Haematoma of the heel as a cause of lameness in dairy cattle

摘要

LAMENESS is a major economic and welfare problem in dairy cattle and considerable resources have been invested in attempting to understand its causes and control. Of the many factors involved, excess weightbearing and trauma to the sole are consideredto be important factors (Blowey 1993). This short communication describes three dairy cows seen during the course of general practice, having unusual and apparently previously unreported lesions which could be associated with trauma to the heel. All three cases were seen during the summer months when the cows were walking from the pasture to and from the milking parlour, and when the heel could have been damaged by trauma.