The contribution of previous lameness events and body condition score to the occurrence of lameness in dairy herds: A study of 2 herds

Abstract

A note on versions:The version presented here may differ from the published version or from the version of record. If you wish to cite this item you are advised to consult the publisher's version. Please see the repository url above for details on accessing the published version and note that access may require a subscription. ABSTRACTIt has been demonstrated that low body condition and previous occurrence of lameness increase the risk of future lameness in dairy cows. To date the population attributable fraction (PAF), which provides an estimate of the contribution that a risk factor makes toward the total number of disease events in a population, has not been explored for lameness using longitudinal data with repeated measures. Estimation of PAF helps to identify control measures that could lead to the largest improvements on-farm. The aim of this study was to use longitudinal data to evaluate the proportion of lameness that could be avoided in 2 separate herds (2 populations) through (1) reduced recurrence of previous lameness events, (2) and moving body condition score (BCS) into more optimal ranges. Data were obtained from 2 UK dairy herds: herd A, a 200-cow herd with 8 yr of data from a total of 724 cows where lameness events were based on weekly locomotion scores (LS; 1 to 5 scale), and herd B, a 600-cow herd with data recorded over 44 mo from a total of 1,040 cows where treatment of clinical cases was used to identify lameness events. The PAF for categories of BCS were estimated using a closed equation appropriate for multiple exposure categories. Simulation models were used to explore theoretical scenarios to reflect changes in BCS and recurrence of previous lameness events in each herd. For herd A, 21.5% of the total risk periods (cowweeks) contained a lameness event (LS 3, 4, or 5), 96% of which were repeat events and 19% were recorded with BCS <2 (3 wk previously; 0 to 5 scale). When lameness events were based on 2 consecutive weeks of LS 4 or 5, 4% of risk periods were recorded as lame, of which 89.5% were repeat events. For herd B, 16.3% of the total risk periods (consecutive 30 d) contained a lameness event (72.6% were repeat events) and 20% were recorded with BCS ≤2 (0 to 120 d previously).The median PAF for all previous lameness was between 79 and 83% in the 2 herds. Between 9 and 21% of lameness events could be attributed to previous lameness occurring >16 wk before a risk period. The median PAF estimated for changes in BCS were in the region of 4 to 11%, depending on severity of lameness. Repeated bouts of lameness made a very large contribution to the total number of lameness events. This could either be because certain cows are initially susceptible and remain susceptible, due to the increased risk associated with previous lameness events, or due to interactions with environmental factors. This area requires further research.

Factors Associated With Lameness in Tie Stall Housed Dairy Cows in South Germany

“…This association is in accordance with others (20,55,56). As loss in body condition is not exclusively related to subcutaneous body fat but also affects the digital cushion, its shock absorbing properties during weightbearing are impaired exposing the sensitive structures of the claw, i.e., the distal phalanx and the corium to undissipated mechanical forces that subsequently result in the formation of traumatic claw lesions (56)(57)(58). On the other hand, lameness itself often entails a loss of body condition as animals show alterations in their feeding behavior (59)(60)(61).…”

“…Cows with a BCS lower than recommended (32-34) had higher odds of lameness compared with cows with a higher BCS according to breed and stage of lactation. This association is in accordance with others (20,55,56). As loss in body condition is not exclusively related to subcutaneous body fat but also affects the digital cushion, its shock absorbing properties during weightbearing are impaired exposing the sensitive structures of the claw, i.e., the distal phalanx and the corium to undissipated mechanical forces that subsequently result in the formation of traumatic claw lesions (56)(57)(58).…”

Cardiac vagal tone, plasma cortisol, and dehydroepiandrosterone response to an ACTH challenge in lame and nonlame dairy cows

“…The cow is severely lame (LS 5) if stands and walks with an arched back and refuses to bear weight on 1 limb. Cows with scores 4 and 5 were allocated in the experimental (lame) group, based on Randall et al [29,30]. The causes of lameness included chronic hoof lesions such as sole ulcer, toe necrosis, white line abscess, and interdigital phlegmon [31] on at least 1 foot.…”

Associations between body condition score, locomotion score, and sensor-based time budgets of dairy cattle during the dry period and early lactation

“…Others have studied the time budget of moderately lame cows on farms with sand or mattresses (Cook et al, 2004;Gomez and Cook, 2010); however, a complete sensor-based behavioral profile or time budget based on feeding, lying, and walking behavior in relation to lameness seems lacking. A recent longitudinal study showed vulnerability to lameness to be highly related to previous cases of lameness (Randall et al, 2018), but these researchers did not analyze the transition period, when cows are generally more vulnerable to health problems (Drackley, 1999). The dry period has been identified as a time when cows are especially vulnerable to developing lameness.…”

“…Loss of BCS in the dry period was shown to be a predisposing factor for transition disease and for reduced productive and reproductive parameters postpartum, but not for lameness (Chebel et al, 2018;Daros et al, 2020). Based on scoring BCS weekly in one herd and every 60 d in another herd, corrected for previous lameness, a BCS of <2.25 and <2, respectively, was associated with higher odds for lameness 1 to 3 wk or up to 4 mo later (Randall et al, 2018).…”