STUDIES ON INCIDENCE AND MANAGEMENT OF HOOF DISORDERS IN COMMERCIAL DAIRY FARMS AROUND ANAND
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Date
2010
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AAU, Anand
Abstract
The hoof is complex structure that plays a key role in many aspects of the animal's overall health and productivity. The present investigations were aimed at studying the incidence and symptoms of hoof diseases, the effectiveness of hoof trimming in general and for identification of lesions and its treatment, and also to analyse the economic losses in terms of reduced milk production. The information derived by surveillance was analysed in relation to species, breed, age, sex, housing system and floor conditions. This clinical work involved 523 clinical cases among the population of 3,169 heads in 25 commercial dairy farms located around Anand. The surveillance of 1267 cattle and 1902 buffaloes revealed 523 clinical cases of hoof diseases comprising of 53.15 percent cattle and 46.85 percent buffaloes. The overall average incidence of hoof diseases was 523/3169 (16.50%), comprising of 278/1267 (21.94%) cattle and 245/1902 (12.88%) buffaloes. Frequency of foot disorders was greater in commercial dairy farms with pakka floor 375/1805 (20.77%) as compared to kachha floor 148/1364 (10.85%)). The incidence of different foot lesions included sole ulcer 10 (1.91%), white line separation 90 (17.21%), white line abscess 4 (0.76%), punctured sole and pus 16 (3.05%)), foreign body in sole 6 (1.15%), heel horn erosion 9 (1.72%), foul of the foot 11 (2.10%), interdigital hyperplasia 16 (3.05%)), interdigital foreign body 1 (0.19%)), sole haemorrhage 26 (4.97%), horizontal fissure 14 (2.67%), sand crack 8 (1.53%)), aseptic laminitis 9 (1.72%)), cork screw horn 31 (5.93%)), deep sepsis 2(0.38%o) and overgrown hooves 270 (51.63%o). The breed wise incidence of hoof disorders in affected cattle revealed highest rate of occurrence in Jersey crossbred 38/163 (23.31%) followed by H.F. crossbred 223/1013 (22.01%), Gir 12/64 (18.75%) and Kankrej 5/27 (18.51%)). Similarly among buffaloes highest breed incidence was recorded in Jafrabadi 162/1476 (10.95%) followed by Mehsani 35/148 (23.64%), Murrah 21/133 (15.78%), Surati 19/95 (20%), Non-descript 8/50 (16%). It was revealed that out of 523 affected animals, 148/523 (28.30%) animals were maintained on kachha floor with moderate hygienic conditions and the rest 375/523 (71.70%o) on pakka floor. The incidence of hoof disorders was 15/119 (12.61%)) in cattle maintained on kachha floor and 133/1245 (10.68%) in buffaloes, while 263/1148 (22.91%) cattle and 12/657 (17.05%) buffaloes were maintained on pakka floor. Hoof lesions were observed to be greater in hind limbs (312; 59.65%)) with greater involvement of outer claw (192; 61.54%) than in fore-limbs (211; 40.35%) with greater involvement of inner claw (122; 56.83%)). Hoof disorders observed were higher as the concentrate level in the diet increased. Out of 523 affected animals, 215/715 (30.07%)) were maintained on 80-90 percent concentrate diet, 185/1072 (17.25 %>) on 65- 80 percent concentrate diet and 123/1382 (8.9 %) animals were maintained on the 50-65 percent concentrate diet. Milk production reduced as severity of hoof lesions and pain increased. In forty animals the average milk loss after hoof disorder was (155/40) 3.8 liters/day/animal, while after hoof trimming and treatment average improvement of milk production was (24/40) 0.6 liters/day/animal. Hoof disorders lead to milk loss up to 31.66 percent of entire lactation. Successful trimming of the hooves in 150 animals facilitated early detection of subclinical laminitic lesions. Thus, corrective hoof trimming was found to be effective procedure for treating overgrown hooves and reduce the incidence of hoof lesions.
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VETERINARY SURGERY AND RADIOLOGY, A STUDY