Footpad horn hypertrophy and vertical fissure accompanied by white line disease 2 in case of concurrent deep digital sepsis in a culling cow

Authors

1 Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran 2Department

2 Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

3 Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

A5.2 year-old Holstein cow was presented with lameness and
abnormal weight bearing in a slaughterhouse. Widening of the
periople and swelling of the heel area in the lateral claw was more
permanent than the medial claw. Vertical fissure (VF) involving
the coronary band to the middle of the dorsal wall of the medial
hind claw was observed. It was also extended to the bearing
surface in the inner surface of the claw wall. White line disease 2
(WLD2) was seen in the length of VF on the bearing surface. The
horn of the bulb apex of the lateral hind claw was hypertrophic.
There was a groove in the footpad between the apex and base of
the bulb too. Grosspathologically, the digital bones showed a
wide range of bone changes such as new bone formation, pedal
osteolysis and bony ankylosis. The hind leg was amputated at the
tarsus immediately after slaughter. The lower limbs of lame cows
were examined and the type and distribution of digital lesions
were tabulated. An x-ray machine was used in this study to take
radiographic images. The radiographic images taken from the
involved digits of the affected case depicted a quite wide range
of radiographic signs. After the first review of the X-ray film,
samples were selected for further procedures through
putrefaction. Laminitis may have affected this case at some
previous time. Routine trimming seems to have prevented the
premature culling in the cows with claw lesion.

Keywords