Prevalence of lameness and of associated claw disorders in Greek dairy cattle industry

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of lameness as well as the prevalence of claw–horn disruptions, abnormal claw shape and dermatitis in lame cows in Greek dairy farms and to evaluate their risk factors. Forty dairy farms were visited twice, during winter and during summer, and the lameness of milking cows was scored using a 5-point scale. In total 760 cows were lame (lameness score ≥ 3) and were further examined to identify macroscopically the claw disorders. The herd size, the trimming and footbathing frequency, the floor surface, the cleanness of the herd, the scraping frequency and the disinfectant used in the footbaths were recorded. The mean lameness prevalence was 18.7% and that of claw disorders observed in the lame cows was 75.4% for abnormal claw shape, 30.2% for dermatitis and 30.6% for claw–horn disruptions. Large herd size and the absence or only once per year trimming were associated with increased risk for the presence of lameness.