Dairy Cow Mastitis Prevention and Welfare

Mastitis is the most costly and prevalent disease in dairy cattle, causing significant pain and reduced wellbeing that makes it a primary welfare priority.

Key Facts

Clinical mastitis affects approximately 20-40 cases per 100 cows per year on UK dairy farms
Subclinical mastitis without visible signs occurs at even higher rates and causes chronic inflammation
Mastitis causes pain evidenced by elevated pain indicators, reduced milk yield and altered behaviour
Somatic cell count in bulk milk is an indicator of udder health across the herd
The five-point mastitis control plan has demonstrated significant reductions in new infection rates
Post-milking teat dipping reduces new infection rates by approximately 50%
Dry cow therapy - treating all cows at drying off - prevents new infections during the dry period
Selective dry cow therapy based on individual cow SCC and culture reduces antibiotic use

Welfare Considerations

Mastitis causes genuine pain and suffering. Acute clinical mastitis involves severe systemic illness including fever, depression and painful swollen quarters. Chronic subclinical mastitis causes ongoing low-grade inflammation and discomfort. High mastitis prevalence on farms reflects management failures with direct welfare consequences. The five-point mastitis control plan provides a framework for prevention that benefits both welfare and production. Farms with high cell counts and mastitis rates should be subject to welfare scrutiny as well as production advice.

What You Can Do

Support dairy welfare standards that include mandatory SCC monitoring and mastitis incidence recording
Choose milk from farms with demonstrated udder health programmes and low mastitis rates
Advocate for mastitis incidence to be included in dairy farm welfare assessments
Support veterinary mastitis control plans as a welfare requirement not just production tool
Engage with dairy retailers about their requirements for mastitis data from suppliers