Claw Trimming as a Lameness Management Practice and the Association with Welfare and Production in Dairy Cows

Abstract

Lameness resulting from claw lesions remains a pressing welfare issue in dairy cows. Claw trimming (CT) is a common practice for prevention and management of clinically lame cows. This review summarizes the results of studies that have investigated various claw trimming (CT) methods, their application in lameness management, and associations with the welfare and production of dairy cows. The papers included in this review fulfilled the following inclusion criteria: published in peer review journal or book chapter within the last 20 years (1999–2019), written in English, and focused on the application of CT for lameness management and the association with either welfare or production variables. Databases used included Google scholar, Web of Science and PubMed. A total of 748 records were assessed and 61 papers were eligible for inclusion and the main objectives and results were used to categorize the results under six topics: CT techniques, association between CT and claw overgrowth/specific claw lesions, timing and frequency of CT, association between CT and behavioral variables, association between CT and physiological parameters, and association between CT and production. The literature findings showed the existence of various CT methods with the common types including the Dutch Five-step, White Line, White Line Atlas, and Kansas techniques. There is data paucity on the efficacy of these techniques in lameness management; however, the slight procedural difference yields varying sole thicknesses and presentations which may influence their prophylactic use. Results regarding the impact of CT on welfare and production were discussed in relation to potential short and long-term benefits. Depending on the lesion type and severity level, CT may induce immediate painful sensation, stress, changes in lying down activities and reduction in milk yield, but the positive impacts were more evident at later stages of lactation following improvement in locomotion score. The majority of the reviewed studies were lacking a detailed description of CT techniques and claw health of the studied animals; thus, reducing the strength of demonstrating CT-related benefits. However, electronic recording of claw health data during every CT visit provides the basis for monitoring hoof health and could assist in curtailing some of these challenges. To elucidate CT-related benefits, certain areas requiring further research were highlighted such as ascertaining the appropriate timing for preventive CT and identifying cows that will benefit more from such intervention during lactation.

Benchmarking Based on Regularly Recorded Claw Health Data of Austrian Dairy Cattle for Implementation in the Cattle Data Network (RDV)

“…Therefore, prevention or reduction in lameness in cows with scores ≥ 3 during the dry period and early lactation is anticipated to have beneficial effects on these and other parameters and welfare [ 14 , 17 , 23 ]. This can be achieved by checking all cows for lameness at dry-off and routine claw trimming, and treatment at dry-off and again at 40 to 60 DIM together with concurrent regular locomotion scoring at two-week intervals [ 14 , 16 , 46 , 69 ]. Conversely, an explanation for these rather high incidence risks of lameness in dry cows and cows in the first 100 DIM is that many farmers do not routinely check cows for lameness at dry-off and during the first 100 DIM, and do not perform hoof trimming at these critical time points [ 62 , 70 ].…”

“…However, painful claw lesions do not necessarily lead to premature culling. Outcomes always depend on how early and how effectively treatments are carried out, which can vary greatly from farm to farm [ 16 , 42 , 69 ].…”

Effects of High Concentrate-Induced Subacute Ruminal Acidosis Severity on Claw Health in First-Lactation Holstein Cows

“…In the present study, functional hoof trimming was performed at intervals of approximately four and three months, which is an unusually short interval compared to common practice in many dairy herds [ 60 , 61 , 62 ]. This management measure could also be cited as an explanation for the low prevalence of lameness and claw lesions in the 24 first-lactation cows.…”

Preventive hoof trimming in dairy cattle: Determining current practices and identifying future research areas

“…Despite its perceived widespread practice, evidence supporting trimming technique and optimal frequency of trimming are limited for the modern dairy cow. 2 A recent study surveyed 61 dairy farms to determine risk factors associated with lameness. 3 It was reported that 63.6% of farms undertook preventive hoof trimming, with 23% of respondents implementing a preventive trim between 60 and 100 days of lactation, which was significantly associated with a decreased lameness prevalence.…”