Founder, Diamond Hoof Care
Koos Vis
Dairy hoof trimmer since 1994
Koos Vis has spent three decades on dairy hoof health. He trained in the Dutch method in the Netherlands, trimmed full time across Alberta and Saskatchewan for 15 years, and founded Diamond Hoof Care. Today he consults farms across North America on lameness and digital dermatitis, and writes the Hoof Clips newsletter.
- Trained at IPC, Netherlands (1994)
- Health Canada clinical trial (2015)
- Writes Hoof Clips
Career
Three decades of dairy hoof health
- 1987 to 1994
Dairy herdsman
Supported hoof trimming on the farm and developed an early interest in watching professional trimmers at work.
- 1994
Trained and started trimming
Completed his training at the IPC Dairy Training Center in Friesland, the Netherlands, and launched his own hoof trimming business after taking over from a retiring trimmer.
- 1994 to 2009
Full-time hoof trimmer
15 years of trimming across Alberta and Saskatchewan.
- 2009 to today
Founder and lead consultant, Diamond Hoof Care
On-farm and virtual consulting for lameness and digital dermatitis control, part-time trimming, and education at trade shows across Canada and the USA.
- 2011
Quebec warehouse
Opened a Quebec warehouse serving customers in Canada and the United States.
- 2015
Health Canada clinical trial
Took part in the Health Canada clinical trial, working with a veterinarian on the trial protocol, that led to the DIN registration of Intra Hoof-fit Gel for digital dermatitis in Canada.
- Ongoing
Protocols and training
Develops hoof care protocols and training materials, supports dealers, and helps on-farm teams put hoof health programs into practice.
Training and research
Trained in the Dutch method
Training
- IPC Dairy Training Center, Friesland, the Netherlands (graduate, October 1994)
- Instructor: Pieter Kloosterman, internationally known hoof trimming specialist
- Method: the Dutch method for bovine hoof care, the approach behind the 5 Steps to Trim a Cow guide
Clinical research
- Health Canada clinical trial (2015), working with a veterinarian on the trial protocol
- Co-author of a randomized controlled trial of 50 active (M2) digital dermatitis lesions treated with a non-antibiotic gel on three Canadian dairy farms (Lammers et al. 2016)
- Read the results on the digital dermatitis guide
Areas of expertise
- Digital dermatitis diagnosis and management
- Dairy cow lameness prevention and treatment
- Hoof trimming, Dutch method
- Hoof care protocol development and product testing
- On-farm and virtual consulting
- Wrap Away: a wrap remover he designed that screws onto any pole
Written by Koos
Hoof disease guides
Practical guides to the most common hoof diseases in dairy cattle: how to recognize them, what causes them, and what to do.
Free resources
In the farm press
Articles and features
- Foot rot in dairy cowsProgressive Dairy, March 2011
- Don't just aim to prevent lameness; seek to cure itProgressive Dairy, July 2017
- Keeping your dairy herd on trackCowsmo, August 2018 (featured contributor)
- A Partnership Built on Innovation: The Story of Diamond Hoof Care and IntracareIntraview Magazine
Consulting
Chronic DD or recurring lameness? Talk to Koos.
Koos works with farms on-site and virtually: chronic digital dermatitis, recurring lameness, and prevention protocols your team can run. For practical tips in between, subscribe to Hoof Clips.