FAQs
What makes CowMotion so special? Why should and how can CowMotion be used? You can find more background information and answers about our revolutionary bovine orthosis here. The advantages of CowMotion are manifold.
Useful information
about CowMotion
CowMotion is the new orthopedic therapy option for claw diseases and lameness in cattle and the addresses the need for animal-friendly and sustainable treatment. We also call this bovine orthosis.
Claw diseases in cattle are one of the main diseases in dairy farming worldwide. Due to infectious and non-infectious causes, claw diseases first appear on one or more limbs of the cattle. The diseases then lead to lameness in movement. In order to treat the diseased toe on the limb, CowMotion can be attached to the healthy claw.
Farmers, hoof trimmers and veterinarians usually work together to find the best possible therapy for the animal. In bad cases, the cattle are placed on a soft and yielding surface. In addition, lame animals receive so-called claw trimming and are supported by attaching conventional wooden or rubber blocks to the healthy claw. It is also possible for an experienced hoof trimmer to carry out a relief cut. Since hoof diseases are often painful, the veterinarian can give the cattle a pain reliever and use other medicines if necessary.
In order to relieve the diseased claw, wooden or rubber blocks with adhesives are attached under the healthy toe. However, due to the materials used and the adhesive, there are local pressure peaks on the sole of the hoof. In addition, the adhesive is glued over the entire surface under the first 2/3 of the sole of the hoof. On the one hand, this is damaging to the softer central horn and the underlying dermis, and on the other hand, the heel of the claw can´t damping the pressure force of walking. As a result, the soft, fat-cushioned part of the claw can no longer protect against the impact pressure in the normal way and thus subsequently perform its normal function as a blood pump.
CowMotion is precisely tailored to the biomechanics of the bovine claw in order to maintain the natural willingness of movements and to support lasting healing. The orthosis is attached to the healthy toe of the cattle hoof to immobilize the diseased toe for a better healing process.
CowMotion is the revolutionary orthosis for the treatment of hoof diseases and lameness in cattle. The latest scientific findings, in the biomechanics of the hoof apparatus, have been taken into account in the development. CowMotion therefore offers an innovative therapy option for diseased claws. It supports the load-bearing parts of the toe in transferring power to the so-called claw apparatus. In addition, the orthosis protects the soft parts of the toe thanks to its special structure. In addition, the additional load on the healthy hoof is absorbed and diverted by the CowMotion. This prevents secondary complications. The special structure enables the cow to step firmly and securely on the lower layer. This level is reinforced in the area of the edge of the claw. The upper layer of the toe cap is again reduced in the area of the hoof edge and reinforced in the area of the central sole and ball of the foot to offer more protection.
A limb of a cow carries between 140-180kg of its total body weight when standing. If one toe can no longer bear the weight due to an illness, the other toe has to bear the entire weight on its own. It would be like a person always standing on one leg. This is uncomfortable and leads to overload in the long run. The orthosis has a supporting effect here, since the additional load is cushioned and diverted. The weight is transferred to load-bearing parts of the limbs and sensitive parts of the claw are padded. In pressure tests, we were able to show that no damaging pressure peaks occur with a load of 200kg and that the pressure forces are distributed very evenly. The stepping surface is more than double the stepping surface of comparable systems.
CowMotion is made of polyurethane. Sports mats or armrests from tractors are made of polyurethane, for example. The material has great functional properties that we take advantage of. The polyurethane foam absorbs the energy of movement without giving it back like a rubber ball. This means that the compressive forces are absorbed but not fed back into the toe. The material we use has of course been tested to ensure that it is not harmful to the cow.
Due to the special structure of the material, we achieve an individual hardness at every point of the damping layer. In the area of the supporting edge, the layer is harder to ensure optimal force absorption. Balls and tuberculum flexors have the greatest possible cushioning, so we protect the sensitive regions and support the natural ball cushion. This means that the orthosis can also be worn by animals that are already ill.
The support layer forms the foundation for a secure footing. The material is non-slip long and long-lasting. CowMotion does not have a profile, as we have found in pressure measurements that profile features push through to the horn under normal loads. In addition, the support layer embeds the cushioning layer and provides sufficient stability to transfer the force to the hoof-bone support.
CowMotion can be quickly and easily attached and adjusted to the cattle claw. The time in the hoof stand is shortened and the stress factor on the animal is reduced. For the farmer, veterinarian and hoof trimmer, this means more efficiency and more relaxed work. Basically, our cattle orthoses can be glued with known claw adhesives. We recommend an adhesive with an open time of 60 seconds so that you have enough time to apply the orthosis and seal it to the cap. It is best to use our CowMotion Hoof Glue.
Note!
CowMotion should only be used after a regular hoof care.
- Perform claw trimming.
- Put the orthosis on the claw as a test. The claw should be as flush as possible.
- Roughen the claw wall with a rasp and the orthosis with the sandpaper in the cap. If necessary dry both with a hot air gun.
- Hold the orthosis in your hand with the tip pointing downwards (cap pointing towards the person) Apply the adhesive only to the entire cap (ascending from cap tip to cap end).
- Immediately apply CowMotion to the claw and press on for 10 seconds. (Normally, the orthosis is completely loadable after approx. 5 minutes, please observe the instructions of the adhesive used and the temperature).
Since CowMotion protects the dermis, the ball of the foot and the claw bone in particular, the orthosis can also be used on previously damaged claws as long as there are no open wounds. CowMotion can also be a good solution for lame animals where both claws are damaged. Since the orthosis can be easily adjusted with the claw knife, it is also possible to remove parts from the upper level of the orthosis to protect specific areas.
Not at the moment. However, the orthosis can be easily adapted to the different hoof shapes. We will provide you with a larger and a smaller version as soon as possible. But you should know that our orthosis is basically longer than previous block systems.
Everyone is welcome here, whether farmer or hobby owner, hoof trimmer or veterinarian. We all focus on the animal and want the best for our cattle. So far there has been no innovative orthopedic therapy option that is animal-friendly and sustainable. With CowMotion we want to change that. We believe that investing in this new treatment option offers added value across the value chain as lameness is an ethical and economic issue worldwide.
CowMotion is a long-term development by Jan Steils (veterinarian and trained farmer). The new cattle orthosis was created in close cooperation with veterinarians and hoof specialists, checked and tested by experts.
Lameness has an enormous impact on the profitability and sustainability of agriculture. The therapy or the use of CowMotion can definitely have a positive effect on this. Foot lesions, d. H. DD, WLD and SU combined increased greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 13.6 (1.5%) kg CO2/t. Lameness can increase global warming, acidification potential, eutrophication potential and fossil fuel depletion by 7-9% on an individual farm basis.
The simple formula can be: Faster and sustainable recovery = Longer lifespan = Fewer animal needs = Lower emissions.
Reference:
The impact of foot lesions in dairy cows on greenhouse gas emissions of milk production - P.F. Mostert, C.E. van Middelaar, I.J.M. de Boer, E.A.M. Bokkers; Animal Production Systems group, Wageningen University & Research, PO Box 338, 6700 AH, Wageningen, The Netherlands
The effect of lameness on the environmental performance of milk production by rotational grazing - Wenhao Chen, Eoin White and Nicholas M. Holden; UCD School of Biosystems and Food Engineering, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
Experience shows that lame cattle are unfortunately treated too late and not enough. So we designed a treatment plan that consists of a simple evaluation plan.