A Cornwall-based veterinary practice is tackling one of the biggest threats to the dairy sector – lameness.

Bringing together a network of all those working with cows, the aim is to provide real and practical advice to farmers to help them tackle a key challenge to their herd.

“We’re creating a group made up of farmers, vets, nutritionists, and foot trimmers who are enthusiastic about the issue,” said Kumar Sivam, vet at Coast-2-Coast veterinary practice.

“The project promotes the theory of early detection and prompt effective treatment, also known as E.D.P.E.T, by using mobility scoring to identify early cases, and ensuring the best course of treatment is provided.

“We were delighted to see 30 enthusiastic dairy farmers at our first meeting. We were also joined by SC Nutrition and local milk buyers to discuss the farm-specific issues each farmer is facing, and discuss as a group how we can overcome them.”

The initial meeting in November also included a refresh on hoof anatomy, linking this to recent developments in the understanding of lameness.

“There is an increased risk of inflammation within the hoof as a result of claw horn lesion (CHL), which can lead to the development of additional bone on the sole of the hoof,” explained Mr Sivam.

“This bone development is linked to recurring lameness, but treating CHL with a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory has been shown to reduce the chance of this happening.

“Along with a block and trim, I advise a course of ketoprofen, such as Dinalgen® , to help prevent the new bone development. If not already doing so, I would recommend discussing this with the vet.”

Fraser Claughton, Bayer FAP commercial manager (UK/IE) says projects like this are a great way of helping farmers and vets work together to overcome lameness.

“Lameness remains a big challenge for the sector. Having conversations between the whole farm team to implement changes is the best place to start,” said Mr Claughton. “It’s great to see Kumar and his colleagues working with their clients and the wider industry, to prevent and control lameness using the most up-to-date research.”

The Coast-2-Coast lameness forum continues in the new year, with practical on-farm sessions on corrective foot trimming and mobility scoring, to back up the theory learnt last month. For information on how to attend, contact the team at the Coast-2-Coast practice.