Occurrence of Hoof Diseases in Dairy Cattle in Finland

No national recording system for hoof diseases has existed in Finland. Some hoof trimmers keep regular records of their clients´, but national records of lameness have been made only by vets called for clinical cases. In 2001 only 20-30 % of farms in Finland had their animals´ hooves trimmed regularly, and hoof problems with lameness were an increasing concern. During this same year the Finnish Hoof Trimmers, Suomen Rehu Ltd. and Vetman Ltd. instigated a programme to improve the hoof health and welfare of cows on Finnish dairy farms. This programme included a national recording system and information on how to improve hoof health with regular professional hoof trimming, good, sensible feeding, a healthy environment and adequate care of ...