Claw disorders in dairy cattle – an unexpected association between energy metabolism and sole haemorrhages

Abstract

The present study investigated whether changes of energy metabolism post-partum (pp) are associated with claw health. For this purpose, back-fat-thickness (BFT) was measured and blood samples were taken from 146 cows at four examination times. The serum levels of free fatty acids (FFA), ß-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) and glucose were measured. Furthermore, in the first week postpartum (pp) and at 8 weeks pp, a claw trimming was done and the presence and extent of sole haemorrhages (SH) was recorded. Animals with high BFT at calving and therefore high fat mobilisation and whose FFA and BHB levels in the first week pp exceeded the reference values had fewer pathological changes of the claws than thinner animals whose FFA and BHB levels stayed within reference ranges. The body condition before calving, represented in this study by BFT, plays an important role in non-infectious claw disorders. Poorer body condition was found to be associated with the SH that develop in the first 2 months of lactation.

Symposium review: The role of adipose tissue in transition dairy cows: Current knowledge and future opportunities

“…In a multiyear study of one herd analyzing 79,565 cow-weeks at risk, BCS <2 was associated with greater risk of lameness events (Randall et al, 2015). This association has also been found by other researchers (Espejo et al, 2006;Hoedemaker et al, 2009;Green et al, 2014) and a possible etiology with reduced shock absorbance due to a decreased digital adipose cushion thickness in thin cows is postulated (Bicalho and Oikonomou, 2013;Griffiths et al, 2020) and may lead to increased risk of sole hemorrhages (Wilhelm et al, 2017).…”

The importance of hoof health in dairy production

“…This relationship may also exist for lameness, but this has not yet been fully studied (Randall et al 2016). According to Wilhelm et al (2017), the body condition before calving, as represented by backfat thickness and which is associated with the "fat pillow" in the hooves, plays an important role in noninfectious claw disorders. Changes in energy metabolism postpartum are associated with claw health, especially in the first 2 months of lactation.…”

Effects of mechanical loads on the deformation and health status of claws in dairy cows

“…These effects of aging are not fully understood, but could be linked to behavioural changes. Several epidemiological studies have shown that animals with low body condition score (BCS) are at risk to become lame (Espejo et al, 2006;Dippel et al, 2009;Randall et al, 2015;Wilhelm et al, 2017). hypothesize that low BCS is linked with thin digital cushions, and thus impaired shock absorption.…”