ABSTRACT
This chapter suggests that health problems represent some of the main threats to the welfare of dairy cattle. Although disagreement often arises about what constitutes the main welfare problems, there is broad agreement that welfare is reduced by health problems. The chapter summarizes the evidence showing that lameness is affected by the genetics of the animal and by housing. It mainly focuses on the health problems of dairy cattle. A marked increase has occurred in the incidence of production-related diseases of dairy cows. Infectious diseases associated with skin lesions of the hoof, such as digital dermatitis, represented 36% of cases; upper leg problems accounted for 2%. Critics of modern animal agriculture often point to the intensification of the dairy industry as a cause of reduced welfare of dairy cattle. The behavior of the cattle can be an important mediating factor in influencing how housing systems lead to lameness.
