RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NUTRITION AND LAMENESS IN DAIRY ANIMALS

The relationship between nutrition and the development of major hoof lesions is still far from clear. The cause of solar ulcer and white line disease is multifactorial involving husbandry, housing, genetics, infections and nutrition. It is likely that nutrition has only a small part to play in most lameness problems on farm. Many lameness diseases such as laminitis are said to be multifactorial which means that are caused by a combination of risk factors.

There is a relationship between high concentrate diets; and solar ulcers and digital dermatitis. Research has shown that there were greater chances of dermatitis when cows were fed on a high concentrate diet than when fed on a low concentrate diet. Where the length of time after calving to maximum dietary concentrate amount was less than 2 weeks there were increased chances of dermatitis compared to where maximum levels were reached at between 2-3 weeks post calving.

Excessive intake of energy, especially in the form of starch, has been associated with increased lameness particularly laminitis, solar ulcer and white line disease. Excessive starch in the diet is

thought to modify the pattern of fermentation in the rumen which leads to an increase in toxins in the blood. Moldy feed may also trigger these toxins and result in lameness. In fact, an increased prevalence of lameness has been associated with high levels of aflatoxin.

Biotin supplementation has been found helping cure lameness. In herds where the rumen environment is healthy, biotin supplementation shouldn’t be necessary as the cows will make biotin in their guts, but where there are levels of acidosis biotin supplementation may help lameness problems.

It has been found that high levels of sudden increases in dietary protein are associated with outbreaks of some forms of lameness such as digital dermatitis in cattle. In herds where by-products (e.g. from the food industry, and potentially protein-rich) were fed to cows there were increased chances of dermatitis compared with herds where by-products were not fed.

In a study, low dry matter fermented diet based on silage or a high dry matter unfermented diet based on straw leads to lameness. Sole lesions were worst in the low DM group. Another study showed that dairy heifers fed hay or silage had worse solar

hemorrhages and ulceration on silage. It may be due to them walking on wetter dung due to the decreased DM in the diet, rather than any diet effects per se. Benefits are likely to be seen where cows spend less time standing on wet slurry.

Studies have shown that feeding metal specific amino acid complexes led to a decrease in sole hemorrhages and sole ulcers. Animals in the amino acid complexed mineral group had reduced incidence of sole ulceration.

Smaller proportions of lame animals are associated with supplementing vitamins and minerals to lactating cows, but animals fed a vitamin blend also showed an improved locomotion score. When animals’ diets had been supplemented with complex trace minerals in the previous year there was evidence of a reduced percentage of animals with digital dermatitis.

Reducing the Risk by Nutritional Improvements

A stable rumen is the true key in reducing the incidence of laminitis related lameness. Adequate forage concentration in the diet should be included in a balanced ration. As a guide aim to have a minimum of 25% NDF. TMR feeding, provided it is done properly is the best option to reduce risk as rumen conditions when fed TMR are more stable. All feed changes particularly around transition should be made slowly as this is a crucial time at the very least a transition diet should be made available to dry cows 2-3 weeks before calving.

Check zinc and selenium levels with your nutritionist. Recommended zinc is 40-60 ppm in the diet with selenium depending on source being ideally 0.3 ppm and never above 1 ppm. Other additives are biotin with levels of 10-20 mg per day being proven to improve hoof health by increasing hoof horn density however the benefit takes up to 8 months before they become evident.

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