Problems in the Feet of Cattle

The hooves of a cow form two wide, continuously growing claws covered in thick horny material called keratin and separated by a tissue-filled space. A cow's hoof wall grows approximately 3/16 of an inch monthly and, when damaged, will totally regenerate in 14 months, say animal experts at the Farm Animal Shelters website. Your cow's feet need to be trimmed regularly by a professional trimmer to prevent overgrowth and the subsequent injuries that lead to lameness and diseases.

  1. Laminitis

    • Laminitis, or founder, develops when the vascular lining of the hoof wall, called the lamina, becomes inflamed by confined cattle standing too long on the hard, abrasive concrete surfaces found in most dairy cattle barns. The lack of exercise results in hoof wall overgrowth and the long toes seen in foundering cattle. The inflammation disrupts the blood flow to the corium, the secondary layer of skin tissue adjacent to the lamina, resulting in cell death and dropping of the pedal bone inside the hoof. Once the bone drops, abscesses and ulcers form on the sole and the toes, and the cow suffers acute lameness. To prevent laminitis, the Animal Sciences division at the University of Kentucky recommends allowing dairy cattle to move out of the barn and exercise on pasture or dry lots for two to three hours daily.

    Hairy Heel Warts

    • Papilomatous interdigital dermatitis, also called hairy heel warts, occurs most commonly in dairy cows that stand around in muddy, dirty conditions. Caused by strains of the anaerobic bacteria Treponema, this disease produces red, inflamed lesions on the skin of the interdigital space -- the space between the cow's two toes. Veterinary treatment typically includes dousing the affected feet in footbaths or topical sprays containing a mix of antibiotics. Veterinarians prefer using lincomycin or oxytetracycline to treat the lesions, although many cattle farmers still apply formalin, a less expensive, non-prescription treatment. Dr. Michael Neary and colleagues of the Extension Service of Purdue University discourage the use of formalin due to its carcinogenic properties. Keeping the stalls and aisles of the cow barn free of manure and mud prevents the infection.

    Sole Abscesses

    • Sole abscesses result when puncture wounds or bruising caused by nails or sharp objects in the cow's foot become infected, and the infection encapsulates and continues to spread. Often, the abscess stays inside the hoof wall but, in some instances, will fester and grow inside the foot and burst out through the softer tissue above the hoof. The Department of Animal Science at the University of Minnesota recommends that sole abscesses receive immediate veterinary treatment to prevent the infection spreading into the toe joint and causing permanent lameness. When the abscess stays within the hoof, care revolves around trimming the sole down to the affected are to force drainage of the infection. Packing of the open abscess with antibiotics and a copper sulfate dressing protects the open wound from further infection.

    Quittor

    • Quittor refers to a condition where a pad of fat or connective tissue protrudes down from the top of the hoof into the interdigital space. As this pad, or quittor, grows, it may eventually extend halfway to the tip of the toe, causing the toes to splay and the animal to develop chronic lameness. Most common in overweight cattle, this condition requires surgical removal to affect a lasting cure, says veterinarian N. Bruce Haynes in "Keeping Livestock Healthy."