Preliminary applications of infrared thermography for detecting lameness in dairy cattle

Abstract This study investigated the potential use of infrared thermography (IRT) as a routine tool for the early diagnosis of laminitis in dairy cows, with a long-term goal of automating the method. The specific study objectives were as follows: (1) to establish any relationship between the maximum temperature (MT) of the coronary band and locomotion scores (LS); (2) to correlate the MT of different hoof regions (sole, interdigital space and coronary band) with lameness diseases; and (3) to assess whether parity influences hoof temperature. Thermal images of hind feet of 368 cows were captured with an infrared camera. Coronary band MTs were significantly higher in cows with LS ≥3 (cranial [CR] = 34.15 ± 2.07°C, caudal [CD] = 32.48 ± 3.02°C) than in cows with LS = 1 (CR = 32.13 ± 4.72°C, CD = 30.09 ± 5.81°C). Parity significantly influenced MTs, with lower temperatures recorded across all hoof regions in multiparous cows (≥3 calvings) than in primiparous cows. Additionally, hoof MTs were higher in cows with interdigital dermatitis (CR = 32.17 ± 2.24°C, CD = 30.66 ± 3.67°C, sole = 26.91 ± 2.48°C, interdigital space = 33.83 ± 2.40°C) than in healthy cows. These findings support the use of IRT to identify early signs of lameness and highlight the need for further research to enable automated thermographic monitoring in dairy herds.