Lameness is a major welfare and economic problem in dairy and beef cattle, and emerging detection technologies are improving early identification and treatment outcomes.
Lameness causes chronic pain - lame cows show pain behaviours, avoid walking, stand less and have elevated pain biomarkers. The welfare cost is substantial and persistent: a cow that is lame for weeks experiences prolonged suffering that often goes unaddressed because subclinical and early lameness is hard to detect by eye. Technology-assisted detection changes this by identifying gait abnormalities before they become severe, enabling treatment when it is most effective. However, technology alone does not improve welfare - it must be paired with stockperson training to act on alerts, a culture of prompt treatment, and systems to address the root causes of lameness (flooring, bedding, hoof care, nutrition).