Clinical diagnosis of foot and leg lameness in cattle.

The causes of lameness in cattle are multifactorial and involve a combination of housing, management, and environmental factors and a variety of infectious agents. Arriving at a cause can often require concerted efforts. Diagnosis of lameness is often based mainly on clinical observations. A detailed record of those observations with time and among several animals within a herd can provide valuable information toward solving lameness problems. Advances in computer hardware and software help facilitate more detailed data collection and analysis.