References
Responding to questions about clinical mastitis treatment failure on farm: improving the outcome
Abstract
The treatment of clinical mastitis on farm is always under the spotlight for veterinary surgeons due to the financial penalty of withholding milk from the bulk tank, the challenge of achieving a bacteriological cure during lactation compared with during a dry period and the importance of antibiotic use in dairy herds. This article focuses on the management of the FIRST clinical mastitis case in a cow's lactation, as this not only represents the best chance of achieving a bacteriological cure as well as a symptomatic one, but also puts emphasis on the need to measure the outcome of treatment approaches for first cases and the likely origin of first cases so that treatment can be avoided in the future.
As veterinary surgeons in practice, we prescribe intra-mammary antibiotic for the treatment of clinical mastitis (CM) events in dairy cows under our care, and yet are often unaware of apparent cure rates or outcomes that are related to cases treated on farm. This can lead to some confusion when confronted by herd managers and herd owners and challenged to prescribe a different treatment when the efficacy of current therapy is perceived to be poor. As the focus on reducing antibiotic use in dairy herds continues to put the spotlight on mastitis therapeutics, reminding clients (and ourselves) of the importance of the FIRST CM case in a lactation becomes vital if we are to give structured guidance on mastitis treatment and prescribe in a responsible manner.
A recent guide (the Boehringer Mastitis Therapy Checklist) has attempted to provide a structured approach to the management of the FIRST CM case in a cow's lactation. This article tries to provide some clinical context and give guidance for veterinary surgeons when asked to respond to a farm client who reports disappointing outcomes from the treatment of clinical mastitis cases, with a perceived increased amount of recurrence. This article summarises this clinical discussion on improving the outcome when advising on mastitis treatment and gives a structured approach to this common clinical scenario.
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