Mastitis Prevention and Dairy Cow Welfare

Mastitis is the most economically significant and welfare-relevant disease in dairy cattle globally, affecting millions of cows each year.

Key Facts

Clinical mastitis affects an estimated 25 to 40% of dairy cows in their lifetime in high-producing herds
Subclinical mastitis causes pain without visible symptoms and is far more prevalent than clinical cases
Teat end condition, milking machine function, and dry cow therapy are key controllable risk factors
Selective dry cow therapy using individual cow risk assessment reduces antibiotic use while maintaining welfare

Welfare Considerations

Mastitis causes significant pain and is a leading reason for premature culling of dairy cows. Subclinical mastitis is particularly problematic because it causes ongoing pain that escapes detection without somatic cell count testing. Farms that implement systematic mastitis prevention programs including teat hygiene, milking equipment maintenance, and targeted treatment achieve both lower disease incidence and better cow welfare. Regular monitoring of somatic cell counts at individual cow level enables early intervention before clinical disease develops.

What You Can Do

Support dairy certification schemes that include mastitis incidence rates as a welfare metric
Advocate for mandatory somatic cell count reporting at individual cow level on dairy farms
Choose dairy products from farms with documented low mastitis rates and antibiotic stewardship
Reduce dairy consumption overall given the scale of mastitis-related suffering in intensive systems