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154. A good foot care strategy can help to keep lameness under control. Factors mentioned elsewhere, such as provision of bedded, dry lying areas, minimising contact with slurry, provision of non-slip passageways, suitable cow tracks and correct feeding all have a rôle.
155. Footbaths are a valuable management tool. Their use can clean feet, kill bacteria and help to harden horn. They particularly help to reduce lameness associated with foul-in-the-foot, heel erosion and digital dermatitis when used with the appropriate treatment. A footbath should be included in the design of the housing system, generally near the exit from the milking parlour in a position through which cows normally move (but which does not interfere with exit from the parlour); or in an adjacent area through which cows can be diverted when necessary with minimal disturbance to their normal routine. Ideally, two footbaths should be used in tandem: the first containing water to clean the feet and the second a suitable chemical. To prevent excessive hardening of the feet, dairy cattle should not be put through a footbath on a daily basis but as required or as recommended by a competent advisor.
156. Routine foot inspection and, where necessary, trimming will help to reduce lameness. The development of overgrown feet is the result of foot conformation, type of environment and rate of horn growth versus wear. Animals with disfigured feet, and those with a history of clinical lameness, should be given priority. The most suitable time to carry out the procedure is at drying off. However, if this timing means that cows are returned after trimming to poorly designed winter accommodation, particular care should be taken over the amount of horn removed. Likewise, it is essential that cows are not driven immediately after trimming along stony or poorly constructed and maintained tracks.
157. Foot trimming is a skilled job and it must not be attempted without proper training and handling facilities (e.g. a crush). Anyone carrying out the procedure should first be able to demonstrate an appropriate level of competence. A veterinary surgeon should be consulted if lameness is severe, protracted or very frequent within a herd and should, in any case, see lame cows at routine visits. There should be active co-operation between the farmer, veterinarian and foot trimmer and the latter should complete a record of action taken.
158. Footbaths should be incorporated in the design of the housing system and used as required, not on a day-to-day basis. They should be cleaned out after each period of treatment and maintained in a clean condition.
159. The feet of cattle, including bulls, should be inspected frequently. Inspection should not be carried out only when cattle have become lame. Where appropriate, feet should be trimmed.
160. Where the cause of a foot lesion is not apparent, advice must be sought from a veterinary surgeon.
161. Non-veterinarians should only be allowed to carry out foot trimming after reaching a required standard of competence. Those new to the technique should be trained and reach a recognised standard. Those who carry out the procedure on a regular basis should attend refresher courses to ensure that new techniques are assimilated.
162. Veterinary surgeons should be encouraged to employ, or liaise with, foot trimmers as such direct contact will enable the veterinary surgeon to decide whether further treatment, including antibiotics, is necessary.