PATHOGENESIS OF LAMINITIS IN DAIRY COWS

Abstract

The lameness is the earliest but also the most important clinical symptom of the achropodium diseases in cattle. According to literary data, in 90% of cases, the cause of lameness is localized in the hooves, and in 10% of cases it is in other anatomical parts of the limb. In 88% of cases, the pathological process has been manifested at the hind limb. Laminitis is an aseptic inflammation of the corium of the hooves. In addition to the mechanical overloading of the hooves, the toxic causes are also addressed as the causes of this disease. Longer feeding with rapidly digested concentrate, rumen acidosis, sudden change of food components, especially diet with green barley, oat, freshly harvested young legumes and nutrition with molded food, can lead to laminitis. Laminitis is often the result of impact of a large number of factors, such as metabolic and digestive disorders, calving stress, mastitis, metritis, abomasal displacement, bedding without or with very little straw, inability to move, obesity and poor diet. The ration that leads to acidosis also leads to laminitis. Such a ration is difficult to correct in a case when the carbohydrates are present in highest percentage. Vasoactive substances (histamine), which enter the bloodstream from rumen, are considered to lead to damage of the hoof corium. Metabolic disorder is caused by a low pH of rumen, which leads to pathophysiological disorders, which eventually result in the ischemia of the hoof corium and clinically manifest laminitis (leg disposal due to pain, and sometimes forced lying). In addition to histamine and bacterial endotoxins, milk acids and other biologically active substances are believed to contribute to the onset of this disease. The application of basic principles of the nutrition of the lactating cows can prevent the appearance of laminitis and therefore the appearance of economic losses due to lameness.