TY - JOUR
T1 - Lameness and foot lesions in adult British dairy goats
AU - Hill, N. P.
AU - Murphy, P. E.
AU - Nelson, A. J.
AU - Mouttotou, N.
AU - Green, L. E.
AU - Morgan, K. L.
PY - 1997/10/18
Y1 - 1997/10/18
N2 - In the first population-based study of lameness and foot lesions in adult goats in the UK, a random sample of 307 adult goats from four large commercial dairy farms was examined. The overall proportion of lame goats was 9·.1 per cent (2·6 to 24·4 per cent). The abnormalities detected were horn separation (29·6 per cent), white line lesions (13·0 per cent) slippering (10·1 per cent), abscess of the sole (4·2 per cent), foreign body, and granulomatous lesions (1·0 per cent). Between 83·1 and 95·5 per cent of the goats had overgrown horn on at least one foot. The number of feet of individual goats with horn separation followed a Poisson distribution suggesting that it was associated with environmental rather than genetic or nutritional factors. Horn separation, abscess of the sole and footrot were significantly associated with lameness, but white line lesions, slippering and granulomatous lesions were not. There were differences between the farms in the prevalence of lameness and foot lesions. Routine foot trimming was associated with a lower prevalence of lameness.
AB - In the first population-based study of lameness and foot lesions in adult goats in the UK, a random sample of 307 adult goats from four large commercial dairy farms was examined. The overall proportion of lame goats was 9·.1 per cent (2·6 to 24·4 per cent). The abnormalities detected were horn separation (29·6 per cent), white line lesions (13·0 per cent) slippering (10·1 per cent), abscess of the sole (4·2 per cent), foreign body, and granulomatous lesions (1·0 per cent). Between 83·1 and 95·5 per cent of the goats had overgrown horn on at least one foot. The number of feet of individual goats with horn separation followed a Poisson distribution suggesting that it was associated with environmental rather than genetic or nutritional factors. Horn separation, abscess of the sole and footrot were significantly associated with lameness, but white line lesions, slippering and granulomatous lesions were not. There were differences between the farms in the prevalence of lameness and foot lesions. Routine foot trimming was associated with a lower prevalence of lameness.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0031577643&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1136/vr.141.16.412
DO - 10.1136/vr.141.16.412
M3 - Article
C2 - 9364713
AN - SCOPUS:0031577643
VL - 141
SP - 412
EP - 416
JO - The Veterinary record
JF - The Veterinary record
SN - 0042-4900
IS - 16
ER -