Association of digital cushion thickness with sole temperature measured with the use of infrared thermography

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to investigate the association between digital cushion thickness and sole temperature measured by infrared thermography. Data were collected from 216 lactating Holstein cows at 4 to 10d in milk (DIM). Cows were locomotion scored and sole temperature was measured after claw trimming (a minimum delay of 3 min was allowed for the hoof to cool) using an infrared thermography camera. Temperature was measured at the typical ulcer site of the lateral digit of the left hind foot. Immediately after the thermographic image was obtained, the thickness of the digital cushion was measured by ultrasonography. Rumen fluid samples were collected with a stomach tube and sample pH was measured immediately after collection. Additionally, a blood sample was obtained and used for measurements of serum concentrations of β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA), nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA), and haptoglobin. To evaluate the associations of digital cushion thickness with sole temperature, a linear regression model was built using the GLIMMIX procedure in SAS software (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC). Sole temperature was the response variable, and digital cushion thickness quartiles, locomotion score group, rumen fluid pH, rumen fluid sample volume, environmental temperature, age in days, and serum levels of NEFA, BHBA, and haptoglobin were fitted in the model. Only significant variables were retained in the final model. Simple linear regression scatter plots were used to illustrate associations between sole temperature (measured by infrared thermography at the typical ulcer site) and environmental temperature and between NEFA and BHBA serum levels and haptoglobin. One-way ANOVA was used to compare rumen fluid pH for different locomotion score groups and for different digital cushion quartiles. Results from the multivariable linear regression model showed that sole temperature increased as locomotion scores increased and decreased as digital cushion thickness increased. These results were adjusted for environmental temperature, which was significantly associated with sole temperature. Serum levels of NEFA, BHBA, and haptoglobin were not associated with sole temperature. However, significant correlations existed between serum levels of NEFA and haptoglobin and between serum levels of BHBA and haptoglobin. Rumen fluid pH was not associated with either locomotion score or digital cushion thickness. In conclusion, we show here that digital cushion thickness was associated with sole temperature in cows at 4 to 10 DIM.

A prospective cohort study of digital cushion and corium thickness. Part 1: Associations with body condition, lesion incidence, and proximity to calving

“…In previous work that scanned the sole soft tissues within 4 to 10 d after calving, the soles of feet in cows without lesions were hotter if the sole soft tissues were thinner. The authors hypothesized that reduced sole soft tissue thickness was associated with trauma in the region and early signs of inflammation, before CHDL became visible (Oikonomou et al, 2014b); this thinness could have been predisposed by laxity of the suspensory apparatus. Such results could suggest that vascular or inflammatory changes occur within the soft tissues of the sole of the foot in lesion development.…”

Matrine-chitosan hydrogels for treating subclinical bovine mastitis by intramammary infusion—effect on milk microbiome and metabolites

“…In brief, the DNA concentration and 260/280 ratio were measured with a NanoDrop 1000 spectrophotometer (Nanodrop Technologies, U.S.), and integrity was visualized by running aliquots on an agarose gel. The V1-V2 region of the 16S rRNA gene was PCR-ampli ed by (GeneAmp 9700, ABI, U.S.) using forward (5'-CGTATCGCCT-CCCTCGCGCCATCAG-3') and reverse (5'-CTA-TGCGCCTTGCCAGCCCGCTCAG-3') primers that incorporated adaptors and barcodes [14,45]. Amplicons of about 450 bp were selected and combined in equal concentrations [46], then electrophoresed and extracted from the gel with GeneJET (ThermoFisher, Waltham, MA, United States).…”

The Role of Infrared Thermography as a Non-Invasive Tool for the Detection of Lameness in Cattle

“…These authors concluded that measurement of foot temperature in early lactation may be useful for monitoring hoof health. Other studies measured the radiated temperature at the coronary band in cows without foot lesions, and demonstrated that there was no significant difference in surface temperature between left and right hind limbs but a significant difference in temperature when only one of these limbs was affected by a foot lesion [ 21 , 31 ]. Renn et al [ 32 ] were able to classify 139 lame cows out of 142 when detecting temperatures over 27 °C, when one foot at least was affected with lameness.…”