Cattle Mastitis: Welfare and Prevention

Mastitis is the most economically and welfare-significant disease in dairy cattle, causing pain, systemic illness, and in severe cases death, requiring systematic prevention and prompt treatment.

Key Facts

Clinical mastitis affects approximately 25-40% of dairy cows per year in typical UK herds.
Subclinical mastitis, without visible signs, affects a larger proportion and causes chronic welfare compromise.
Mastitis pain causes reduced feed intake, altered posture, and measurable stress responses.
Teat end hyperkeratosis from milking machine problems increases mastitis risk significantly.
Dry cow therapy and teat sealants are highly effective preventive interventions.

Welfare Considerations

Mastitis is painful from the earliest stages of infection, with acute mastitis causing intense localised pain, fever, and systemic illness. Despite its economic significance, pain management for mastitis remains underused — NSAIDs significantly improve recovery and welfare when given alongside antibiotics. Preventing mastitis through excellent milking hygiene, regular machine testing, appropriate dry cow management, and selective culling of chronically infected cows reduces the welfare burden substantially. Regular somatic cell count monitoring enables early detection and prompt intervention.

What You Can Do

Work with your vet to implement a mastitis prevention and control plan for your herd.
Always administer NSAIDs alongside antibiotics when treating clinical mastitis.
Monitor somatic cell count monthly and investigate herds with consistently elevated counts.
Test milking machines annually for liner quality, vacuum levels, and pulsation adequacy.
Use selective dry cow therapy guided by culture results rather than blanket antibiotic treatment.