Early detection and prompt effective treatment of lameness in dairy cattle

Abstract

Lameness remains a substantial challenge within the UK dairy industry despite significant investment and research in this area. The early detection and prompt effective treatment (EDPET) of new cases of lameness is vital in breaking the chronicity cycle associated with the condition yet remains an under-utilised approach. There needs to be a shift in focus away from using mobility scoring solely as an auditing tool. Mobility scoring should instead be used to empower producers to recognise early cases of lameness to maximise the long-term welfare of the animal and profitability of the unit.