Wooden tongue, caused by Actinobacillus lignieresii, is a bacterial infection of cattle that primarily affects the tongue and soft tissues of the head, causing painful swelling that interferes with eating and drinking.
Wooden tongue causes significant pain and functional impairment that directly compromises the welfare of affected cattle. The enlarged, inflamed tongue makes eating and drinking painful and inefficient — cattle may stand at the feed trough, attempt to eat, then withdraw due to discomfort. Progressive weight loss compounds the welfare impact as body condition deteriorates. The head and neck lymph node involvement can cause facial disfigurement and the pressure of enlarged nodes may cause additional discomfort. Because cattle often mask pain through stoic behaviour, the condition may be well advanced before it is recognised. Stockperson training to identify changes in feeding behaviour and head carriage allows earlier detection. Prompt antibiotic treatment is both welfare-positive and economically rational, preventing the irreversible tissue damage that makes late-stage cases difficult to resolve.