Lameness affects up to a third of dairy cows in some herds and causes chronic pain that significantly reduces welfare and productivity. Systematic prevention and prompt treatment are essential.
Cattle lameness represents arguably the most significant ongoing welfare problem in dairy farming by virtue of both its prevalence and the chronic nature of the pain it causes. A lame cow is a cow in pain, often for weeks or months before detection and treatment, as the subtle early signs are easily missed by stockpersons without systematic locomotion scoring programmes. The economic costs of lameness are well-documented and align with welfare benefits: early detection and treatment reduces both suffering and production losses. The preventive approach through housing design, nutrition management, and regular foot bathing addresses root causes more effectively than treatment alone. Building a culture of lameness prevention requires management commitment, trained stockpersons, and regular monitoring systems embedded in farm routine.