Footpad horn hypertrophy and vertical fissure accompanied by white line disease 2 in case of concurrent deep digital sepsis in a culling cow

A5.2 year-old Holstein cow was presented with lameness andabnormal weight bearing in a slaughterhouse. Widening of theperiople and swelling of the heel area in the lateral claw was morepermanent than the medial claw. Vertical fissure (VF) involvingthe coronary band to the middle of the dorsal wall of the medialhind claw was observed. It was also extended to the bearingsurface in the inner surface of the claw wall. White line disease 2(WLD2) was seen in the length of VF on the bearing surface. Thehorn of the bulb apex of the lateral hind claw was hypertrophic.There was a groove in the footpad between the apex and base ofthe bulb too. Grosspathologically, the digital bones showed awide range of bone changes such as new bone formation, pedalosteolysis and bony ankylosis. The hind leg was amputated at thetarsus immediately after slaughter. The lower limbs of lame cowswere examined and the type and distribution of digital lesionswere tabulated. An x-ray machine was used in this study to takeradiographic images. The radiographic images taken from theinvolved digits of the affected case depicted a quite wide rangeof radiographic signs. After the first review of the X-ray film,samples were selected for further procedures throughputrefaction. Laminitis may have affected this case at someprevious time. Routine trimming seems to have prevented thepremature culling in the cows with claw lesion.