| Literature DB >> 26811441 |
H J Thomas1, J G Remnant1, N J Bollard1, A Burrows2, H R Whay3, N J Bell4, C Mason5, J N Huxley1.
Abstract
A positively controlled, randomised controlled trial (RCT) was undertaken to test recovery of cows with claw horn lesions resulting in lameness of greater than two weeks duration. Cows on seven commercial farms were mobility scored fortnightly and selected by lameness severity and chronicity. Study cows all received a therapeutic trim then random allocation of: no further treatment (trim only (TRM)), plastic shoe (TS) or plastic shoe and NSAID (TSN). Recovery was assessed by mobility score at 42 (±4) days post treatment by an observer blind to treatment group. Multivariable analysis showed no significant effect of treatment with an almost identical, low response rate to treatment across all groups (Percentage non-lame at outcome: TRM--15 per cent, TS--15 per cent, TSN--16 per cent). When compared with results of a similar RCT on acutely lame cows, where response rates to treatment were substantially higher, it can be concluded that any delay in treatment is likely to reduce the rate of recovery, suggesting early identification and treatment is key. Thirty-eight per cent of animals treated in this study were lame on the contralateral limb at outcome suggesting that both hindlimbs should be examined and a preventive or if necessary a therapeutic foot trim performed when lameness is identified particularly if the duration of lameness is unknown. British Veterinary Association.Entities:
Keywords: Clinical trials; Dairy cattle; Evidence-based medicine; Lameness; Treatment; Welfare
Mesh:
Year: 2016 PMID: 26811441 PMCID: PMC4752658 DOI: 10.1136/vr.103394
Source DB: PubMed Journal: Vet Rec ISSN: 0042-4900 Impact factor: 2.695
Treatments administered in a randomised controlled trial to test the recovery of cows with chronic claw horn lesions following different treatments
| Treatment group | Treatment name | Treatment definition |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (TRM) | Therapeutic foot trim only |
Remove excess horn growth Investigate and trim out any lesions present Remove diseased and under-run horn As far as possible, rebalance claw height to reduce weightbearing on diseased claw ( |
| 2 (TS) | Therapeutic trim and plastic shoe |
Therapeutic foot trim as in treatment 1 Application of an orthopaedic plastic shoe* (Demotec, Nidderau, Germany) to the unaffected claw |
| 3 (TSN) | Therapeutic trim, plastic shoe and NSAID |
Therapeutic foot trim as in treatment 1 Application of an orthopaedic plastic shoe* (Demotec, Nidderau, Germany) to the unaffected claw Administration of a three-day course of ketoprofen (Ketofen 10% solution for injection at 3 mg/kg intramuscular, Merial Animal Health, Woking, UK) |
*Plastic shoe with weightbearing surface approximately 110 mm long, 55 mm wide and 18 mm deep. The shoe was positioned and fixed in place following the manufacturer’s instructions in an attempt to replicate normal claw placement and weight distribution
TRM, trim only; TS, trim and shoe; TSN, trim, shoe and NSAID.
Mobility scoring descriptors employed in a randomised controlled trial to test the recovery of cows with chronic claw horn lesions following different treatments
| Mobility | Descriptor |
|---|---|
| 0 | Walks with even weightbearing and rhythm on all four feet, with a flat back. Long fluid strides possible |
| 1 | Steps uneven (rhythm or weightbearing or strides shortened, affected limb or limbs not immediately identifiable) |
| 2a | Mild asymmetry in hindlimb movement. Decreased stride length on affected limb and slightly decreased stance duration with a corresponding increase in limb flight velocity on the non-affected side. Walking velocity remains normal. Back may be raised. |
| 2b | Moderate asymmetry in hindlimb movement. Decreased stride length on affected limb and a distinct decrease in stance duration. Limb flight on the non-affected limb is correspondingly faster and the overall walking velocity is reduced. Back usually raised. |
| 3a | Severe asymmetry in hindlimb movement. Marked decrease in stride length on affected limb and very short stride duration. Limb flight on non-affected limb rapid and walking velocity reduced such that the cow cannot keep up with the healthy herd. Back raised. |
| 3b | Minimal or non-weightbearing on affected limb. Back raised. Reluctant to walk without encouragement. |
*Adapted from the DairyCo Mobility Score system (www.dairyco.org.uk), the UK industry standard. Scores were subdivided to allow greater differentiation between levels of lameness, particularly in milder cases. Scores 2a and 2b and 3a and 3b can be amalgamated back to scores 2 and 3 in this system, respectively
FIG 1:Diagram showing the number of animals examined, randomly allocated to treatment groups and completing the study protocol, in a randomised controlled trial investigating the treatment of chronic claw horn lesions. *Lesions ranged from mild to severe but did not include any lesions with an infectious component (e.g. lesions with secondary digital dermatitis infection). A presumptive diagnosis of ‘other’ claw horn lesion was made in four cows (1× TRM, 2× TS, 1× TSN) with no visible lesions where claw pain was present and no infectious cause was identified. SH/U, sole haemorrhage or sole ulceration; WLD, white line disease
Number of cows recovering in each of three treatment groups in a randomised controlled trial testing the recovery of dairy cows from chronic claw horn lesions
| Number (and percentage) of cases recovered at 42-day outcome score | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Treatment group | N | Outcome i. non-lame* | Outcome ii. improved† | Outcome iii. apparent leg-cure‡ |
| 1 (TRM) | 52 | 8 (15.4) | 23 (44.2) | 27 (51.9) |
| 2 (TS) | 54 | 8 (14.8) | 26 (48.1) | 28 (51.9) |
| 3 (TSN) | 50 | 8 (16.0) | 24 (48.0) | 29 (58.0) |
| Total | 156 | 24 (15.4) | 73 (46.8) | 84 (53.8) |
*‘non-lame’: Cows that were score 0 or 1 at outcome
†‘improved’: Cows where the score at outcome was lower than the score at enrolment
‡‘apparent leg-cure’: Cows which were ‘non-lame’ or identified as lame on the contralateral leg at outcome