Lameness is one of the most prevalent and economically significant welfare problems in dairy farming. Preventing and treating lameness requires integrated attention to housing, nutrition, and foot care.
Dairy cow lameness causes chronic pain that significantly impairs welfare quality. Lame cows show priority for lying time over eating and social interaction — behaviour indicating pain-induced motivation changes. The condition often begins with subclinical changes during the transition period (3 weeks before to 3 weeks after calving) when metabolic demands stress the corium. Prevention requires integrated management of housing (cow comfort, floor type, cubicle dimensions), nutrition (transition cow management, mineral supplementation), and hoof care (regular trimming, footbathing). Digital dermatitis is highly contagious and requires prompt treatment and footbath protocols to prevent herd spread. The economic cost of lameness — reduced production, reproductive failure, treatment costs — provides commercial incentives for prevention that align with welfare goals, creating opportunities for evidence-based improvement programmes.