Regular foot bathing programmes can dramatically reduce lameness in dairy cattle, one of the most significant welfare and productivity challenges in modern dairy farming.
Lame cows experience chronic pain that affects every aspect of their lives. They are less able to compete for food and water, spend more time lying down, and have reduced reproductive performance. The Five Domains model identifies physical health and functional capacity as core welfare dimensions — lameness compromises both severely. Proactive foot bathing and prompt treatment are the most humane approaches to this pervasive problem.