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Lameness
is the third most common reason for culling dairy cattle in the
UK. It is a major source of economic loss and can cause huge welfare
problems. It is vital, therefore, to ensure that the feet of your
cattle remain as healthy as possible.
Most
of the farm animal vets at Endell Veterinary Group are trained in
the Dutch method of cattle foot trimming. We recommend that your
cows' feet are regularly trimmed by trained personnel. If necessary
we can arrange to perform this task for you. We have our own mobile
WOPA box (foot trimming crush) and race which we can bring with
us on to your farm in order to facilitate this if required.
We
also provide advice about lameness prevention including breeding
strategy, housing design and management, cow track design and foot
bathing regimes required for the prevention and treatment of various
conditions such as foul–in–the–foot and digital dermatitis. These
regimes can then be incorporated into your herd
health plan.
On
an individual basis we are happy to treat lame cows and have expertise
in fixing various types of block and in various surgical techniques
which may be required in cases where the lameness is more severe
and advanced.
In
addition to our work with individual lame cows and giving advice
to our clients about lameness prevention, we also run occasional
training courses for our clients on cattle foot trimming and the
care of the foot. Our vets have also lectured on foot trimming and
the treatment and prevention of lameness at several of the UK veterinary
schools and at conferences organised by the British Cattle Veterinary
Association.
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