In the last few weeks, I have seen an increase in calls to lame cows, most commonly to cases of white line disease, digital dermatitis, mortellaro and sole ulcers.

Sole ulcers can be very painful and are more associated with winter housing – when cows are standing on concrete for long periods of time. If you have high levels of sole ulcers in your cows, it can be a sign that your cubicle design and cow comfort are less than ideal; or it can be as a result of overcrowding in the cow house. Mortellaro is increasing every year and is very contagious, especially in damp conditions. Initially, it might look like a red rash or a raw patch between the back of the claws and the heel. Once recognised and detected early, it can be treated with blue spray until it forms a black scab and is no longer painful. Remember that these cows will remain disease carriers in the herd. The best approach, as usual, is prevention, with a) good biosecurity; b) good hygiene –keeping cows feet as clean and dry as possible; c) foot-bathing regularly in a disinfectant footbath, sticking to the motto “the more often, the better”. White line disease is the most common cause of lameness that I see. It ranges from a thin, black line, to complete separation of the sole and the wall on the outer hind claw. It happens as a result of stones and dirt penetrating the weakest part of the claw between the wall and the sole. Treatment involves trimming to remove the grit and stones, and putting a shoe on the other claw to take the weight off the affected claw. It can be caused by poor surface on roadways, rushed herding with quad bikes or overcrowding in the collecting yard, where the milking herd has grown but the collecting yard has stayed the same size.

I have three rules to minimise lameness in cows: invest in and maintain good roadways; footbath at least weekly; and get prompt treatment for any lame cow.

*John Healy works at Glasslyn Veterinary Clinics, Glasslyn Rd, Bandon, Co Cork. Glasslyn Veterinary Clinics is part of XLVets. XLVets is a group of progressive practices who are working together to achieve a better future for agriculture and veterinary in Ireland. For more information, see www.xlvets.ie