Lameness is not only a major economic problem, but it is also a major welfare issue - for both the cow and the herdsman!
There are few conditions which regularly produce as much pain and distress to the dairy cow and few conditions where the herdsman has to spend so much time and effort on routine prevention, in other words, hoof trimming.
If we could learn to house, feed and manage our cows better, much of this effort would not be needed.Lameness is also an expensive disease. In 1998 Esslemont estimated that foot problems cost the United Kingdom dairy herd £90 million each year, which is just under £30 for every cow in the national dairy herd. An individual case of lameness was estimated to cost between £25 and £300, depending on whether it was a simple case of digital dermatitis or a more complicated sole ulcer in an early lactation cow. As a high proportion of lameness occurs in early lactation and as lame cows are more difficult to get back in calf, reduced fertility is a major contributor to the cost of lameness.
The incidence of lameness in the United Kingdom remains high, with almost 25% of the national herd being treated each year. Compare this with mastitis, where around 20% of cows are affected each year. A UK survey carried out in the late 1970s showed that leg disorders accounted for only 12% of all lameness and these were mainly calving injuries. This means that 88% of lameness was associated with the foot. Of these, 86% were in the hind foot, with the outer claw most likely to be affected (85%).
This chapter describes the structure of the foot, what happens during overgrowth and an approach to hoof trimming. It then deals with the many causes of lameness and their control. Clearly only a condensed description can be given in a single chapter, and readers requiring more detailed information, with colour photographs and diagrams, are advised to consult the book Cattle Lameness and Hoofcare.