Foot disorders are among the leading causes of lameness in dairy cows, with substantial economic and animal welfare implications, yet they often remain an underestimated aspect of herd management. This study aimed to characterize the prevalence, anatomical distribution, and main sources of variation (climatic-environmental and animal- or farm-management-related) of the most relevant foot disorders (sole ulcer, claw abscess, digital dermatitis, and interdigital phlegmon) in a large commercial dairy farm in the Po Valley, representative of the intensive dairy production system of Northern Italy. Podiatric data collected from 2021 to 2026 using the ClawCare software were analyzed, comprising a total of 4,251 hoof-trimming records from 1,350 cows. Prevalence, anatomical distribution, and univariate associations with year, season (of visit and of calving), parity, stage of lactation, THI (Temperature-Humidity Index), and milking parlor change were evaluated. The overall prevalence (54.1%) and the partition between infectious (38.4%) and non-infectious (49.4%) lesions were consistent with comparable Italian literature. Climatic-environmental factors showed significant associations in line with international reports, addressing a specific knowledge gap for the Northern Italian production context; parity and stage of lactation confirmed the expected trends, whereas year emerged as the factor with the greatest explanatory power, capturing the effects of farm-specific management and structural interventions. Despite its preliminary, single-farm nature, this study provides useful insights for both the scientific literature and the practical foot-health management of the herd under investigation.
Le patologie podali rappresentano una delle principali cause di zoppia nelle bovine da latte, con importanti ripercussioni economiche e sul benessere animale, ma risultano spesso un aspetto gestionale sottovalutato in allevamento. Il presente lavoro si è posto l'obiettivo di caratterizzare la prevalenza, la distribuzione anatomica e i principali fattori di variazione (climatico-ambientali e legati all'animale/gestione aziendale) delle patologie podali maggiormente rilevanti (Ulcera, Ascesso, Dermatite digitale e Flemmone interdigitale) in un'azienda commerciale di grandi dimensioni della Pianura Padana, rappresentativa del sistema produttivo lattiero intensivo del Nord Italia. Sono stati analizzati i dati podologici raccolti dal 2021 al 2026 tramite il software ClawCare, per un totale di 4.251 visite su 1.350 bovine, valutando prevalenza, distribuzione anatomica e associazioni univariate con anno, stagione (di visita e di parto), ordine di parto, stadio di lattazione, THI (Temperature and Humidity Index) e cambio della sala di mungitura. La prevalenza complessiva (54,1%) e la ripartizione tra forme infettive (38,4%) e non infettive (49,4%) sono risultate coerenti con la letteratura italiana comparabile. I fattori climatico-ambientali hanno mostrato associazioni significative in linea con quanto riportato a livello internazionale, colmando una lacuna informativa specifica per il contesto produttivo del Nord Italia; l'ordine di parto e lo stadio di lattazione hanno confermato gli andamenti attesi, mentre l'anno si è rivelato il fattore con il maggior potere esplicativo, intercettando gli effetti di interventi gestionali e strutturali specifici dell'azienda. Pur nella sua natura preliminare e mono-aziendale, lo studio fornisce indicazioni utili sia per la letteratura scientifica sia per la gestione podale pratica dell'allevamento in esame.
Analisi delle fonti di variazione della prevalenza delle patologie podali nelle bovine da latte di razza Frisona
ZANETTIN, MICHELE
2025/2026
Abstract
Foot disorders are among the leading causes of lameness in dairy cows, with substantial economic and animal welfare implications, yet they often remain an underestimated aspect of herd management. This study aimed to characterize the prevalence, anatomical distribution, and main sources of variation (climatic-environmental and animal- or farm-management-related) of the most relevant foot disorders (sole ulcer, claw abscess, digital dermatitis, and interdigital phlegmon) in a large commercial dairy farm in the Po Valley, representative of the intensive dairy production system of Northern Italy. Podiatric data collected from 2021 to 2026 using the ClawCare software were analyzed, comprising a total of 4,251 hoof-trimming records from 1,350 cows. Prevalence, anatomical distribution, and univariate associations with year, season (of visit and of calving), parity, stage of lactation, THI (Temperature-Humidity Index), and milking parlor change were evaluated. The overall prevalence (54.1%) and the partition between infectious (38.4%) and non-infectious (49.4%) lesions were consistent with comparable Italian literature. Climatic-environmental factors showed significant associations in line with international reports, addressing a specific knowledge gap for the Northern Italian production context; parity and stage of lactation confirmed the expected trends, whereas year emerged as the factor with the greatest explanatory power, capturing the effects of farm-specific management and structural interventions. Despite its preliminary, single-farm nature, this study provides useful insights for both the scientific literature and the practical foot-health management of the herd under investigation.| File | Dimensione | Formato | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Zanettin Michele.pdf
accesso aperto
Dimensione
19.08 MB
Formato
Adobe PDF
|
19.08 MB | Adobe PDF | Visualizza/Apri |
The text of this website © Università degli studi di Padova. Full Text are published under a non-exclusive license. Metadata are under a CC0 License
https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12608/116872