How significant is cow comfort when it comes to mastitis?

How significant is cow comfort (or should it be discomfort?) when it comes to mastitis?  Does a visible reduction in udder swelling make a difference? What is the link between clots in milk and obtaining a bacteriological cure for a case of mastitis?  And why and when should tubes that contain an antibiotic and an anti-inflammatory be considered? 

To uncover some of the answers to these question, and also to examine farmer opinions, Intervet commissioned a series of farmer meetings earlier this year.  Here, Dairy Farmer speaks to vet James Allcock of Cheshire practice Lambert, Leonard and May who prepared the discussion guide and attended the meetings.

The majority of the farmers who attended the meetings said that good stockmanship skills were the first step in spotting new mastitis cases, he says.  Farmers talked about the affected cow coming into the parlour later in the milking period and also mentioned that many cows often show a drop in yield the day before clinical signs become apparent. 

“At all the meetings, reference was made to the cows’ general demeanour as being highly significant,” Mr Allcock explains.  “Producers also stated that cow behaviour can indicate the severity of a mastitis infection.”

In addition to the hard-to-define aspects of stockmanship, the groups also commented that any swelling in a quarter was more apparent after milking and that this was more easily detected when dipping teats than when using teat sprays.  They also said that affected quarters were often detected when dry wiping teats prior to cluster application.

So how uncomfortable is a case of mastitis and what are the benefits of reducing this, and any swelling, in order to rapidly re-start ‘normal’ milking?

“In general, all those who participated in the meetings said they looked for visible results in cows with swollen quarters when using an anti-inflammatory ingredient as well as an antibiotic,” adds Mr Allcock. 

“What is more, there was clear feedback that, if you can reduce swelling and get the cow feeling better, her demeanour will improve and, with that, appetite, dry matter intake and, so, yield,” he says.

When it came to investigating the role of anti-inflammatory products in mastitis therapy, there were some interesting contradictions and views. 

“Across all the meetings, the awareness of the ingredients in different tubes was extremely limited.  This was both the case for the antibiotic component and whether or not an anti-inflammatory product was included,” Mr Allcock says.  “Why is this?  Maybe it is because it is not a discussion that vets and farmers tend to have. Or, and perhaps more realistically, it is because most producers stick with a tube they find successful and only swap when something changes – for example, if cure rates fall.  It would seem from the meetings that, when this is the case, one brand of tube is swapped for another without an investigation into the bacteria involved or a review of the best antibiotic or antibiotic/anti-inflammatory combination.  The reasons behind selecting one tube over another would typically be discussed at such a discussion.”

Two key points that came out from the meetings were the relatively widespread use of anti-inflammatory products in cases of mastitis and the fact that, almost without exception, regular lab testing for bacteria testing was non-existent. 

“The mastitis tube that a farm uses seems to have been selected on the basis of a few bacteriological samples done irregularly,” Mr Allcock explains. “Meanwhile, the use of anti-inflammatory products is high, with many farmers feeling that injecting cows systemically offers advantages.”

The summary report from the meetings seemed to show that producers are demanding an increasing level of advice, guidance and information from vets on the subject of mastitis cure rates, tube selection and what they should expect from a course of treatment.

Commenting on the research, vet Rosemary Booth from Intervet said:

“Any increase in bacteriological cure rate reduces the likelihood of recurring infections and effectively cuts the time the milk is out of the tank enabling farmers to take advantage of improved prices.”

Intervet launched Mastiplan LC in September, a new mastitis tube for lactating cows which contains cefapirin, a broad spectrum antibiotic as well as prednisolone.  A broad spectrum antibiotic means it should be effective against most of the common mastitis bugs, while prednisolone is a powerful anti-inflammatory that is used in other tubes, but is included at a higher dose in Mastiplan LC.

“Mastiplan LC is effective very rapidly, relieving painful clinical symptoms (thanks to the anti-inflammatory prednisolone) while its patented formulation means it provides a long duration of action,” Ms Booth explains.

As the farmer meetings showed, a bacteriological cure in combination with a cow that feels better with reduced swelling is the most desirable outcome.  On-farm tests for Mastiplan LC prior to its launch showed favourable results for both a bacteriological and clinical cure against one of the most widely used tubes on the market.

(insert graphs from vet detailer below)

Is there room for another mastitis tube on the market, and when and why would farmers consider swapping?

James Allcock says: “Feedback from the meetings clearly shows a role for anti-inflammatory products in mastitis management.  Is there room in the market for a product such as Mastiplan  – broad spectrum and effective antibiotic with a high level of anti-inflammatory component?  Only time will tell whether farmers and vets are prepared to make the change.  From a practitioner’s point of view, if we could persuade more farmers of the benefit of undertaking herd level milk testing, and then examining their mastitis protocol, more effective mastitis management would be the probable outcome.  It would be during the review process that discussions around tube selection would take place.”

Meanwhile, Rosemary Booth says: “Farmers are well served with a range of mastitis tubes that they know and like.  The introduction of Mastiplan LC offers choice and a new combination of antibiotic and anti-inflammatory, which will doubtless find favour.”