Browsing by Author "Cramer, Gerard"

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    Data for Diagnostic accuracy of a bovine specific electronic beta-hydroxybutyrate handheld meter in fresh blood and stored serum samples
    (2020-12-14) Rodriguez, Zelmar; Caixeta, Luciano; Cramer, Gerard; zrodrigu@umn.edu; Rodriguez, Zelmar; Veterinary Population Medicine - Dairy Cattle Group
    This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the bovine specific beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) meter Nova Vet (NVET). We evaluated the accuracy and agreement of the NVET in fresh blood and thawed serum with the reference laboratory assay; and the repeatability, the interference by anticoagulants, and the optimum slope calibration factor. Results from the Precision Xtra (another already validated BHB meter) are also available.
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    Descriptive evaluation of a camera-based dairy cattle lameness detection technology
    (2024-08-29) Cramer, Gerard; Swartz, Drew; Shepley, Elise; Burchard, Javier; Gaddis, Kristen; swart205@umn.edu; Swartz, Drew; Cramer Foot Health Lab
    Lameness in dairy cattle is a clinical sign of impaired locomotion, mainly caused by painful foot lesions, compromising the US dairy industry's economic, environmental, and social sustainability goals. Combining technology and on farm data may be a more precise and less labor-intensive lameness detection tool, particularly for early detection. The objective of this observational study was to describe the association between average weekly autonomous camera-based (AUTO) locomotion scores and hoof trimming (HT) data. The AUTO data were collected from 3 farms from April 2022 to March 2023. Historical farm HT data were collected from March 2016 to March 2023 and used to determine cow lesion history and date of HT event. The HT events were categorized as a regular HT (TRIM; n = 2290) or a HT with a lesion recorded (LESION; n = 670). Events with LESION were sub-categorized based on lesion category: digital dermatitis (DD; n = 276), sole ulcer (SU; n = 79), white line disease (WLD; n = 141), and other (n = 174). The data also contained the leg of the LESION, classified as front left (FL; n = 54), front right (FR; n = 146), rear left (RL; n = 281), or rear right (RR; n = 183) leg with 6 events missing the leg. Cows' HT histories were classified as follows: cows with no previous recorded instance of any lesion were classified as TRIM0 (n = 1554). The first instance of any hoof lesion was classified as LESION1 (n = 238). This classification was retained until a subsequent TRIM occurred - recorded as TRIM1 (n = 632). The next unique instance of any lesion following a TRIM1 was classified as LESION2 (n = 86). Any LESION events occurring after LESION1 or LESION2 without a subsequent TRIM were considered a hoof lesion recurrence and classified as LESIONRE1 (n = 164) and LESIONRE2 (n = 22), respectively. TRIM events after LESION2 or LESION2RE (n = 104) or LESION events after LESIONRE1 or LESIONRE2 were classified as LESION_OTHER (n = 160). The AUTO scores from −28 to −1 days prior to the HT event were summarized into weekly scores and included if cows had at least 1 observation per week in the 4 weeks before the event. For all weeks, LESION cows had a higher median AUTO score than TRIM cows. Cows with TRIM0 had the lowest and most consistent median weekly score compared to LESION and other TRIM classifications. Before HT cows with TRIM0 and TRIM1, both had median score increases of 1 across the 4 weeks, while the LESION categories had an increase of 4 to 8. Scores increased with each subsequent LESION event compared to the previous LESION event. Cows with SU lesions had the highest median score across the 4 weeks, WLD had the largest score increase, and DD had the lowest median score and score increase. When grouping a LESION event by leg the hoof lesion was found on, the AUTO scores for four groups displayed comparable median values. Due to the difference between TRIM and LESION events, this technology shows potential for the early detection of hoof lesions.
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    Observational study evaluating the association of hoof trimming with dairy cattle behavior and milk yield in Canada and the United Kingdom
    (Journal of Dairy Science Communications, 2024) Stoddard, Grant; Cramer, Gerard
    The study describes associations between preventive hoof trimming (HT) of nonlesion dairy cows and resting time, step activity, and milk yield on 4 commercial herds. Differences between the baseline values (5-day average before HT) for all outcomes and values on the day of HT and the 7 days following HT were analyzed. Resting time and activity had an inverse relationship, with resting time decreasing and activity increasing on the day of HT compared with baseline. Average resting time across the 7-day post-HT was greater on most farms than baseline. Milk yield changes on the day of HT were highly variable by farm, but all farms had an average decrease in yield (0.6–1.3 kg/d) across the 7 days post-HT. Results were farm dependent, possibly due to differences in the HT process and time away from pen, requiring further study.
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    Resources from "Promoting farm advisor engagement and action toward the improvement of dairy cattle lameness"
    (2022) Wynands, Erin; Cramer, Gerard; Cramer Foot Health Lab
    Resources and Risk assessments provided to study participants in a lameness Extension project. These resources are associated with the JDS article, "Promoting farm advisor engagement and action toward the improvement of dairy cattle lameness."