Lameness is the most prevalent and painful welfare problem in dairy cattle, affecting 20-30% of cows in many herds. Early detection and effective treatment significantly reduce suffering at herd scale.
Dairy cow lameness causes chronic pain that profoundly affects welfare across all dimensions. Lame cows spend more time lying down to relieve foot pain, missing feeding time that worsens their nutritional status. The pain of walking on damaged feet is chronic and persistent, not episodic. Research using pain scoring tools has confirmed that lameness in cattle involves nociceptive pain comparable in intensity to conditions receiving analgesic treatment in companion animals. The gap between recognized lameness severity and treatment rates — many lame cows are observed but not treated or treated too late — represents a major welfare failure in UK and global dairy farming. Regular locomotion scoring combined with prompt treatment protocols is the most impactful single intervention for dairy cow welfare.