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Step by Step: Detection, Diagnosis, Control and Treatment of Ruminant...
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Step by Step: Detection, Diagnosis, Control and Treatment of Ruminant Lameness and Foot Diseases: Second Edition

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Veterinary Clinical Studies".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 1901

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Laura E. Green

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Institute for Microbiology and Infection, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
Interests: epidemiology; infectious diseases; lameness; ruminants; welfare
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We want ruminants to live long and healthy lives in order to minimize their impact on climate change and antimicrobial resistance. Despite considerable research and knowledge exchange, lameness continues to be prevalent and debilitating in ruminants worldwide, and a reduction in the prevalence and incidence of lameness in herds and flocks would improve their quality of life, and contribute positively to these global challenges.

We are in the midst of a wave of novel technologies being employed to address lameness in ruminants. The aim of this Special Issue is to collect recent research on the enhanced detection, diagnosis, control, and treatment of lameness and foot diseases in ruminants, with the aim of highlighting advances and further challenges regarding this important subject.

Prof. Dr. Laura E. Green
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • ruminant lameness
  • detection and diagnosis
  • prevention and treatment
  • housing and environment
  • automation
  • diagnostic tools epidemiology and modelling

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 2448 KB  
Article
Infrared Thermography of Cattle Hooves: Temperature Differences According to Lameness Score
by Tina Bobić, Mihaela Oroz, Marko Oroz, Nikola Raguž, Pero Mijić, David Kranjac, Mario Shihabi, Emmanuel Karlo Nyarko, Stanko Horvat and Boris Lukić
Animals 2026, 16(7), 1058; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16071058 - 31 Mar 2026
Viewed by 380
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the distribution of and differences in the temperature values for the cows’ hooves depending on the lameness score and health status. The research was conducted on a free-stall housing dairy farm with Holstein cows (n [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to determine the distribution of and differences in the temperature values for the cows’ hooves depending on the lameness score and health status. The research was conducted on a free-stall housing dairy farm with Holstein cows (n = 180). The maximum (IR MAX), average (IR MEAN) and minimum (IR MIN) infrared temperature values were recorded at the coronary band (CB). The four-point manual locomotion scoring system was used to assess four levels of lameness score (LS0–LS3). The average values of IR MEAN, IR MIN and IR MIN of unhealthy hooves were significantly higher than the mean values of healthy hooves. Under lower ambient recording conditions, significant differences in CB temperature were observed between cows with different lameness scores, while under higher ambient conditions these differences were not statistically significant. The IR MEAN values for cows with LS0 (16.28 °C) were significantly (p < 0.05) lower than those for cows with LS1 (17.59 °C), LS2 (17.71 °C) and high significantly (p < 0.01) lower compared to cows with LS3 (18.04 °C). The distribution of the coronary band temperatures indicates that hoof temperature is associated with the health status of the cow, ambient recording conditions, and the level of the lameness score. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Step by Step: Detection, Diagnosis, Control and Treatment of Ruminant Lameness and Foot Diseases: Second Edition)
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19 pages, 1776 KB  
Article
Social Structure of Sheep Flocks at Points of the Production Cycle and Relationship to Disease Spread, Using a Simulated Epidemic of Footrot
by Katharine Eleanor Lewis, Emily Price, Darren Croft, Joss Langford, Laura Ozella, Ciro Cattuto, Rachel Clifton and Laura Green
Animals 2026, 16(4), 587; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16040587 - 12 Feb 2026
Viewed by 663
Abstract
Footrot is one of the top five globally important diseases of sheep and causes lameness, leading to poor welfare and productivity. Transmission of Dichelobacter nodosus, the causative agent, occurs via surfaces such as pasture or bedding and persistence occurs from diseased sheep [...] Read more.
Footrot is one of the top five globally important diseases of sheep and causes lameness, leading to poor welfare and productivity. Transmission of Dichelobacter nodosus, the causative agent, occurs via surfaces such as pasture or bedding and persistence occurs from diseased sheep shedding bacteria into the environment; D. nodosus cannot replicate off host. High resolution proximity sensors were deployed on a flock of Poll Dorset sheep for 10–17 days at several points of the production cycle (teasing, tupping, pregnancy, and lactation (<6-week-old lambs)) between July 2018 and May 2021. Association indices between pairs of sheep were calculated, and outbreaks of footrot were simulated using a network-based susceptible-exposed-infected-recovered model. Two management approaches were modelled (1) where sheep were treated either not promptly, or effectively, resulting in long recovery times (28–100 days) and (2) where sheep were treated and recovered within 15 days, assuming ‘active management’ of footrot by the farmer using ‘best practice’ of prompt recognition of lame sheep and parenteral and topical antibiotics. Under ‘active management’ conditions (scenario 2), outbreak sizes were smaller at all points of the production cycle. This adds to existing evidence that prompt, effective treatment of sheep at all stages of the production cycle is key to reducing the prevalence of footrot in the flock, including at breeding when sheep are more likely to be in close contact. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Step by Step: Detection, Diagnosis, Control and Treatment of Ruminant Lameness and Foot Diseases: Second Edition)
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13 pages, 1559 KB  
Article
Use of Leg-Mounted Monitors to Assess the Effects of Treponeme-Associated Hoof Disease on Elk (Cervus canadensis) Activity
by Trent O. Hill, Lisa A. Shipley, Steven N. Winter, Holly R. Drankhan, Kong Moua and Margaret A. Wild
Animals 2026, 16(2), 306; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16020306 - 19 Jan 2026
Viewed by 367
Abstract
Treponeme-associated hoof disease (TAHD) is an emerging disease of free-ranging elk (Cervus canadensis) in the northwestern United States. Affected elk develop chronic foot lesions, lameness, debilitation, and an apparent increase in mortality, but the onset of lameness and associated changes in [...] Read more.
Treponeme-associated hoof disease (TAHD) is an emerging disease of free-ranging elk (Cervus canadensis) in the northwestern United States. Affected elk develop chronic foot lesions, lameness, debilitation, and an apparent increase in mortality, but the onset of lameness and associated changes in activity are not fully understood. We evaluated the accuracy of a newly developed leg-mounted tri-axial accelerometer monitor (Advanced Telemetry Systems) on captive elk and collected monitor-derived data to assess activity before and during an experimental TAHD challenge. Monitors provided reliable data with 85% overall accuracy of the continuous onboard classification of activity as standing, moving, or bedded against direct visual observation using seven healthy elk. Further, following TAHD challenge, monitor-derived data were able to detect that treatment elk exhibiting abnormal locomotion spent more time bedded and less time moving or standing. During the challenge period, treatment elk spent roughly 10% more of the day bedded than control elk. These findings suggest that leg-mounted activity monitors can detect changes in elk activity and may serve as a useful tool for future wildlife disease monitoring efforts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Step by Step: Detection, Diagnosis, Control and Treatment of Ruminant Lameness and Foot Diseases: Second Edition)
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