Lameness affects 25-30% of dairy cows in many UK herds and is considered the most painful and economically significant welfare problem in dairy farming.
Lame dairy cows experience chronic foot pain that affects every aspect of their daily lives including walking to feed, water, and milking. Cows in pain spend more time lying down to relieve foot pressure, reducing their feeding time. Chronic pain causes immune suppression increasing susceptibility to other diseases. Lame cows show altered social behaviour withdrawing from interaction. The high prevalence of lameness in UK dairy herds means millions of individual cows are experiencing chronic pain at any given time, making prevention and early treatment the most impactful welfare intervention available in dairy farming.