How to inspect the underside of a cow's hoof?

[GaryDG]

What approach should be taken to inspect the underside of a cow's hoof without injury to the cow or the inspector?

This is my second post on the same problem ("limping cow")

We have a squeeze chute and I suppose it's possible that we could tie a rope around the leg and tie it off so we could inspect it in detail but that would likely hurt the animal since we would be tieing it around the area that hurts to begin with. Lifting it up manually is not an option for me.

Our inspection of the hoof indicated that the area above the hoof was slightly swollen. I thouroughly squirted the leg and hoof off with water, placed a 5" high container filled with water and iodine into the chute and allowed the cow to soak her hoof/foot in the container. I then administered the recommended amount of LA-200 and returned her to the holding area.

Assuming that it is only hoof rot and the medical administration above yields a healthy cow in a few days the further inspection would be unnecessary.

 

[randiliana]

Well, you don't really have a big choice. We just place a loop around her fetlock and then tie it up. There is not really an easier/less painful way to do it. Especially if you don't want to get injured yourself.

 

[dun]

We run the rope out through the back of the chute and over the top of the farside of the palp cage. That way you're pulling the foot back more then up

 

[MR3]

I have found that a limping cow usually gets over it in a few days. Most mine are on dry land and less likely to develop hoof root though. I do as Dun on the back leg and tie the front strait up. On the top of my chute is a 4x6 with two loops that I can hook a come-along to, then I run a load strap around the girth to take the weight off the cow, when working on the front. I use a soft cotton rope too. Good luck!

Rod

 

[msscamp]

What approach should be taken to inspect the underside of a cow's hoof without injury to the cow or the inspector?

I would recommend a soft rope, looped around the fetlock/lower leg, then draw the foot back (as opposed to up), and tie it off.

We have a squeeze chute and I suppose it's possible that we could tie a rope around the leg and tie it off so we could inspect it in detail but that would likely hurt the animal since we would be tieing it around the area that hurts to begin with.

Nothing else you can do, since it would most likely be impossible for you to lift and hold her foot manually.

Our inspection of the hoof indicated that the area above the hoof was slightly swollen. I thouroughly squirted the leg and hoof off with water, placed a 5" high container filled with water and iodine into the chute and allowed the cow to soak her hoof/foot in the container. I then administered the recommended amount of LA-200 and returned her to the holding area.

Assuming that it is only hoof rot and the medical administration above yields a healthy cow in a few days the further inspection would be unnecessary.

"Only hoof rot"? Sorry to rain on your parade, but that is not necessarily the case. A number of cases of foot rot are caused by a foreign object becoming imbedded in an animals hoof, or between their toes. Sometimes those objects dislodge by themselves, and sometimes they don't - and all the antibiotics in the world are not going to correct a foreign body imbedded in the cows foot.

 

[BAR_R]

Get her on a hoof trimming table. That way she is restrained the hoof can be examined and properly treated. I like most people like to do for my-self as much as I can but I agree with msscamp, hoof issues that go on for more than a day or two are nothing to mess with.

Now we have some show animals that we can check their front hoofs like a horse. Even our herd bull will submit to inspection, but an animal not use to being handled...get it on a hoof trimming table.

 

[MikeC]

Xyla-Ject

 

[SPRINGER FARMS MURRAY GRE]

Use an animal immobilizer,opposite side of the tailhead from the sore foot,crank it up and she will hand the hoof to you and hold it while you inspect it. ;-) :cboy: