Prevalence, risk factors, efficacy of hoof trimming, and treatment protocols of lameness and hoof lesions in dairy cows in Malaysia
Lameness is one of the most important health issues in dairy cows. This study aimed to (1) determine the prevalence of lameness and hoof lesions and their risk factors in Malaysian dairy herds, (2) evaluate the efficacy of hoof trimming (HT) techniques for lameness management in grazing and non-g...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2021
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/104742/1/FPV%202022%206%20IR.pdf http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/104742/ |
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| Summary: | Lameness is one of the most important health issues in dairy cows. This study
aimed to (1) determine the prevalence of lameness and hoof lesions and their
risk factors in Malaysian dairy herds, (2) evaluate the efficacy of hoof trimming
(HT) techniques for lameness management in grazing and non-grazing cows,
and the short-term impact on behavioural activities, cortisol levels, and milk yield,
3) to evaluate the impact of treatment protocols for hoof horn lesions on recovery
rates, behaviour and milk yield, and 4) assess dairy farmers’ knowledge, attitude,
and practices regarding lameness management. The first study comprised a
study population of 1,051 lactating cows from 29 dairy farms in Selangor (n = 9),
Perak (n = 9), Negeri Sembilan (n = 6) and Johor (n = 5). Lameness was
assessed by locomotion scoring, followed by hoof examination and collection of
farm and cow-level characteristics. The prevalence of lameness was 34.2%
(95% Confidence Interval: 22.2-50.0%). Sole ulcers were the predominant lesion
(24.9%), followed by white line disease (19.6%), sole haemorrhage (10.2%), and
digital dermatitis (5.6%). Overall, these lesions were influenced by different
factors at the cow and farm levels. Three studies were conducted for the second
aspect that focused on preventive hoof trimming. First, 520 non-lame cows from
two grazing and three non-grazing dairy farms were allocated to either hoof
trimming (using the Dutch five-step method) or control groups. Second, 418 nonlame
cows from one farm were randomly allocated into three groups: Dutch fivestep
HT (TRIM1), modified HT method (TRIM2), and a control (CON) group.
Locomotion scores and other cow characteristics were assessed monthly for one
lactation in all the experimental groups. Third, 20 non-lame cows without hoof
lesions were randomly allocated to trimmed (n = 10) and control (n = 10) groups,
blood cortisol analysis and behavioural (time spent lying down, feeding, and
standing) assessment pre and post-HT, and two days later. Resultantly, lower
incidence rates of lameness and significantly higher time to first lameness event
were recorded in the trimmed cows in grazing (27.4 cases/100/month, mean ±
S.E; 8.12 ± 0.1) and non-grazing farms (31.9 cases/100/month, 8.05 ± 0.2) compared to the controls (48.4 and 45.8 cases/100/month). Likewise, the
incidence rate of lameness was 28.7, 15.8 and 42.8 cases/100 cows/months in
TRIM1, TRIM2 and CON respectively during lactation, with TRIM2
demonstrating a significantly higher time to first lameness event (8.26 ± 0.16)
than CON (7.32 ± 0.2). Cortisol levels increased significantly (P < 0.05) in both
groups after treatment compared to the basal levels. Hoof-trimmed cows spent
significantly more time lying down, and less time standing and at the feed bunk
compared to CON on day 1. The fifth study entailed a randomised clinical trial
involving five groups of moderately lame cows (n = 81): Group A (therapeutic
trim + administration of ketoprofen + hoof block), Group B (therapeutic trim +
hoof block), Group C (therapeutic trim + ketoprofen), Group D (therapeutic trim
only), and Group E (non-lame cows receiving only maintenance trim). The
enrolled cows were observed weekly until day 28 after treatment. Group A had
the highest recovery rate (75%; 15/20, P < 0.05) compared to Group D (40%;
6/15). Groups A and E spent lesser time lying down (P < 0.05) compared to other
treatments. Time spent at feed bunk was highest in Group E (P < 0.05) and
lowest (P < 0.05) in Groups C and D. Hence, treatment protocols for hoof horn
lesions affected both the lameness recovery rate and short-term behaviours in
moderately lame cows. The last study was a survey conducted among dairy
farmers (n = 114) in Peninsular Malaysia. Lameness was ranked as the second
most important health issue in Malaysian dairies. Farmers showed satisfactory
knowledge about the impact of lameness on dairy cattle welfare and production
but most of them (75.8%; 22/29) underestimated lameness and rarely
implemented proper management strategies in their farms. Conclusively, the
present high lameness prevalence in Malaysian dairy farms requires effective
control strategies. The modified HT method employed in this study demonstrated
the potential of reducing lameness incidence in grazing and non-grazing cows.
However, the impacts of HT and related treatment protocols on welfare indicators
need to be considered. These findings add to the body of knowledge regarding
the importance of lameness and hoof lesions in Malaysian dairies, and the role
of HT techniques in minimising the negative impact on dairy cattle. |
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