Jimmy Choos For Moos!

New XL size hoof bandage now offered to help in the battle against digital dermatitis in cattle After listening to cattle vets’ suggestions, following the launch earlier this year of the Bovivet complete Hoof Bandage, Kruuse have introduced a new red, extra-large size. A paper¹ given at the recent BCVA 2011 Congress by Prof. N.B. Cook, Clinical Associate Professor at the School of Veterinary Medicine in Madison, USA, advised on the seriousness of lameness in cattle and said that “lameness can systematically undermine the management of the dairy herd. No other disease has such fundamental and extensive effects on production, reproduction and risk of early herd removal.” An estimated 70 per cent of dairy herds suffer with digital dermatitis (DD) and, if not treated, it can persist for months, causing pain and lameness to infected cows. The most effective way to fight DD has been found to be the management and treatment of individual animals. Traditional treatments have involved thoroughly washing the infected hoof, applying an antibiotic/drying agent, such as salicylic acid powder, and then applying a dressing that must remain in place usually for three days. However, it can be hard to correctly dose the salicyclic acid powder and there can be complications in ensuring that the dressing is correctly applied at the right pressure and that it stays in place. It can also be a risk to the user’s health when mixing the powder. This can be made easier by using the Kruuse Bovivet complete Hoof Bandage that is ready to apply, along with Kruuse Hoof Gel 38% with aloe vera (that acts as a buffer to the acid which will debride the top layer of the skin), containing 38% salicyclic acid that has advantages over using the powder version. Firstly, by using a gel, dosing is easy and more accurate, making it more economical per treatment; and, secondly, for the user, it reduces potential health risks from inhalation of the powder when mixing. “Since the launch in the UK early last year, the hoof bandage has been very well received by cattle vets, but we were told by them that a larger version was needed in some cases.” Explained Stuart Wilson from Kruuse UK. “So Kruuse have produced the new extra large size ‘red Jimmy Choos for moos’!” An instructional video is available on youtube at http://www.youtube.com/user/KRUUSEcom, which demonstrates the ease of use and versatility of these using two new products. An estimated cost per hoof, assuming ten treatments from a bottle of the gel, is £2.71. ^1. “Finding solutions to lameness problems in dairy herds”, Cook,N.B., Clinical Associate Professor in Food Animal Production Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison WI53706, USA

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