Essential Wound Care: Keep Small Problems From Becoming Big Ones
By Jaclyn Krymowski for American Dairymen
Small problems can quickly become large problems if they go unaddressed. Nowhere is this truer on the dairy than with animal health. Hoof care is a prime example, where lack of routine trimmings or minor injuries and infections can escalate to lameness.
Udder care is another example. If a small wound goes unnoticed or uncared for, it can lead to bigger problems down the road. Teat ends, which are exposed to all kinds of environmental and pathogenic threats, must be treated with care.
Common Wounds
Dairy cattle face a plethora of unique environmental hazards. Between the miking parlor, fights at the feed bunk and continual use of the freestalls, there are many ways for injury to occur.
Wound patterns can indicate if there is an issue with facilities and cow comforts. Some examples include irritation and wounds in areas where the cow may be rubbing equipment in the parlor or if stalls in the barn are sized incorrectly.
The most common injuries dairy cows face worldwide are hoof related. In fact, one systematic review found a mean prevalence of 22.8% according to a study from the University of Guelph published in the Journal of Dairy Science, Prevalence, risk factors, treatment, and barriers to best practice adoption for lameness and injuries in dairy cattle.
Udder injuries may or may not always be as common, but when they are, they can be quite severe and lead to other issues quickly. So having a plan to treat and care for them is especially essential.
Other basics that should be in every dairy’s toolbox are protocols to recognize and treat lacerations and punctures, identifying serious leg injuries and care for abscesses.
Proper Care
The goal of handling any sort of livestock injury is threefold – to prevent infection, promote healing and minimize complications – as outlined by Dr. David Charles and Suzanne Page in their article, New innovations for wound protection and management in livestock. Whenever cleaning, bandaging or otherwise protecting a wound, these timeless principles should be kept in mind.
Different wound care methods offer unique benefits, and understanding their appropriate applications can help your care team to make informed decisions.
Topical sprays are an option, however, they are not always great at providing a lasting barrier, note Charles and Page. They are also typically water based, do not adhere well and require re-administration.
A good antibiotic-free approach is antiseptic sprays. However, these are best for superficial wounds. Antiseptic sprays are also not effective for a long-lasting barrier and promotion of natural healing is limited.
Another option includes a gel barrier that confers the benefits of a topical product combined with the protection of a bandage.
For calves, extra attention should be given to situations that cause injuries and stress, namely dehorning and castration. Horn buds that are burned should be monitored closely even if the procedure is done correctly. Any signs of pus, excessive drainage and failure to form a proper scab warrant closer inspection.
Having the training and procedures to follow through with these plans is only as good as the tools and equipment you keep on hand.
Keeping Up the Medicine Cabinet
Basic components of a wound care kit include items for both dire emergencies and routine preventative maintenance.
These include blood stopping powder (watch the expiration date); good material bandages, with three layers that include a padding layer, a conforming layer and an adhesive layer; hot and cold compresses; lidocaine; anti-inflammatories; and handling tools like halters, hip lifts, etc. You may also want to include some specialty items like splints for leg injuries in calves and items to care for frostbite.
Basic antiseptics that are non-corrosive to the skin are essential, however, you want to be sure that they are dairy and food animal safe. This is especially true for any products that go on udder and teat injuries.
Fly spray is another good tool to keep on hand to keep parasites away from healing wounds during the summer months.
No medical kit is complete without tools to humanely euthanize during emergency situations. Often this will be a simple bullet, but a plan and the means to execute it should be clearly understood by all team members and done in a safe, effective way. If it is possible and you have a plan in place with your vet, you may want to incorporate a captive bolt or other means.
Preventative Measures
As is most cases, it is important to prevent as many wounds as possible by managing facilities. This means getting rid of sharp corners or edges, like those on loose barn siding, or disposing of other metal or debris that has appeared.
Make sure the facilities are sized correctly for the animals. Ensure cows are not too crowded and that they will not rub on equipment or in the parlor or the free stalls. Stalls that are too small with bars that are too low are common culprits for sores, bruises and skin irritation as animals can hurt themselves by continually getting up and lying down.
Likewise, parlor design can also pose similar issues. Any time updates are done,be sure you consider the size of animals in your herd.
And of course, other major culprits for injury are concrete and flooring. Worn down grooves cause slippage, constantly wet areas soften soles and overly abrasive surfaces contribute to hoof, hock and knee injuries.
Although wounds may seem like a minor issue at the time, they can quickly escalate into more significant problems if left untreated. Addressing even small wounds promptly helps prevent complications, such as infections, and can also serve as a valuable opportunity to identify underlying issues, such as flaws in facilities or equipment that may be causing injuries. While preventing wounds should always be the primary goal, they are an inevitable part of dairying and effectively managing them as they occur is crucial to maintaining a healthy herd.
