(1548) 1. Treatment Decisions for Clinical Mastitis: Will Antibiotics Help the Cow?

Introduction to Mastitis and On-Farm Culture

Dr. Pamela Ru from the University of Wisconsin-Madison introduces a series on improving mastitis treatment through on-farm culture.

Mastitis: a bacterial infection of the cow's udder, detected through inflammation.
Symptoms observed: subclinical (increased somatic cell count) and clinical form (visible signs of disease).
Inflammation is a response by the cow's immune system aimed at eliminating bacteria.

Around 50% of clinical mastitis cases can be resolved by the cow's immune system before detection.
Only about 50% of mild and moderate cases actually require antibiotics.

Different bacteria behave differently in the udder:
- Infect various parts of the udder.
- Require different treatments.
- Have different rates of spontaneous cure.
Understanding the specific bacteria causing the infection is critical for deciding treatment.

Antibiotics should only be given to cows that will truly benefit from them.
Cows that are visibly ill require immediate therapy; on-farm culture is not applicable in these cases.
Most mild and moderate cases should be carefully evaluated to determine the necessity of antibiotics.
Antibiotics are generally needed for most cases caused by Gram-positive pathogens (e.g., streptococci, staphylococci).
Mild cases that are culture negative or caused by Gram-negative bacteria typically do not benefit from antibiotics.

On-farm culturing is a method for identifying cases that will benefit from antibiotics.
These treatment approaches lead to better antibiotic usage, reduce antibiotic residues, and usually result in shorter milk withholding times.
Maintaining cow well-being is also a priority while applying these protocols.

View the "Managing Mastitis" video series for detailed treatments of specific pathogens.