Mastitis is the most common and costly disease of dairy cows, causing significant pain and welfare compromise that can be substantially reduced through early detection and prompt appropriate treatment.
Mastitis causes significant acute and chronic pain in dairy cows affecting all aspects of welfare. Clinical mastitis with visible changes causes acute pain requiring urgent treatment including pain relief. Subclinical mastitis causes persistent immune activation and discomfort without obvious clinical signs. Chronic mastitis cows face repeated episodes and progressive udder damage. The welfare case for antibiotic use in mastitis treatment is strong, but concerns about antimicrobial resistance require targeted treatment based on pathogen identification. Proactive prevention and early detection reduce the welfare burden across the herd.