Digital dermatitis (Mortellaro disease) is the most prevalent infectious cause of lameness in dairy cattle globally, causing chronic pain that is often inadequately treated.
Digital dermatitis welfare impact is severe and chronic. Active lesions are exquisitely painful - behavioral and physiological pain indicators in affected cows are pronounced, with changes in weight distribution, gait, and social behavior all documented. The chronic, recurrent nature of the condition means many affected cows live with repeated pain episodes throughout their productive lives. Effective herd-level control requires good slurry management to reduce bacterial load, functional footbath programs, regular foot trimming to enable early lesion detection, and prompt individual treatment of active cases. The welfare case for adequate analgesic treatment of affected animals alongside topical therapy is strong but underimplemented in commercial practice.