Mastitis Prevention in Dairy Herds

Mastitis is the most common and costly disease in dairy cattle, causing significant pain and welfare compromise that prevention-focused management can substantially reduce.

Key Facts

Clinical mastitis affects approximately 25-40% of dairy cows per lactation in the UK and US
Subclinical mastitis, detectable only through somatic cell count, affects even more cows without visible signs
The pain of clinical mastitis is significant - affected quarters are hot, swollen, and tender to touch
Dry cow therapy with teat seal reduces new infection rates during the high-risk dry period by 50-70%
Milking hygiene including pre-milking teat preparation and post-milking teat dipping significantly reduces mastitis incidence

Welfare Considerations

Mastitis is one of the highest-impact welfare issues in dairy production - a disease that causes acute pain in individual cows and affects a quarter or more of all cows annually. Prevention is more welfare-positive than treatment because it avoids the infection, pain, and antibiotic use associated with clinical cases. Farms with low mastitis rates achieve this through consistent, skilled milking hygiene, careful dry cow management, and rapid identification and treatment of clinical cases.

What You Can Do

Support dairy products from farms with low somatic cell count targets and mastitis management programs
Advocate for mastitis prevention to be included in dairy welfare certification requirements
If dairy farming, invest in regular milking cluster maintenance and teat scoring programs
Work with your vet on a mastitis control plan that prioritizes prevention over reactive treatment
Support research into non-antibiotic mastitis prevention strategies including teat sealants and vaccination