FOUL IN THE FOOT (INTERDIGITAL NECROBACILLOSIS) IN DANISH DAIRY-COWS - FREQUENCY AND POSSIBLE RISK-FACTORS

Foul in the foot is a disease which has a substantial impact on the welfare of the affected cows and the economic return to the farmer. Factors associated with foul in the foot were evaluated in a retrospective longitudinal study. A total of 9520 Danish dairy cows from 171 herds from Ringkobing County were included in the multivariable analysis. information was collected between January 1990 and December 1991. The cow's incidence risk of foul in the foot was 0.6% during the first month post partum. This was six times higher than in the last month prepartum and in any other month post partum. Almost half (39.9%) of the first treatments for foul in the foot were provided within the first 30 days pose partum, Hence, there was a relationship between foul in the foot and calving. The seasonal distribution of all veterinary treatments for foul in the foot showed that in both years approximately half the treatments (46.4% in 1990; 48.8% in 1991) were provided during the summer months June-September. There was no apparent association between total monthly number of veterinary treatments for foul in the fool and precipitation. The association between foul in the foot and the possible risk factors was assessed using logistic-binomial regression with herd as a random effect. The results suggest that Danish Jersey cows have reduced risk of developing foul in the foot during a lactation compared to lied Danish, Danish Black and White, and Danish Red and White cows. First-parity cows had highest risk of foul in the foot, second-parity cows lowest. Loose-housed cows had higher risk of foul in the foot than tied cows. There was a positive association between incidence of foul in the foot and incidence of other lameness than foul in the foot.