By Distl, O. and Schmid, D., Tierarztliche Umschau, 1994
Description
The influence of a daily dietary supplementation of 20 mg biotin/cow on the claw conformation, its hardness and diseases was examined in 28 German black pied dairy cows and 28 control animals of similar age distribution and claw status over 11-month trial period. The conformation of one fore limb claw and one rear limb claw was recorded at 2 months intervals. All claws were examined for disease and the sum of the severity scores was used in the analyses. Plasma biotin concentrations were determined in both groups every 3 months. The effect of cow within the treatment group was significant for all claw conformations, claw horn hardness and a proportion of the claw diseases. Changes in claw conformation associated with elevated plasma biotin concentrations were angle of the dorsal border, length of the dorsal border, length and height of heel and length of the diagonal and ground surface. The angle of the dorsal border became steeper and the height of the heel, the length of the diagonal and size of the ground surface increased. The biotin supplemented cows exhibited in the majority of replicated measurements a greater claw horn hardness, of the lateral wall. A positive effect of biotin supplementation was also observed on incidence and severity of interdigital dermatitis, sole contusions at the Rusterholz and other locations, except around the white line. The results indicated that biotin supplementation resulted in a reduced incidence of sole ulceration and heel erosion. Experimental data are shown in 9 detailed tables
The influence of a daily dietary supplementation of 20 mg biotin/cow on the claw conformation, its hardness and diseases was examined in 28 German black pied dairy cows and 28 control animals of similar age distribution and claw status over 11-month trial period. The conformation of one fore limb claw and one rear limb claw was recorded at 2 months intervals. All claws were examined for disease and the sum of the severity scores was used in the analyses. Plasma biotin concentrations were determined in both groups every 3 months. The effect of cow within the treatment group was significant for all claw conformations, claw horn hardness and a proportion of the claw diseases. Changes in claw conformation associated with elevated plasma biotin concentrations were angle of the dorsal border, length of the dorsal border, length and height of heel and length of the diagonal and ground surface. The angle of the dorsal border became steeper and the height of the heel, the length of the diagonal and size of the ground surface increased. The biotin supplemented cows exhibited in the majority of replicated measurements a greater claw horn hardness, of the lateral wall. A positive effect of biotin supplementation was also observed on incidence and severity of interdigital dermatitis, sole contusions at the Rusterholz and other locations, except around the white line. The results indicated that biotin supplementation resulted in a reduced incidence of sole ulceration and heel erosion. Experimental data are shown in 9 detailed tables
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