Page 16 - 104-Q42020

In 1953 there were four traffic lights in Las Vegas and three If you are fortunate to have a table/chute that stays
casinos. Today there are 132 casinos and too many traffic at a dairy, always remember to periodically clean and
lights to count. The stakes at the card and dice tables have disinfect it thoroughly. NEVER bring outside
increased in proportions similar to the risks on dairy farms. animals to this table even with the owner’s consent.
Traffic to and from today’s dairy farms has increased just like
If you pull a table/chute with a truck, when you
in Las Vegas. Professional hoof trimmers are an integral part
arrive at the farm unhook it from your vehicle in the
of this much-needed traffic. You’ like al support people to the
driveway and have the dairy producer move it to your
dairy, must know and exercise every aspect of biosecurity
designated work area with a vehicle from the farm.
available.
Salmonella is an even more acutely devasting disease
Biosecurity Principles To Practice than Johne’s and can easily be carried on the tires and
vehicle undercarriage. If you have a truck-mounted
From my 30 years of dairy veterinary practice I have learned
table be sure to clean and disinfect as best as possible
and modified the following six biosecurity principles, which
the tires and undercarriage of your vehicle.
are the most applicable to the professional hoof trimmer of
the next millennium. If you must drive your vehicle and equipment to your
designated work area be certain not to drive down
1 Possess and use vigorously the pail, brush and
feed alleys or near feed storage areas. Just as the GLF
disinfectant soap. Washing dirty boots must take
sign of the 1950s said, “DO NOT WALK IN
minutes of hard, strong scrubbing and include the
FRONT OF THESE COWS”, you should never
bottom of the boot. Do this every time you leave a
drive down a feed alley. Change the location of your
dairy. Assumptions are devastating. Nobody knows
work area if necessary and do anything and
that you are going home to shower and clean up.
everything to avoid feed and feeding areas.
Perhaps they will assume you are visiting another
dairy yet that day. The pail, brush and disinfectant 3 Stay in the designated work area assigned to you. It is
soap will impress herdspersons and owners more than far safer to have the herdsperson responsible, rather
the newest, best grinder, knife or trimmer you than you, bring the cows that need trimming to this
introduce. area. Also, everyone likes company and if you have
children or friends with you or visit you while you are
2 Between dairy farms, clean physically down to the
working NEVER allow them to wander about the
metal, wood or rubber and disinfect the table/chute,
dairy. There are bulls everywhere lately and all too
trimmers, knives and other tools involved. Cleaning
often there are cows that object to strangers as much
must involve physically scraping away all foreign
as any bull. Plus size 5 boots can carry infective
material, properly applying a disinfectant and
organisms about a dairy as effectively as our size 12
allowing proper contact time. Remember no chemical
boots.
works in organic matter. Physically clean surfaces
before expecting anything to disinfect. There are no In addition, you should never have pets with you
shortcuts and definitely no vaccines or injections to while trimming. This is a most difficult warning to
replace cleanliness and common sense. accept, but I must emphasize it. Leptospirosis is a
long-known bacterial disease that pets can carry and
The New York Cattle Health Assurance Program
spread by their urine. Neospora caninum is a recently
veterinarians are working very hard to control and
defined infection that dogs carry and it will cause
someday eradicate Johne’s disease. An introductory
abortion in dairy cattle. Simply carrying manure on
premise they proclaim is one teaspoon of manure
their feet down the feed alley or moving a discarded
from a heavily shedding cow infected with
fetus or placenta around a dairy will cause any
Mycobaterium paratubercucosis will contain one
herdsperson much dismay. My dog has never been on
billion infective organisms. 1 teaspoon = 1 billion.
a farm visit with me for all the reasons described
How many teaspoons of manure are on your
here. Dairy producers may allow their companion
table/chute?
16