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John H. Kirk, DVM, MPVM When you think you have a mastitis outbreak, there are some steps you need to take in order to be ready when you ask your veterinarian for help. Taking these steps will speed up the process and insure a successful result. If this information is unknown when the veterinarian arrives, additional time will be spent to collect the needed data. The following is an outline of information that should be known before a mastitis problem can be solved. To begin, the first step is to gather this basic information. Determine the character and magnitude of the problem: determine if a problem really exists. The action level for clinical cases is above 1-2% new cases per month while the level for subclinical cases is somewhere between 200,000 and 300,000 cells/ml. in bulk tank milk. Clinical cases: Number of new cases per month Subclinical problem: Bulk tank somatic cell count Determine the organism(s) causing the problem: Find out what bacteria, mycoplasma, yeast, fungi or algae is responsible for the mastitis. Repeated cultures give the most reliable results. Bulk tank milk samples are a good place to start.
Culture results from
Determine which cows are involved: Find out what the pattern of mastitis is within the herd so that the area for corrective action can be noted.
Lactation groups
Cow strings
Determine the stage of lactation for the problem: Pinpoint the problem area to a location on the dairy where the problem is starting. This may overlap with the lactation or string groupings.
Days in milk
Look over your DHIA or other records with somatic cell counts for individual cows: Look for patterns with lactation, strings, or days in milk. Have copies available for review. Determine that the milk system is functioning properly: Rule out any contribution of the milking equipment to the problem. Check teat ends and teat condition for abnormal lesions. Have the machine dealer or other knowledgeable person check over the equipment. Get a written report. Determine that milking technique is satisfactory: The milking technique should not be allowing mastitis pathogen to transfer from one cow to another during milking. Review detection of new cases by milkers, monitor teat dipping (pre- and post-) coverage, check out the night crew. Determine that udders and teat are clean and dry when the cows enter the parlor: Milking dirty, wet cows can lead to environmentally related mastitis problems. Look for yourself on a unannounced visit so that you be sure of the situation. Determine that the cow housing is providing a clean, comfortable place for the cows to lie down in between milkings. Housing areas should not contribute to the unsanitary condition of the udder and teats. Once all this information has been gathered, you are ready to begin solving the problem. In fact, you have probably already made a very good start and have some ideas about where to begin. Now get your veterinarian involved in developing a near term and long range solution to your problem.
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