Farm Animal Welfare

Cattle Welfare and Summer Mastitis

Summer mastitis is a painful bacterial infection causing severe udder disease in dry cows and heifers during the fly season.

Key Facts

Summer mastitis is caused by bacteria transmitted by head flies to non-milking cows
Severe cases cause systemic illness, gangrenous quarter development, and often death
Fly control using pour-on insecticides prevents most cases when applied before fly season
Teat dipping with udder mint or proprietary products reduces fly attraction
Early detection and aggressive treatment saves some cases but prognosis for affected quarters is poor

Welfare Considerations

Summer mastitis causes extreme pain and systemic illness in affected cattle. Prevention through fly control is highly effective and dramatically reduces the incidence of this serious welfare condition during the summer months.

What You Can Do

Support cattle farms using strategic fly control programs for dry cows and heifers
Advocate for summer mastitis prevention as a component of cattle welfare standards
Choose beef and dairy from farms with documented summer mastitis prevention protocols