Lameness is a sign of pain resulting in an abnormal locomotion, gait or posture. It is a major economic, productivity and animal welfare issue in our industry. Lameness is commonly caused by hoof lesions, which are either infectious or non-infectious.

Lameness is a sign of pain resulting in an abnormal locomotion, gait or posture. It is a major economic, productivity and animal welfare issue in our industry.

A list of risk factors for the most common infectious foot lesion, digital dermatitis (DD, also known as hairy heel warts, Mortellaro’s disease), includes multiple aspects related to the cow, the farm’s management and environment.

In addition to being detrimental for cows’ longevity, reproductive performance and production, lameness is our dairy industry’s most visible animal welfare issue. We face increasing pressures from the public to ensure our cows are well cared for.

Digital dermatitis (DD), known as hairy heel warts, strawberry foot rot, raspberry heel, Mortellaro’s disease and foot warts, has become the most common foot lesion on many dairy herds throughout North America. It seems there are as many prevention and treatment products for DD as there are names for the disease.

The following summary is part of a Dairy Farmers of Canada-funded Dairy Research Cluster study examining dairy cow comfort, lameness and longevity. The study included data from 141 freestall farms in Quebec, Ontario and Alberta. Lying behavior was automatically recorded on 5,135 cows using accelerometers over four days.

Lameness is one of the most important welfare, health and productivity problems in intensive dairy farming worldwide. It is important for dairy farmers to realize it causes pain and therefore reduces cow longevity, milk production and reproductive performance, all of which contribute to substantial financial losses.