On-farm facilitated ankylosis in cattle and other hoof-related lameness treatment methods

Lameness is an important cause of economic loss in the beef in­dustry due to reproductive inefficiency, weight loss and recum­bency leading to increased risk of the affected animal dying or being culled. Lameness must be viewed as an important bovine welfare issue as well. Most lameness in cattle is hoof-based. To do a thorough hoof examination, good hoof restraint is neces­sary. In many cases where invasive procedures are necessary, regional limb anesthesia (RLA) using lidocaine in the dorsal digital vein (Bier Block) is beneficial. Post-op analgesia using an NSAID such as meloxicam is both important and beneficial. RLA allows one to perform invasive procedures necessary for treatment of septic joints and subsolar abscesses. Treatment of a septic P2-P3 joint involves antibiotics and might involve am­putation, facilitated ankylosis via joint lavage/abscess drainage or facilitated ankylosis via drilling through P2-P3 to provide abscess drainage. All these procedures can work. The environ­ment the cow lives in will be important in deciding the best method to resolve the septic joint. It is important to communi­cate to the client that any treatment of septic arthritis of P2-P3 will be expensive and will require several treatment sessions and owner-delivered aftercare. It will take one to two months before ankylosis has occurred.