With heat stress comes lameness and negative impacts on hoof health. In fact, heat stress is one of the biggest factors contributing to dairy cow lameness.

During the summer, cows face additional challenges due to heat stress and can become stuck in a negative cycle of lameness and ultimately decreased productivity.

Lameness is a costly issue for dairy farms, with an average prevalence of 25% of dairy cows on U.S. dairies experiencing lameness. Much of these costs are associated with milk loss and can add up to $200 to $500 per case. 

At any given time, 25% of dairy cows in the U.S. are lame, and more than that experience lameness at some point throughout their lactation, according to Dr. Jennifer Walker, DVM.