Johne's disease causes protracted suffering in affected cattle through progressive protein-losing enteropathy, and its management has major implications for herd welfare.
Johne's disease causes protracted animal suffering: affected cattle progressively lose condition over weeks to months, developing severe hypoproteinaemia (bottle jaw), continuous profuse diarrhoea, and extreme weakness before death. The slow progression means animals can suffer for extended periods if not identified and humanely culled early. The subclinical phase during which infected cattle shed bacteria without obvious clinical signs makes herd management challenging. From a welfare perspective, identifying clinical Johne's cases early and ensuring prompt humane culling rather than allowing further deterioration is essential. Herd control programmes that reduce disease prevalence directly improve herd-level welfare.