Atlas HoofFIG. 09Foundation11 min

From lameness to lesion

Most dairy lameness is a foot. Score the walk, localize the limb, look at the foot, name the lesion, record it — and know when it is not the hoof.

Numbers

Measure	Value	Spread · alarm	Why it matters
Where lameness livesMerck Veterinary Manual	The foot		Merck: most cattle lameness, especially in dairy herds, originates in the foot — claw or interdigital skin.

Spot it

MeaningShe drops the head when the sore foot lands. That is a foot-load story until proven otherwise.
Next checkWatch from the side in the alley. Get a lesion name on the chute — do not stop at “lame.”

Field notes on this focus

Note 01Camera scores are screening — not diagnosesComputer-vision gait scores can prioritize cows and track herd trends — useful screening when camera setup is honest, never a veterinary diagnosis on their own.3 min · 2026-09-10

Quick check

Q 01 / 01

According to Merck’s cattle lameness overview, where does most dairy lameness start?

Sources

Overview of Lameness in Cattle — Merck Veterinary Manual
ICAR claw lesion identification and recording guidelines — ICAR
Mobility scoring: How to score your cows — AHDB Knowledge Library
Hoof Cowdemy — trim-chute craft — BarnX / Hoof Cowdemy

Plate credit

System figures are educational plates drawn from public-domain veterinary teaching anatomy (udder, claw, uterus, and housing relationships). They are not scanned specimens. Educational only.

Not a veterinary diagnosis, prescription, or ration formula.