Pen checkers can play a pivotal role when it comes to limiting diseases in feedlot cattle associated with lameness
Lameness in beef cattle can be painful, not only for the affected animal but also for a feedlot operator’s bottom line.
That’s why diagnosing lameness early, treating it decisively and taking steps to prevent it in the first place are so important.
Dr. Phil Klassen, a Coaldale, Alta., veterinarian and expert on feedlot lameness, said pen checkers familiar with the causes of lameness can contribute significantly to a feedlot’s profitability.
“Lame cattle can be costly to treat,” Klassen told cattle feeders at the Western Canadian Feedlot Management School Feb. 5 -7 in Saskatoon.
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“Lameness is also associated with the risks of reduced feedlot performance, lower salvage values and (greater) mortality risk,” he continued.
“But very importantly, cattle maintenance is an animal welfare issue and as responsible stewards for the cattle that are in our control, we want to do the very best we can to keep them from getting lame in the first place and to deal effectively with the problem, should it arise.”
In his presentation, Klassen cited a study that compared the hot carcass weights of animals treated for foot rot at some point during the feeding period.
The study found that animals treated late in the feeding period showed an average 28 pound reduction in hot carcass weights entering slaughter.
Weight reductions were generally less pronounced in animals that were treated earlier in the feeding period.
Diagnosing the causes of lameness can be tricky, Klassen said.
Among the most common causes are foot rot, toe abscess, also known as toe-tip necrosis, clubfoot, laminitis, septic arthritis, hairy heel wart, and lameness caused by general injuries such as cuts, bruising, strains, sprains, fractures and dislocations.
“Proper diagnosis is very important,” Klassen said.
“It allows us to choose the right treatment and it helps us to determine which cases are likely to respond to the use of antibiotics….”
Proper diagnosis can also prompt handling or management changes that can help to prevent lameness-related disease in the future.
Lameness is often an easy affliction to observe but one of the hardest to accurately diagnose.
“Lame cattle are one of the very first things that (pen checkers) pick up on,” Klassen said.
“But determining the cause of that lameness and the appropriate treatment is actually very difficult. It takes training and experience.”
Foot rot is probably the most commonly observed ailment associated with lameness.
However, other diseases that cause lameness are often misdiagnosed as foot rot.
Foot rot is a bacterial infection of the skin between the claws of the hoof.
Chromic exposure to high moisture levels in the feedlot can soften the skin and make it less resistant to bacterial infection.
Lameness caused by foot rot can be severe but in most cases, infected hoofs will remain weight bearing.
If treated early, infected animals will respond well to common broad-spectrum antibiotic treatments such as tetracyclines and penicillins.
Swelling around the infected hoof is symmetrical, affecting the entire foot. Toes are often spread and the skin on the back of the hoof will often be split.
“It also has a pretty characteristic foul odour that once you smell it, you’ll never forget it,” Klassen said.
Failure to treat foot rot early can result in infected joint tissues that can lead to septic arthritis, a disease that is harder to control.
Feedlots can minimize foot-rot infections by keeping pens clean and dry and by eliminating abrasive surfaces, rocks and other debris that might damage the skin between the hoofs.
Toe-tip necrosis is another disease that causes lameness.
The disease presents as sudden, acute lameness with no initial signs of swelling and is often observed in animals that are nervous and restless around handlers.
The infection often affects rear outside claws that are used to push off during flight, suggesting abrasion of the hoof material that allows the infection to become established inside the claw.
Proper treatment involves draining the infected toe tips.
Infected animals tend to be heads up and anxious.
Hairy heel wart, also known as Mortellaro’s disease, was described by Klassen as an emerging disease in western Canadian feedlots.
It was first identified in Italy in 1974 and by the early 1990s had shown up in southern Alberta dairy herds.
By 2017, the disease was well known among Canadian dairy operators and had been documented on dairy farms across North America.
Hairy heel wart is a digital dermatitis that infects the heel tissues above the hoof claws.
It’s a persistent disease believed to be caused by a bacterial species in the spirochete family.
Wet conditions and poor manure sanitation play a significant role in its spread.
Initially considered a disease specific to the dairy sector, hairy heel wart is becoming more common in commercial feeding operations.
“In the past three years … we’re seeing it more in beef cattle,” Klassen said.
“This is something we’re seeing more of and I think it’s becoming a fairly significant player in the feedlot sector of Western Canada.”
Infected animals often appear to be walking on the tips of their hoofs.
The condition can be controlled by topical antibiotics or injections, typically tetracycline, but cure rates are low.
Klassen recommended the use of footbaths as an effective and low-cost way to prevent all lameness-related diseases.
Permanent concrete footbaths can be located in handling alleys and filled with a three to five percent solution of copper sulfate.
Ideally, the footbaths will be about four metres long, allowing for each hoof to be dipped twice in single pass.
Temporary wooden footbaths can be constructed using plywood and dimensional lumber.
Slats should be placed in the bottom of the wooden footbaths to prevent slippage and falls.
Klassen said the use of tilting squeezes or tipping tables can make foot treatments easier and may be a worthwhile investment for feedlots that have frequent issues with lameness.
