Mastitis: prevention is better than cure

Mastitis can be devastating to a dairy’s profitability. Dr Chantelle Erwee, technical manager of ruminants at Zoetis, describes strategies that a farmer can implement to prevent cows from developing the condition.

Bovine mastitis (inflammation of the udder) can be caused by numerous factors, including bacterial infection and trauma, and can lead to abnormal and decreased milk production. It remains one of the most common problems plaguing the dairy industry today.

The treatment of clinical cases of mastitis is not only expensive for dairy farmers, who must carry higher labour and treatment costs while simultaneously discarding milk, but also increases the risk of antibiotic residue in bulk tanks.

The condition can also adversely affect the reproductive performance of dairy cows. Cows that have had mastitis usually take significantly longer to conceive.

Mastitis is one of the main reasons that dairy producers cull their cows. Aside from the pain that mastitis-stricken cows have to endure, even mild cases can have an effect on milk quality due to an increase in inflammatory (somatic) cells in the milk.

“More severe cases can have a dramatic impact on milk production, and extremely severe cases can result in death.

“Traditionally, there has been a high level of reliance on antibiotics for the treatment and prevention of mastitis,” says Dr Chantelle Erwee, technical manager of the ruminants division at animal health company Zoetis South Africa.

“The possible fatal consequences and general cost of treating mastitis warrant an appropriate mastitis prevention and control programme.”

SOMATIC CELL COUNT