Deformed Elk Hoof?

[cnelk]

Here is a pic of the hind hoof of the cow elk I shot this year
I do not know what caused it or anything about this condition in elk.
Im not sure if it is hoof rot. There is some cattle in the area and the area had plenty of moisture

Any thoughts or info would be greatly appreciated

 

[ORelksniper]

Found this article on WDFW website. Also showed photos of similar looking hooves.


Bacterial Hoof Disease in
Southwest Washington Elk

Over the past decade, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has received a growing number of reports of elk hobbled by missing or misshapen hooves in southwest Washington. This is a major concern for hunters, area residents and state wildlife managers alike. Analysis of tissue from deformed hooves indicates the condition is likely caused by a bacterial disease similar to one found in livestock.

Since 2008, the disease has spread from the Cowlitz River Basin to Pacific, Grays Harbor, Lewis, Clark and Wahkiakum counties, affecting the St. Helens and Willapa Hills elk herds. Scientists believe the bacteria are transmitted through the wet soil of lowland areas.

New hoof rule for SW Washington elk
Hunters are now required to remove the hooves of any elk they harvest in southwest Washington and leave them on-site.
The new rule, approved by the Washington Fish and Wildlife, is designed to help reduce the spread of hoof disease that affects the region\'s elk herds. It applies to all elk taken in southwest Washington, regardless of whether they show signs of the disease.

The rule applies to Game Management Units 501-564 and 642-699 in Cowlitz, Wahkiakum, Skamania, Clark, Grays Harbor, Thurston, Pierce, Pacific, Lewis and Klickitat counties.

Test results of diseased hooves sent to five diagnostic laboratories since 2013 point to infectious treponeme bacteria, which have been linked to digital dermatitis in domestic sheep and cattle. A 16-member technical panel of veterinarians and researchers, formed by WDFW to review test results from affected elk, has supported those findings.

First reported in Italy in 1974, digital dermatitis now occurs in livestock throughout the United States and other countries, but has never before been documented in elk or other wildlife. There is no evidence that the bacteria are harmful to humans, and tests have shown that the disease does not affect animals\' meat or organs. However, there is no vaccine for the disease and no proven options for treating it in the field.

 

[Deertick]

I\'ve thought on this, Brad.

Laminitis (inflammation of the connection between the coffin bone, called \"P3\", and the hoof wall) is going on here -- but not the usual laminitis.

The \"usual\" laminitis is a nutritional issue caused by excess carbohydrates in the animal\'s diet. Obviously, though, this animal had the same diet for all four feet!

In this case, I think she was injured. P3 (in horses, there\'s just one P3 bone, and in deer and elk, there are two, side-by-side) should be the core of the toe ... it\'s what the hoof wall grows to cover on the upper and front surface. The hoof wall in a healthy animal is tightly applied to the surface of P3.

Well, if that right rear hoof wall was \"tightly applied\" to the bone, then the obvious explanation is that the bone was deformed -- and I\'d guess that was from an injury.

If I\'m right, that\'d explain why the toe is so long, too. The toe should trim itself with walking, but a deformed toe didn\'t \"trim\" naturally, and so she got overgrown.

So, my bet is that if we would have dissected it, we\'d have found a healed but angled fracture of her P3s on that foot.

I\'ve tried to draw on your photo to picture where I think the P3 bone should be, but I\'m having trouble uploading the photo.

 

[OldMan]

Good conversation piece. Put it on the coffee table.

 

[razorback]

I agree with Deertick. The foot looks like (broken bone above the hoof) there has been some injury. Not a vet but worked cattle with my grandpa when I was younger. I\'ve seen a few injuries to cattle that resulted in about the same thing.

 

[mainebrdr]

Brad, not sure it would be exactly the same but perhaps some similarities between elk hooves and cattle. Having raised cattle for many years I have had hooves on the place that looked identical to those. Generally the condition would show up on a previously foundered animal or in particularly extended wet periods. Also certain cow families were more susceptible to it than others. Once an animal got the condition it generally followed it for the remainder of its life. Periodic hoof trimmings helped but did not remove it. If left alone the animal would often go lame. Vets would say it was associated in some way with \'hoof rot\'.

 

[Billy Goat]

ahh, yes.

this is a classic case of toesemus crossimus.

classic symptoms include willingness to hang out with crazy antlered elk, and a general appreciation for fried walleye. =P

 

[Swede]

I agree with Tick too, even though the only part I understood was that all four hooves on the elk were getting the same diet. That sorta made sense to me. Swede logic. :lol:

 

[Deertick]

Swede logic. :lol:

Let\'s call that \"Swedelogic-TM\"

 

[Swede]

I was not as sure of my logic on the hoof bit as I was on the broad head alignment. I know there are some points on the Swedelogic broad head thing, that are not quite right, but aligning them still doesn\'t really matter.
As for the logic on the hoofs, it seems to depend on whether the elk had direct injection of nutrients into the back two cylinders or if the elk runs on the older carburetor/manifold system. If she was using the old system, the back two cylinders ran a little lean. I guess that could open up a whole new can of worms, huh?