Prevalence of foot disorders in lactating Jersey cows raised in semi-confinement

To establish prevention strategies, recording the prevalence of foot injuries within a herd should be the starting point in determining the risk factors involved in digital diseases. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of claw disorders in lactating Jersey cows raised in a semi-confinement system.

Five hundred and eighty-four digits were examined from 73 lactating Jersey cows. The lameness score system was used to assess each cow while walking and on standing position, and digital lesions were evaluated with the cows restrained in a hydraulic cattle chute.

The prevalence of digital lesions was 93.1%. Among the 68 affected cows, only 21 were lame. Of the 584 digits examined, 970 lesions were recorded, corresponding to 13.3% lesions per cow and 1.66% injuries per digit. Forty-eight cows (65.7%) had lesions in all digits, and 92.8% of digits had at least one lesion. Lesions in digits of fore limbs were more common (55.3%) (p<0.0001) than those of hind limbs (44.7%). Foot injuries in medial digits of the fore limbs were more prevalent (56.8%) (p<0.001) than in the lateral digits (43.2%). The lesions' occurrence was similar in both medial and lateral digits of the hind limbs (p=0.8347). The primary diseases observed were heel horn erosion (53.8%), white line disease (19.3%), and double sole (12.4%), which together accounted for 92.4% and 84.9% of foot disorders diagnosed in the fore and hind limbs, respectively. Other digital diseases occurred less frequently.

The prevalence of foot disorders in lactating Jersey cows raised in semi-confinement systems was high. This could be due to the lack of preventive trimming, infectious diseases, and nutritional problems.