Dry cow management program

Economic aspects of dry cow therapy

Dry cow therapy has been part of mastitis control since the 1970s and has been one point of the five point scheme. In many countries many, if not most, dairy farmers apply dry cow therapy as part of their farm specific mastitis control plan. The general advice in the five point plan is that all cows, at drying off, should be treated with a specific long acting antibiotic formulation the blanket...

Antibiotic dry cow therapy: where next?

Mastitis Prevention and Cure Rates in Heifers Treated with Spectramast Dry Cow Therapy and/or Orbeseal Dry Cow Teat Sealant

Dairy cows are vital for milk production, cheese, cream, and so much more. Healthy udders and teats are necessary to keep production levels at their highest and to keep the number of cows being culled to the lowest levels. Inflammation of the mammary gland is called mastitis, which is typically caused by bacteria that invade the teat canal. This disease is most often transmitted by contact with...

Meta-analysis of dry cow management for dairy cattle. Part 2. Cure of existing intramammary infections.

The main goal of dry cow therapy (DCT) is to cure existing intramammary infections (IMI) at dry off. Although several published studies have estimated the cure rate of IMI after DCT, variation among studies is great, which makes it difficult to conduct a proper economic evaluation of DCT. The objective of the present meta-analysis of existing peer-reviewed literature was to provide a summary qu...

Integrating Fasciolosis Control in the Dry Cow Management: The Effect of Closantel Treatment on Milk Production

The liver fluke Fasciola hepatica is a parasite of ruminants with a worldwide distribution and an apparent increasing incidence in EU member states. Effective control in dairy cattle is hampered by the lack of flukicides with a zero-withdrawal time for milk, leaving the dry period as the only time that preventive treatment can be applied. Here, we present the results of a blinded, randomized an...