Bovine papillomatosis causes warts on cattle skin and teats that can significantly impair welfare through pain, teat obstruction and secondary infection.
Teat warts are the most significant welfare concern as they cause pain during machine milking and predispose to teat-end damage and mastitis. Skin warts can become traumatised and infected. Welfare priorities include prompt identification of teat lesions, temporary milking machine adjustment or hand milking during recovery, maintaining equipment hygiene, and consulting a vet about autogenous vaccines in persistently affected herds.