White line disease refers to a collection of lesions: hemorrhage, fissure, and abscess, affecting the white line region, typically of the outer claw of the rear feet, two thirds of the way back from the toe.
What causes it?
Risk for white line disease is associated with:
Increasing age
Alterations to the structural integrity of the claw (altered suspensory apparatus and fat pad support)
Alterations to the quality of the horn (role for trace minerals and biotin)
Exposure to traumatic flooring surfaces
Exposure to poor handling where cows are forced to stop, start and turn abruptly
How do we treat it?
The lesion is caused by separation of the wall from the sole and underlying tissue.
The treatment is to remove the separated horn and allow new, healthy horn to grow beneath it while transferring weight from the site.
How do we prevent it?
We cannot easily influence the structural integrity of the claw other than through proper feeding.
We can more easily reduce the forces applied to the white line by improved cow handling and improved non-slippery, non-traumatic flooring.
Better Flooring
Improved traction without increased trauma
Improve concrete floors
Strategic use of rubber flooring
Pasture access
Better Handling
The worst floor will not cause a white line lesion if we allow cows to walk along it at their own pace
It is the combination of poor flooring with poor handling that causes white line issues!
Good handling moves cows to where we want them to be, making it seem like it was their idea!
