Sole ulcers (pododermatitis circumscripta) are one of the most debilitating, costly and common causes of lameness affecting dairy cows, according to the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP).

The AABP Lameness Committee recently updated its sole ulcer fact sheet in an effort to provide the most current information it can about all facets of lameness in cattle, AABP said in its announcement.

“We periodically review and update the fact sheets on our committee page of the AABP website to ensure that they are up to date,” AABP Lameness Committee chair Dr. Sarah Wagner said. “This new version of the sole ulcer fact sheet includes new images and describes the latest understanding of the multiple factors that contribute to the development of lesions of the sole in dairy cows.”

The fact sheet covers the pathogenesis, prevention, treatment and after-care of sole ulcers in dairy cattle. It also includes photos and a diagram of the bovine claw anatomy, AABP said.

The open-access fact sheet was updated in August 2020 and is available to the public. Additional fact sheets from the AABP Lameness Committee can be found at http://aabp.org/committees/Lameness.asp.