Klovlidelsers betydning, forebyggelse og behandling i malkekvaegsbesaetninger

Abstract: The dairy cow needs an optimal environment and a good status of health to deliver what we expect from it in today's intensive farming. An arising problem is hoof disorders which over the last few decades has become a more and more increasing problem that every year costs dairy farmers millions of kroner. This subject is interesting as there today is no room for mistakes to slow the production down and hoof diseases are exactly an unattended fact that has not been given the needed thoughts and attention. This mainly because of lack of awareness and knowledge from the farmer. Apart from lameness and a general negative effect on the well-being of the cow, hoof diseases cause great economical losses in production due to decreases in milk and meat production, poor fertility and higher risk of mastitis caused by the difficulties in lying down and getting up. This costs the dairy farmer from 200-700 kr. pr cow/year. A lot of the disorders are sub clinical and are therefore not given the right treatment in time which is fatal. Only 3-8% of the cows in Swedish and Danish herds are treated for hoof diseases every year by the veterinary while it has shown to be a problem in up till 70% of the cows in the herds. The disorders we see are often laminitis which in a more server form causes sole lesions. It has been connected to wrong feeding with too little an amount of structure. Especially young cows are sensitive to the great pressure on their not fully developed bodies and sudden changes in the environment. Interdigital phlegmone or foul in the foot and heel horn erosion are primarily caused by the wet and aggressive environment surrounding the hoofs which often is seen in the free stall barns. Digital dermatitis is contagious and has spread from southern Europe and can now be found in 50% of the herds here in Scandinavia. Digital dermatitis spreads as bacteria. Lots of these disorders can be prevented by good and simple management and a lot can be avoided by keeping the environment dry and clean. Treatment often includes a solution containing 5-10% copper sulphate which leads to environmental problems. The Carematic treatment boxes with Hooffit liquid and The Kovex Foam Activator system are two interesting examples of weekly hoof treatment systems to control hoof diseases in the future.