Record keeping system for capture of lameness and foot-care information in cattle

Abstract

The American Association of Bovine Practitioners' (AABP) Bovine Lameness Committee met for the first time at the association's annual convention in Rapid City, South Dakota, in September 2000. The committee developed a mission statement and established a series of subcommittees to address specific issues. One subcommittee accepted the challenge to develop a system for recording lameness, trimming and foot care information. Objectives were to devise a system that would be simple to use, compatible with Dairy Herd Improvement Association record keeping systems or other record keeping programmes, and in agreement with internationally recognized definitions and nomenclature used to describe lameness conditions. With this system the veterinarian, trimmer or data recorder is required to identify specific lameness conditions through the use of a single upper case letter, which serves as the specific code for a particular disorder. In most cases, this letter corresponds to the first letter of the name for the lameness condition in question. If desired, lower case letters may be used as sub-codes to provide more detailed descriptions. Upper case letter codes are combined with numbered claw zones that specify location of the lesion. Whereas nine claw/foot zones were identified in the original diagrams, this system permits identification of lesions in four additional areas, including the interdigital skin, palmar/plantar interdigital cleft and axial wall. Using this system, lameness conditions may be simply and accurately documented by use of the upper case letter and number corresponding to the appropriate zone or region of the claw or foot affected. Claws, feet and limbs are identified or numbered from left to right beginning with the left front foot; left front lateral claw (LFL) #1, left front medial (LFM) claw #2, right front medial (RFM) claw #3, right front lateral (RFL) claw #4, left rear lateral (LRL) claw #5, left rear medial (LRM) claw #6, right rear medial (RRM) claw #7, and right rear lateral (RRL) claw #8. A foot or limb may be designated by use of the appropriate capital letters or both claw numbers; left front (LF) foot or limb #12, right front (RF) foot or limb #34, left rear (LR) foot or limb #56, and right rear (RR) foot or limb #78. This system provides a flexible yet uniform model for the capture of lameness information that will assist veterinarians, trimmers and others in the evaluation and monitoring of lameness and foot care information in cattle.