Bruised Sole

Description

A bruised sole has patches of blue discoloration visible beneath the horn of the sole.

It is readily confused with the hemorrhages of laminitis, in which case the discoloration is red and lies in the horn itself. It often has the appearance of a brush mark due to the fact that the blood lies inside the horn tubules of the sole.

A bruised sole is often thin and depresses under pressure.

Digital pressure applied to a bruised sole usually causes the animal to react from pain. In the case of laminitis hemorrhages, painful reactions are the exception.

Cause

Excessive wearing of the sole will cause it to become vulnerable to mechanical damage. The same thing results from over-enthusiastic claw trimming.

Animals that walk several miles to and from the milking station often have a high incidence of bruising. Stony terrain and rough frozen surfaces increase the risk of this condition.

Treatment

The sole of the claw is detached from the sensitive tissues beneath to a greater or lesser extent.

Ideally, the sole should be left in place, but it may be carefully pared to transfer weight-bearing to the walls.

Because more than one claw is affected, fitting a whole foot shoof provides the best protection.

If at all possible, the affected animal must be confined to a well-strawed box. It will be at least seven days before the animal should be allowed to walk any distance.

Control

Identify and remove the cause if it is practical to do so. When rough roadways are involved, rubberized or composite runner mats one meter wide have been used with success.