[Etiology and clinical forms of hoof diseases in bulls]

Investigations were carried out to establish the diseases of hooves in breeder bulls raised under the conditions of modern technologies with restricted movements. It was found that hoof diseases were highest in percent (28%) of all non-infectious diseases. Highest was the percent of the typical traumatic ulcer (62 per cent) and of the local and diffuse aseptic and suppurative pododermatitis (34 per cent), whereas the diseases of the hind hooves prevailed--55 per cent as against 45 per cent for the forelimb ones. Higher was the percent of diseases observed in the hooves of the right limbs--63 per cent as against 36 per cent for the cases of diseases observed in the hooves of the left limbs. The higher liveweight of bulls correlated with the frequency at which hoof diseases were recorded. The pigmented hoof horn tissue was found to be more resistant to the effect of external factors and the hoof diseases associated with them. In the months of May, June, and July the cases of diseased hooves were more numerous than in the remaining months of the year due to the lower resistance of the hoof horn over the rainy period.