Seasonal prevalence and geographical distribution of claw health in dairy cows: Investigation of the causal relationship with breed.

Claw disorders in dairy cattle represent a significant challenge, affecting animal welfare and farm productivity. This study investigates the prevalence, severity, and breed-specific responses of various claw lesions across 4 dairy breeds, Simmental, Alpine Grey, Reggiana, and Valdostana over different seasons and regions in Italy. A total of 131 farms and 2,223 animals were evaluated, consisting of 1,239 Simmental, 457 Alpine Grey, 221 Reggiana, and 306 Valdostana cows. Logistic regression models were used for the associations between breed and season and the occurrence of specific claw lesions. Our findings reveal that breed can be a critical determinant of claw disease incidence, with Simmental exhibiting a notably higher prevalence of slight-severity lesions (73.59%) compared with Alpine Grey (64.87%, odds ratio [OR] = 1.66). More critically, larger herd sizes are associated with increased odds of moderate (OR = 2.33) and high-severity lesions (OR = 4.95), highlighting the urgent need for effective hoof-management practices. Seasonal variations further underscore the need for targeted management strategies, because heel horn erosion and white line disease peak during warmer months. Regional analyses uncovered significant variability, with Trentino-Alto Adige reporting the highest incidence of heel horn erosion (76.99%) and sole hemorrhage prevalent in Lombardia (65.11%). This study emphasizes the importance of understanding breed-specific susceptibilities and regional risk factors in developing effective prevention and management strategies for claw disorders in dairy herds, particularly to mitigate the risks associated with moderate- and high-severity lesions.