Control and prevention of lameness associated with claw lesions in dairy cows

Dairy cow lameness is a serious animal welfare issue. It is also a significant cause of economic losses reducing reproductive efficiency and milk production and increasing culling rates. Despite its undeniable importance, lameness has not received the attention it deserves from the agricultural scientific community and its incidence appears to be on the rise in most countries throughout the world. Claw horn disruption lesions (CHDL), sole ulcers and white line disease, are the most prevalent diseases associated with lameness and pain, representing over 65% of all lesions diagnosed in visually lame cows and causing the largest economic losses amongst several lameness related diseases and therefore a large part of this review is focused on their pathogenesis. Additionally, opportunities for preventing CHDL are described with emphasis being placed on floor surfaces, cow comfort, and genetic selection.