Mastitis — inflammation of the udder — is one of the most painful and prevalent diseases in dairy cattle worldwide. Reducing its incidence is a central animal welfare and productivity priority in dairy farming.
Mastitis causes acute and chronic pain in dairy cows that is frequently undertreated. Clinical mastitis is obvious — the cow has a swollen, hot, painful udder, may be feverish, and in severe cases becomes systemically ill. Subclinical mastitis is invisible to casual inspection but causes persistent udder pain and immune activation. Both forms require prompt veterinary treatment with appropriate antibiotics and NSAIDs for pain relief. Many farms treat mastitis with antibiotics alone, leaving pain unmanaged for the duration of infection. Mastitis control programmes that target hygiene, teat condition, dry cow therapy, and culling decisions significantly reduce incidence. Reducing mastitis is one of the highest-impact welfare interventions available to the dairy sector.