title: A field investigation of the use of the pedometer for the early detection of lameness in cattle.
abstract: The efficacy of the pedometer to predict lameness earlier than the appearance of the clinical signs in a herd of dairy cows was investigated by correlating pedometric activity (PA) with clinical cases of lameness. The computer program was set to identify cows with a reduction of 5% or more in PA compared with their own previous 10 days average; these animals were then examined for clinical lameness. At the same time, every lame cow was checked to see if and when its PA was reduced. Forty-six cows showed a reduced PA; 38 cases of lameness were identified by either a reduction in PA or clinical observation; of these, 21 lame cows (45.7%) showed a reduction in PA of 5% or more, 7 to 10 days prior to the appearance of clinical signs. This cohort comprised 55.3% of the lame cows. In 92% of the lame cows identified by PA, the decrease was above 15%.
authors.affiliation: Tzora Veterinary Clinic, Kibbutz Tzora, Israel.
authors.forename: Hamutal
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mazrier
authors.forename: Shlomit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tal
authors.forename: Eliezer
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Aizinbud
authors.forename: Uri
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Bargai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D007774:Lactation / Q000502:physiology; D007794:Lameness, Animal / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors; D014730:Veterinary Medicine / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D016138:Walking