Mastitis is a more or less severe inflammation of the mammary gland. It affects an average of 40% of dairy cows¹. The most severe cases can be fatal, and even in milder cases there is a significant risk of permanent udder lesions that affect lactation, sometimes for a long time. The cost of treatment and the loss of milk production due to infection can also result in heavy losses for the farmer. 

Dry-off: the critical time to prevent mastitis

In two-thirds of cases, mastitis in the first month of lactation is due to an infection contracted during the cow's dry-off period2. There are several strategies to prevent these infections. Maintaining a clean, dry environment is essential. Bedding needs to be changed regularly and pasture needs to be well drained to avoid mud and moisture, which encourage bacterial growth. The use of obturators to prevent bacteria from entering the teat canal is also a commonly used method. Finally, the administration of intramammary antibiotics during dry-off is recommended and reserved for cows with mastitis. This requires careful selection of cows to be treated. However, selection is difficult because infected animals may not show visible clinical signs.

Antibiotics for infected cows only

In selective dry-off, antibiotics are reserved for infected cows only, limiting the risk of resistance development. Selection of animals to be treated is the cornerstone of selective dry-off. Although somatic cell count is considered the most practical screening test, it is not appropriate to use the same threshold across herds (e.g. 200,000 cells/ml). 

That's why our teams developed Smart DCT. This innovative tool allows veterinarians to calculate and adjust the treatment threshold according to the prevalence of mastitis in the herd. The higher the prevalence, the lower the treatment threshold (somatic cell count) and vice versa. The Smart DCT calculator thus helps to better target animals for antibiotic treatment and avoid treating healthy animals, depending on the actual infection pressure in the herd.

Smart DCT introduced to NMC experts

From August 12 to 14, we'll be at the NMC in Belgium to share with dairy professionals our knowledge, products and Smart DCT tool, all in the service of herd health. At Virbac, we have been committed to helping farmers around the world manage mastitis for over 30 years. Our global approach integrates diagnostic solutions, prevention tools, drug treatments and education programs. We continue to work tirelessly to enrich our offering to meet the evolving needs of dairy professionals.

^{1. Bradley, A. J. et al. (2007) ‘Survey of the incidence and aetiology of mastitis on diary farms in England and Wales’, Veterinary Record, 160(8), pp. 253–258.doi: 10.1136/vr.160.8.253.}

^{2. Green, M. J. et al. (2007) ‘Cow, farm, and management factors during the dry period that determine the rate of clinical mastitis after calving.’, Journal of Dairy Science, 90(8), pp.3764–3776.}

The medicines, products or tools referred to in this document may not be authorised or marketed in all countries including France.