Mastitis is the most costly disease in dairy farming and causes significant pain. Improved prevention and pain management protocols can substantially reduce suffering across the global dairy herd.
Mastitis is the largest single source of pain in the global dairy herd, affecting tens of millions of cows annually. Clinical mastitis causes a pain experience comparable to severe toothache or joint inflammation, yet surveys consistently show that a substantial proportion of dairy farmers do not administer analgesics during treatment, either due to cost, time pressure, or lack of awareness of the welfare imperative. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs significantly improve welfare outcomes and recovery speed, making pain management an intervention that benefits both animal and producer. Prevention through bedding management, teat dipping, and dry cow therapy reduces mastitis incidence at the herd level, decreasing the aggregate burden of suffering. Veterinary guidance protocols that routinely include analgesic prescription as standard care are the most effective lever for improving mastitis pain management practice.