Cover Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
ISSN:
0003-1488
Publication Date:
15 Feb 2017

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Incidence of lameness and association of cause and severity of lameness on the outcome for cattle on six commercial beef feedlots

Shane P. Terrell MS, DVM1, Christopher D. Reinhardt PhD2, Connie K. Larson PhD3, Christopher I. Vahl PhD4, and Daniel U. Thomson PhD, DVM5
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  • 1 Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan KS 66506.
  • | 2 Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, College of Agriculture, Kansas State University, Manhattan KS 66506.
  • | 3 Zinpro Corp, 10400 Viking Dr, Ste 240, Eden Prairie, MN 55344.
  • | 4 Department of Statistics, College of Arts and Sciences, Kansas State University, Manhattan KS 66506.
  • | 5 Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan KS 66506.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.250.4.437
Volume/Issue:
Volume 250: Issue 4
Online Publication Date:
15 Feb 2017
Restricted access
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Abstract

OBJECTIVE To describe the incidence of specific causes of lameness and the associations of cause and severity of lameness on the outcome for cattle on commercial feedlots.

DESIGN Dynamic population longitudinal study.

ANIMALS Cattle on 6 commercial feedlots in Kansas and Nebraska during a 12-month period (mean daily population, 243,602 cattle; range, 223,544 to 252,825 cattle).

PROCEDURES Feedlot personnel were trained to use a standardized diagnostic algorithm and locomotion score (LMS) system to identify and classify cattle by cause and severity of lameness. Information regarding lameness cause, severity, and treatments was recorded for individual cattle. Cattle were monitored until they left the feedlot (ie, outcome; shipped with pen mates [shipped], culled prematurely because of lameness [realized], or euthanized or died [died]). Incidence rates for various causes of lameness, LMSs, and outcomes were calculated. The respective associations of cause of lameness and LMS with outcome were evaluated.

RESULTS Lameness was identified in 2,532 cattle, resulting in an overall lameness incidence rate of 1.04 cases/100 animal-years. Realized and mortality rates were 0.096 cattle/100 animal-years and 0.397 deaths/100 animal-years, respectively. Injury to the proximal portion of a limb was the most frequently identified cause of lameness followed by undefined lameness, septic joint or deep digital sepsis, and interdigital phlegmon (foot rot). As the LMS (lameness severity) at lameness detection increased, the percentage of cattle that died but not the percentage of cattle that were realized increased.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results provided clinically useful prognostic guidelines for management of lame feedlot cattle.

Contributor Notes

Address correspondence to Dr. Thomson (dthomson@ksu.edu).