Lameness is the most significant welfare problem in dairy cattle, affecting millions of animals with chronic pain. New precision livestock technologies are improving early detection and treatment, but adoption remains slow.
Lameness in dairy cows is a pervasive and underaddressed source of chronic suffering. Many lame cows go undetected or untreated for days or weeks because their stoic nature masks pain and because visual detection requires training and time that are not always available on busy farms. Technology that automates early detection has genuine welfare potential, reducing the duration of unrecognised suffering significantly. However, technology alone is insufficient — it must be paired with treatment protocols, corrective hoof trimming access, and housing improvements that address the root causes of lameness in high-production dairy systems.