Surgical diseases of the distal part of the limbs in dairy cows in the suburban area of St. Petersburg

Abstract

The carried out researches at surgical clinical examination showed that surgical diseases of cows occupy a small percentage of the total incidence among the monitored animals of milking flocks in the suburban farms of the city of St. Petersburg. These pathologies cause significant damage to livestock farms because of the culling of diseased animals in the case of failure to take urgent preventive measures and not to eliminate the identified shortcomings. Cows often develop limb injuries - arthritis, tendinitis and tendovaginitis, bursitis, bruises and fractures, tendon ruptures and hoof injuries. Cows with stabled, tethered, uncontrolled content are more often exposed to them. Especially those animals that are kept in a room with latticed floors, on which there are burrs, sharp ribs or exposed fixtures, as well as floors installed on a level. Burrs and armature injure limbs, and a different level of sex makes the load on the hoof uneven, which leads to hoof disease, inflammation of the tendons and joint damage. To prevent injuries to cows, the floors in the cowshed must be flat, smooth and dry. In small farms they can be made of wood or expanded clay concrete. Latticed floors are convenient for manure cleaning, but it is better to make a grate from wood or foamy concrete with a heat-insulating layer. Every 2-3 months of cows with stall content must be chased along the corridor to determine if there are injured animals. Lame or cautious cows need to be examined and treated. To prevent diseases of the distal part of the limbs and hoofs, hoofs must be cleared in time. Clearing is carried out regularly every 3-4 months and necessarily - before pasture on the pasture.