Prevalence of lameness in dairy cows: A literature review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Prevalence of lameness in dairy cows

T2 - A literature review

AU - Thomsen, Peter T.

AU - Shearer, Jan K.

AU - Houe, Hans

PY - 2023/5

Y1 - 2023/5

N2 - Lameness in dairy cows has major negative impacts on animal welfare and production economy. While previous studies have evaluated the prevalence of lameness in single countries, the present literature review is the first overview of the prevalence of lameness in dairy cows globally. This literature review identified 53 studies reporting prevalence of lameness among representative samples of dairy cows and fulfilling a number of specified inclusion criteria (e.g., at least 10 herds and 200 cows, and locomotion scoring by trained observers). A total of 414,950 cows from 3945 herds were included in these 53 studies, which spanned a 30-year period (1989–2020) and included herds from six continents, with the majority from Europe and North America. Across the studies, the mean prevalence of lameness (typically defined as score 3–5 on a 1–5 scale) was 22.8% with a median of 22.0% and a range between studies from 5.1% to 45%, and a within herd range from 0% to 88%. The mean prevalence of severely lame cows (typically defined as score 4–5 on a 1–5 scale) was 7.4% with a median of 6.5% and a range between studies from 1.8% to 21.2%, and a within herd range from 0% to 65%. Over time, it appears that the prevalence of lameness has changed very little. Several different locomotion scoring systems and definitions of (severe) lameness were used across the 53 studies, and this may have affected the reported lameness prevalence. Sampling of herds and cows, inclusion criteria and representativeness also differed between studies. This review offers recommendations for the future capture of information on lameness in dairy cows and identifies potential knowledge gaps.

AB - Lameness in dairy cows has major negative impacts on animal welfare and production economy. While previous studies have evaluated the prevalence of lameness in single countries, the present literature review is the first overview of the prevalence of lameness in dairy cows globally. This literature review identified 53 studies reporting prevalence of lameness among representative samples of dairy cows and fulfilling a number of specified inclusion criteria (e.g., at least 10 herds and 200 cows, and locomotion scoring by trained observers). A total of 414,950 cows from 3945 herds were included in these 53 studies, which spanned a 30-year period (1989–2020) and included herds from six continents, with the majority from Europe and North America. Across the studies, the mean prevalence of lameness (typically defined as score 3–5 on a 1–5 scale) was 22.8% with a median of 22.0% and a range between studies from 5.1% to 45%, and a within herd range from 0% to 88%. The mean prevalence of severely lame cows (typically defined as score 4–5 on a 1–5 scale) was 7.4% with a median of 6.5% and a range between studies from 1.8% to 21.2%, and a within herd range from 0% to 65%. Over time, it appears that the prevalence of lameness has changed very little. Several different locomotion scoring systems and definitions of (severe) lameness were used across the 53 studies, and this may have affected the reported lameness prevalence. Sampling of herds and cows, inclusion criteria and representativeness also differed between studies. This review offers recommendations for the future capture of information on lameness in dairy cows and identifies potential knowledge gaps.

KW - Dairy cow lameness

KW - Locomotion scoring system

KW - Representativeness

KW - Review

KW - Prevalence

KW - Lameness, Animal/epidemiology

KW - Gait

KW - Lactation

KW - Cattle Diseases/epidemiology

KW - Animals

KW - Cattle

KW - Dairying

KW - Female

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85151270482&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.tvjl.2023.105975

DO - 10.1016/j.tvjl.2023.105975

M3 - Review

C2 - 36990338

AN - SCOPUS:85151270482

SN - 1090-0233

VL - 295

JO - Veterinary Journal

JF - Veterinary Journal

M1 - 105975

ER -