Ischemic teat necrosis in Cows (Bovis) | Vetlexicon
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Ischemic teat necrosis

ISSN 2398-2993

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Synonym(s): ischaemic ischemia ischaemia teat, bovine, digital dermatitis, treponemes

Introduction

  • Cause: unknown, may be associated with digital dermatitis treponemes.
  • Signs: crusting dermatitis at the teat/udder junction.
  • Diagnosis: clinical signs or submit samples to Veterinary Pathology at Liverpool University.
  • Treatment: unknown. Anecdotal evidence of response to moisturising creams or salicylic acid.
  • Prognosis: varied, grave prognosis if any teats are self-mutilated.

Geographic incidence

  • Nationwide (UK).
  • Affected farms generally have a low prevalence, usually only one or two cattle are affected but it has been reported in up to 25% of heifers.

Age predisposition

  • ITN is most common in first lactation heifers in early lactation, and especially in higher yielding herds.
  • In one study 88% occurred in the first lactation and 73% occurred in the first 60 days of lactation.
  • This may be due to heifers having lower immunity to the disease or a thinner dermis than cows.

Breed/Species predisposition

  • It has most commonly been reported in Holstein Friesian Holstein Friesian cattle but they are over-represented in the UK population
  • There have been confirmed reports of ITN in Jersey cattle Jersey cattle, and one unconfirmed report in beef cattle.

Cost considerations

  • 30-80% of cattle with ITN are culled. The cost of a replacement freshly calved heifer was estimated at £1283 by AHDB Dairy in April 2017.

Pathogenesis

Etiology

  • Unknown.

Pathophysiology

  • Unknown: what do we know?
    • The disease is consistently associated with digital dermatitis (DD) treponemes [Treponemes] but these may be an opportunistic pathogen that prevent healing.
    • The teat cup may be the site of new infection. In an unrelated study DD treponemes have been isolated from teat cups [Milking machines].
    • ITN has been reported on herds without DD.

Timecourse

  • There are two common presentations:
    • Acute presentation: the teat is removed within 1-3 days. Sometimes the teat is removed before any lesions are noted.
    • Chronic form: the lesion appears but does not progress, often the teat heals over 1-2 months.

Epidemiology

  • Unknown.
  • Due to the relatively low incidence and prevalence in affected herds it does not appear to be highly contagious.

Diagnosis

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Treatment

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Prevention

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Outcomes

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Further Reading

Publications

Refereed Papers

  • Recent references from PubMed and VetMedResource.
  • Clegg S R, Carter S D, Stewart J P, Amin D M, Blowey R W & Evans N J (2016) Bovine ischaemic teat necrosis: a further potential role for digital dermatitis treponemes. Vet Rec PubMed.
  • Manning A (2016) Risk factors and treatment options for ischaemic teat necrosis. Cattle Practice 24 (2), 67.
  • Kofler J, Innerebner C, Pesenhofer R, Hangl A & Tichy A (2015) Effectiveness of salicylic acid paste for treatment of digital dermatitis in dairy cows compared with tetracycline spray and hydrotherapy. Berliner und münchener tierärztliche wochenschrift 128 (7-8), 326–34 PubMed.
  • Amersfort K (2013) Prevalence and risk factors of Udder Cleft Dermatitis in 20 Dutch dairy herds. J Dairy Sci 97 (8), PubMed.
  • Schultz N & Capion N (2013) Efficacy of salicylic acid in the treatment of digital dermatitis in dairy cattle. Vet J PubMed.
  • Hartshorn R E, Thomas E C, Anklam K, Lopez-Benavides M G, Buchalova M, Hemling T C & Döpfer D (2013) Short communication: minimum bactericidal concentration of disinfectants evaluated for bovine digital dermatitis-associated Treponema phagedenis-like spirochetes. J Dairy Sci 96 (5), 3034–8 PubMed.
  • Evans N J, Brown J M, Hartley C, Smith R F & Carter S D (2012) Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of bovine digital dermatitis treponemes identifies macrolides for in vivo efficacy testing. Vet Micro 160 (3-4), 496–500 PubMed.
  • Holzhauer M, Bartels C J, van Barneveld M, Vulders C & Lam T (2011) Curative effect of topical treatment of digital dermatitis with a gel containing activated copper and zinc chelate. Vet Rec 169 (21), 555 PubMed.
  • Evans N J, Timofte D, Carter S D, Brown J M, Scholey R, Read D H & Blowey R W (2010) Association of treponemes with bovine ulcerative mammary dermatitis. Vet Rec 166 (17), 532–3 PubMed.
  • Laven R A & Logue D N (2006) Treatment strategies for digital dermatitis for the UK. Vet J 171 (1), 79–88 PubMed.