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Bovine laminitis: clinical aspects, pathology and pathogenesis with reference to acute equine laminitis.
Abstract: This review deals with the features of clinical and subclinical laminitis in cattle. Prominent clinical signs of acute laminitis are a tender gait and arched back. The sole horn reveals red and yellowish discolourations within five days. In subacute and chronic cases clinical signs are less severe. In chronic laminitis the shape of the claws is altered. Laminitis is frequently followed by sole ulceration and white zone lesions. Blood tests showed no significant changes for laminitic animals. Arteriographic studies of claws affected by laminitis indicated that blood vessels had narrowed lumens. Gross pathology revealed congestion of the corium and rotation of the distal phalanx. Histopathologic studies indicate that laminitis is associated with changes of the vasculature. Peripartum management and nutrition are important factors in its aetiology. It is hypothesised that laminitis is evoked by disturbed digital circulation. In the pathogenesis of acute laminitis three factors are considered important: the occurrence of thrombosis, haemodynamic aspects of the corium, and endotoxins which trigger these pathologic events.
Publication Date: 1991-07-01 PubMed ID: 1949543DOI: 10.1080/01652176.1991.9694302Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
- Review
Summary
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This research review discusses the clinical and subclinical characteristics of laminitis in cows, a painful disease affecting their hooves. The study also proposes that poor digital circulation, triggered by factors such as thrombosis, abnormal corium blood flow, and endotoxins, play a key role in the disease’s development.
Overview of Laminitis in Cows
- The article begins by providing a description of laminitis, a condition in cows that affects their hooves and results in manifestations like a tender walk and an arched back for acute cases. Physical signs like red and yellow discolourations in the sole horn appear within five days.
- In the case of subacute and chronic laminitis, the symptoms become less severe, but the shape of the claws changes. These chronic cases often lead to other complications like sole ulceration and white zone lesions.
Pathological Findings
- Blood tests conducted on the animals did not show significant changes for those suffering from laminitis. However, arteriographic studies indicated that the blood vessels in the affected claws had narrowed. This implies that there could be a vascular component to the disease.
- The pathology of the disease showed that the corium, a part of the claw, was congested, and the distal phalanx, the bone within the claw, had rotated.
- Moreover, changes in the vasculature or the arrangement of the blood vessels were also associated with this disease. These findings provide insights into how laminitis is more than just a superficial disease but one that affects the entire hoof structure complex including its blood vessels.
Triggers and Causes of Laminitis
- The paper hypothesises that laminitis is instigated by disrupted circulation in the digit (toe of the hoof). Factors related to the cows’ management around the time of giving birth and their nutrition are also considered significant contributors to laminitis.
- Three factors are particularly implicated in the development of acute laminitis: thrombosis or blood clots, abnormalities in the haemodynamic aspects or blood flow of the corium, and the role of endotoxins in triggering these pathological events.
Cite This Article
APA
Boosman R, Németh F, Gruys E.
(1991).
Bovine laminitis: clinical aspects, pathology and pathogenesis with reference to acute equine laminitis.
Vet Q, 13(3), 163-171.
https://doi.org/10.1080/01652176.1991.9694302 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of General and Large Animal Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Utrecht, The Netherlands.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Cattle
- Cattle Diseases / etiology
- Cattle Diseases / pathology
- Foot Diseases / etiology
- Foot Diseases / pathology
- Foot Diseases / veterinary
- Hoof and Claw / blood supply
- Hoof and Claw / pathology
- Horse Diseases / etiology
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horses
References
This article includes 61 references
Citations
This article has been cited 11 times.- Webster AP, Wright RK, Hammond JB, Kotey NA, Gleason CB, White RR. Assessment of thermal imaging to objectively body condition score mature horses and multiparous gestating beef cows. Transl Anim Sci 2025;9:txaf121.
- Hayat MA, Ding J, Zhang X, Liu T, Zhang J, Bokhari SG, Akbar H, Wang H. Enhanced Autophagy in Damaged Laminar Tissue of Acute Laminitis Induced by Oligofructose Overloading in Dairy Cows. Animals (Basel) 2023 Jul 31;13(15).
- Tian M, Li N, Liu R, Li K, Du J, Zou D, Ma Y. The protective effect of licochalcone A against inflammation injury of primary dairy cow claw dermal cells induced by lipopolysaccharide. Sci Rep 2022 Jan 31;12(1):1593.
- Tian M, Li K, Liu R, Du J, Zou D, Ma Y. Angelica polysaccharide attenuates LPS-induced inflammation response of primary dairy cow claw dermal cells via NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. BMC Vet Res 2021 Jul 19;17(1):248.
- Ding J, Shi M, Wang L, Qi D, Tao Z, Hayat MA, Liu T, Zhang JT, Wang H. Gene Expression of Metalloproteinases and Endogenous Inhibitors in the Lamellae of Dairy Heifers With Oligofructose-Induced Laminitis. Front Vet Sci 2020;7:597827.
- Ding J, Li S, Jiang L, Li Y, Zhang X, Song Q, Hayat MA, Zhang JT, Wang H. Laminar Inflammation Responses in the Oligofructose Overload Induced Model of Bovine Laminitis. Front Vet Sci 2020;7:351.
- Lee TL, Reinhardt CD, Bartle SJ, Schwandt EF, Calvo-Lorenzo MS, Vahl C, Hagenmaier JA, Ritter MJ, Vogel GJ, Thomson DU. An epidemiological investigation to determine the prevalence and clinical manifestations of slow-moving finished cattle presented to slaughter facilities. Transl Anim Sci 2018 Sep;2(3):241-253.
- Zhang X, Ding J, Li Y, Song Q, Li S, Hayat MA, Zhang J, Wang H. The changes of inflammatory mediators and vasoactive substances in dairy cows' plasma with pasture-associated laminitis. BMC Vet Res 2020 Apr 23;16(1):119.
- Tian MY, Fan JH, Zhuang ZW, Dai F, Wang CY, Hou HT, Ma YZ. Effects of silymarin on p65 NF-κB, p38 MAPK and CYP450 in LPS-induced hoof dermal inflammatory cells of dairy cows. BMC Vet Res 2019 Apr 30;15(1):127.
- Teodorowicz M, Hendriks WH, Wichers HJ, Savelkoul HFJ. Immunomodulation by Processed Animal Feed: The Role of Maillard Reaction Products and Advanced Glycation End-Products (AGEs). Front Immunol 2018;9:2088.
- Dong SW, Zhang SD, Wang DS, Wang H, Shang XF, Yan P, Yan ZT, Yang ZQ. Comparative proteomics analysis provide novel insight into laminitis in Chinese Holstein cows. BMC Vet Res 2015 Jul 23;11:161.
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