Lameness in the pasture bull

Abstract

Lameness in a herd bull in the pasture can be just as devastating to breeding performance as any penile injury or orchitis event. Even minor problems, such as a simple puncture wound inducing a subsolar abscess, can lead to a lack of desire to service females and/or maintain body condition in the pasture. Many issues may resolve themselves over a period of time, but at what cost to reproductive efficiency? In order to facilitate accurate diagnosis and treatment of bovine lameness, the practitioner should have adequate devices available to aid in the restraint of an animal. Hydraulic tilt chutes or tilt tables offer a great advantage when evaluating the lower limb and will often lead to a more accurate diagnosis when such tools are available. Every item available for analyzing lameness in the equine is of value when evaluating bovine lameness.