Ahlén, Lina
Holmøy, Ingrid Hunter
Sogstad, Åse Margrethe
Jensen, Tim Kåre
Frosth, Sara
Rosander, Anna
Fjeldaas, Terje
Funding for this research was provided by:
Animalia
Article History
Received: 31 October 2022
Accepted: 16 February 2024
First Online: 18 June 2024
Declarations
:
: Application for ethical approval of the experiment was submitted (ref. FOTS ID 14334/29.11.2017) to the competent authority on animal research in Norway, i.e., the Animal Research Unit at the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (NFSA). NFSA considered (decision letter ref. 17/252672) that the experiment was to be regarded as “non-experimental clinical veterinary practices” which is exempt from the regulation on animal research with reference to article 2, fifth paragraph, letter b in the Norwegian Regulation on the use of animals in research [] which is equivalent to Article 5, point b in Directive 2010/63/EU [], which is fully implemented in Norway via the European Economic Agreement. The experiment was conducted in compliance with the Norwegian Animal Welfare Act with associated regulations related to clinical veterinary practice. After selection of 22 herds from NDHRS, all farmers were asked by the selected certified claw trimmers if they were willing to participate in the present study at routine trimming. After positive responses, all farmers were informed about all details including clinical examination and collection of swabs and biopsies by the first author. The study procedures were accepted by all 22 farmers.
: Not applicable.
: The authors declare no competing interests.
: LA graduated as a veterinarian in 2014 and is currently a Ph.D.-student in the project “Digital dermatitis – a contagious claw disease threatening animal welfare” at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU). TF is professor in surgery, lameness, and claw diseases in farm animals at NMBU. IHH is a veterinary epidemiologist and associate professor at the Ambulatory Clinic and Herd Health Services at NMBU. ÅMS is a specialist veterinarian with PhD, in the Norwegian Cattle Health Services in Animalia. TKJ is a professor and veterinary pathologist at Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen. SF and AR are Researchers in Bacteriology at the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU).