MORPHOLOGICAL EVALUATIONS OF LESIONS IN DISTAL LIMBS OF CROSSBREDS CATTLE WITH LAMENESS

• Autor(a) principal: Silva, Luiz Henrique
• Data de Publicação: 2011
• Outros Autores: Lima, Ingrid Rios, Fonseca, Ângela Moni, Borges, Naida Cristina, Fioravanti, Maria C. Soares
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Ciência animal brasileira (Online)
• Texto Completo: https://revistas.ufg.br/vet/article/view/12850
• topic: Animal sanity; Clínica de Bovinos; Medicina de ruminantes

The high incidence of claw diseases requires detailed examination by use of diagnostic techniques, especially when they become complicated and spread the infection to the internal structures of the digits. The objective of this study was to determine the morphological features of the digits of lame cattle, classifying and quantifying the occurrence of macroscopic and histopathological changes, and to establish correlations between macroscopy-microscopy, macroscopy-lameness and lameness-microscopy variables. A total of 18 crossbred, male cattle were used. The animals, managed in intensive system during 112 days, were divided into three groups: (GI) lameness score 2, (GII) lameness score 3, and (GIII) lameness score 4, resulting in 72 evaluated distal limbs. Clinical and histopathological examinations were carried out at the ends of the limbs, and dorsal and palmar / plantar regions were sampled to perform the histopathological test, totaling 144 samples. Out of studied 18 animals, 15 (83.3%) showed the association of macroscopic and microscopic lesions, being six animals from GIII, four from GII and five from GI. The heel erosion was found in 16.6% of the left forelimbs, being the only macroscopic lesion in this limb. Dermis microscopic evaluation revealed absence of lesions in 68.7% of samples and mononuclear cell infiltration in 31.3%. The multifocal mononuclear cell infiltrate was predominant (43.1%) compared to the diffuse (15.2%) and focal (4.2%) infiltration. Three types of focal inflammatory infiltrates were light and 11 were diffuse and severe. In conclusion, locomotion score, associated with the characterization of lesions and the histopathology examination supported the diagnosis of lameness showing a relationship between lameness, macroscopic lesions and histopathological changes; however, it was not possible to relate types of microscopic lesions to the different manifestations of claw disease in the studied animals.KEYWORDS: bovine; digits; histopathology; lameness.