Mastitis — udder infection — is the most common disease in dairy cattle globally, causing significant pain to millions of cows while representing the leading cause of antibiotic use in the industry.
Mastitis causes acute and chronic pain from udder inflammation, tissue damage, and systemic illness in severe cases. Cows with clinical mastitis show behavioral pain indicators including altered gait, reduced feed intake, and behavioral depression. The prevalence of mastitis in intensive dairy systems normalizes what is actually a significant welfare compromise affecting millions of individual animals.