Metabolic hoof horn disease - Claw horn disruption

Low-quality hoof horn is a frequent underlying cause of lameness in cattle. Because the lesions that are observed are the result of insults that affec t horn production at the cellular level, the term claw horn disruption has been proposed to describe the disease process. Although claw horn disruptio n may result from multiple etiologies, the response of the keratinocytes is relatively nonspecific in that lesions often appear the same regardless of cause. To solve herd problems, the investigation of possible etiologies mu st be integrated with a basic understanding of the anatomic and physiologic features of hoof horn production.