Mechanical Stability of Bovine Claw Tissue after Oligofructose Overload

Weakening of the tissue suspending the pedal bone in the claw capsule is a presumed cause of the lesions of bovine laminitis. The objective of this study was to test the mechanical strength of the dermis and dermo-epidermal junction in healthy animals and after oligofructose overload as a model of acute laminitis.
Ten Holstein heifers from two different herds were induced with oligofructose (17g/kg BW) orally. The animals were euthanized after 24 or 72 hours. Six control animals were treated with tap water and euthanized after 72-96 hours. After euthanasia two adjacent samples of tissue were cut from the dorso-abaxial aspect of each claw, including the horn, lamellar layer, dermis and bone. The samples were mounted on an Instron 5564 testing frame, fixed by the horn and bone respectively, and loaded to failure. A stress strain curve was generated and measurement of maximal support and physiological support (force needed to displace 1 mm beyond first resistance) were recorded.
Samples from heifers originating from one herd differed clearly from the other herd on both maximal ...