Healing process of uncomplicated sole ulcers in dairy cows kept in tie stalls: clinical description and biochemical investigations

By Dietrich-Hunkeler, A. and Geyer, H. and Lischer, C. J. and Ossent, P. and Schulze, J., Schweizer Archiv fur Tierheilkunde, 2001
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Description
A total of 74 dairy cows with 105 separate lesions were treated and the healing process was observed for half a year and the results compared with the biochemical data. The mean time for the formation of a closed layer of horn was 25 days for lesions with slight corium alterations, 33 days for moderate and 42 days for severe alterations. Thirty days after the initial treatment 68% of all lesions were completely covered by a solid layer of new horn. The further evaluation of the healing process was based on quality and rate of the new horn formation, recovery from lameness and sensitivity to hooftesters. Using these parameters the healing potential of exposed corium was judged one month after treatment with a scoring system. The 30-day-healing process was considered to be good in 61% and moderate to bad in 39% of the cows. The concentration of glucose, cholesterin, LDH and blood urea was increased in one third of the animals. Phosphorus and magnesium concentrations were lower than the reference values in 30%, and 26% of the animals, respectively. Cows with prolonged healing had higher levels of bilirubin, creatinkinase, LDH, ALT and AST than cows with a good healing process. Concentration of iron, vitamin A and biotin were significantly lower in cows with moderate to bad healing parameters than cows with a good healing potential. From these results it is suggested that biochemical blood parameters and the vitamin status might influence the healing of uncomplicated sole ulcers, respectively.
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