(1548) Treatment Decisions for Clinical Mastitis: Using Cultures to Make Selective Treatment Decisions

Introduction

• Dr. Pamela Ru, Quality Veterinarian, University of Wisconsin-Madison

• Topic: Using on-farm culture to improve mastitis treatment

Purpose of On-Farm Culturing

• Implement selective treatment protocols based on bacterial diagnosis

• Culturing is a part of the overall selective treatment strategy

Components for Successful Implementation

• Trained Milking Technicians: Ability to identify and detect clinical mastitis

• Severity Scoring System: Essential for selecting mild and moderate cases for treatment

• Decision-Making: Consider withholding treatment for up to 24 hours to wait for culture results

  • Possible to start short-duration treatment and adjust based on culture results

On-Farm Culturing Principle

• Laboratory shortcuts yield fast preliminary diagnoses of bacteria involved in mastitis

• Antibiotics typically not used until the diagnosis is confirmed (approx. 24 hours)

Typical Decisions Based on Culture Results

• Treat or not to treat based on bacterial growth

• Determine whether it’s gram-positive/gram-negative or a chronic infection (e.g., chronic staph)

• Adjust treatment type and duration based on bacterial diagnosis

Cautions for Using On-Farm Culturing

• Small Farms: Less than 200 cows may lack sufficient clinical mastitis cases for effective culturing

• Alternative: Collaborate with local veterinarians for selective treatment protocols

• Method Differences: On-farm methods differ from those in diagnostic labs; always have a backup lab for confirmation

• Veterinary Involvement: Essential for training, supervision, and treatment protocol development

Series Overview

• Steps for successful implementation of on-farm culture

• Setting up a lab, required equipment, and selecting appropriate media

• Discussing expected pathogens and their management

• Training on collecting milk samples and performing severity scoring

• Laboratory procedures: inoculating plates, incubation, and reading results

• Troubleshooting based on experiences with on-farm culturing