim. Prod. 1994, 39, (173–181).

    Google Scholar 

  • Manson F J, Leaver JD: The influence of concentrate amount on locomotion and clinical lameness in dairy cattle. Anim. Prod. 1988, 47, (185–190).

    Google Scholar 

  • Mortensen K, Hesselholt M: Laminitis in Danish dairy cattle - an epidemiological approach. Proc. IV Int. Symp. Disord. Ruminant Digit, Paris, France, 1982, pp. 295–311.

  • Murphy PA, Hannan J: Effects of slatted flooring on claw shape in intensively housed fattening beef cattle. Proc. V Int. Symp. Disorders Ruminant Digit, Dublin, Ireland, 1986, pp. 2–7.

  • Peterse DJ: De beoordeling van de runderklauw op basis van het optreden van zoollaesies (Judgement of bovine claws by the occurrence of sole lesions). Thesis, Rijksuniv., Utrecht, the Netherlands, 1980. (In Dutch).

    Google Scholar 

  • Peterse DJ, Korver S, Oldenbroek JK, Talmon FP: Relationship between levels of concentrate feeding and incidence of sole ulcers in dairy cattle. Vet. Rec. 1984, 115, (629–630).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Potter MJ, Broom DM: The behaviour and welfare of cows in relation to cubicle house design. In: Cattle housing systems, lameness and behaviour. Eds. HK Wierenga and DJ Peterse. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, Dordrecht, the Netherlands, 1987, pp. 159–165.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rowlands GJ, Russell AM, Williams LA: Effects of season, herd size, management system and veterinary practice on the lameness incidence in dairy cattle. Vet. Rec. 1983, 113, (441–445).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rowlands GJ, Russell AM, Williams LA: Effects of stage of lactation, month, age, origin and heart girth on lameness in dairy cattle. Vet. Rec. 1985, 117, (576–580).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Russell AM: The influence of sire on lameness in cows. Proc. Brit. Cattle Vet. Assoc. 1984-85, Windermere, UK, 1986, pp. 213–219.

  • SAS Institute Inc: SAS/STATTM: Guide for personal computers. Version 6. Edition, Cary, NC, USA, 1987.

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh SS, Ward WR, Lautenbach K, Murray RD: Behaviour of first lactation and adult dairy cows while housed and at pasture and its relationship with sole lesions. Vet. Rec. 1993, 133, (469–474).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smits MCJ, Frankena K, Metz JHM, Noordhuizen JPTM: Prevalence of digital disorders in zerograzing dairy cows. Livest. Prod. Sci. 1992, 32, (231–244).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stanek C: Does the claw trimming procedure affect milk yield and milk quality factors? Proc. VIII Int. Symp. Disord. Ruminant Digit & Int. Conf. Bovine Lameness, Banff, Canada, 1994, pp. 306–317.

  • Thysen I: Foot and leg disorders in dairy cattle in different housing systems. In: Cattle housing systems, lameness and behaviour. Eds. HK Wierenga and DJ Peterse. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, Dordrecht, the Netherlands, 1987, pp. 166–178.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The investigation was supported by the Swedish Council for Forestry and Agricultural Research and by the Swedish Farmers' Foundation for Research.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Experimental Station, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O.Box 234, S-532 23, Skara, Sweden

    C. Bergsten & B. Frank

  2. Department of Agricultural Bio-systems and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden

    C. Bergsten & B. Frank

Authors
  1. C. Bergsten
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. B. Frank
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to C. Bergsten.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bergsten, C., Frank, B. Sole Haemorrhages in Tied Primiparous Cows as an Indicator of Periparturient Laminitis: Effects of Diet, Flooring and Season. Acta Vet Scand 37, 383–394 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03548078

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03548078

Keywords

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica

ISSN: 1751-0147