Cattle Mastitis and Somatic Cell Count: Udder Health as a Welfare Priority

Mastitis is the most costly disease in dairy cattle and causes significant pain and suffering. Somatic cell count monitoring, teat hygiene, and dry cow therapy are the pillars of udder health management.

Key Facts

Mastitis — infection and inflammation of the mammary gland — affects an estimated 25-40% of dairy cows in any given year in high-production herds
Clinical mastitis causes visible abnormalities in milk (clots, watery appearance), swollen painful udders, fever, and systemic illness in severe cases
Subclinical mastitis causes no obvious signs but is detected by elevated somatic cell count (SCC) — a measure of white blood cells indicating inflammation
A bulk milk SCC below 200,000 cells/ml is considered indicative of good udder health at herd level; counts above 400,000 suggest significant subclinical disease
The main pathogens causing mastitis include Staphylococcus aureus (contagious, spreads cow-to-cow), Streptococcus uberis, and E. coli (environmental)
Chronic mastitis causes permanent damage to mammary tissue, reducing milk yield and often leading to culling
Pain assessment studies show that cows with clinical mastitis display altered gait, reduced feed intake, ear drooping, and attention to the affected quarter — clear indicators of discomfort

Welfare Considerations

Mastitis is one of the most prevalent and welfare-relevant diseases in dairy farming, yet its pain component has historically been underappreciated. Cows with acute clinical mastitis, particularly coliform infections, may experience severe systemic illness including toxic shock. Even subclinical mastitis causes chronic udder discomfort. Evidence now supports the routine use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) alongside antibiotic treatment for clinical mastitis, yet NSAID use is not universal in practice. Prevention — through good milking hygiene, teat dipping, dry cow therapy, and cubicle bedding management — is both economically and welfare-justified. Reducing mastitis incidence is a key benchmark of high-welfare dairy farming.

What You Can Do

Support dairy farms with low somatic cell count records as a proxy for good udder health management
Ask your dairy supplier or supermarket about their SCC thresholds and mastitis treatment protocols
Advocate for routine NSAID use in mastitis treatment protocols through your veterinary and farming networks
Support research into mastitis-resistant cow genetics and selective breeding programmes
Choose dairy products from farms with demonstrated commitment to cow health and welfare auditing
Encourage veterinary practices to provide pain management guidelines for mastitis as a standard of care
Reduce overcrowding and improve cubicle design in dairy housing to lower environmental mastitis pressure