Mastitis is the most common and costly disease in dairy cattle, causing significant pain. Despite this, pain relief is underused in mastitis treatment. Integrating analgesia into mastitis protocols improves welfare outcomes.
Mastitis causes genuine pain including swelling, heat, and systemic illness. Treating mastitis with antibiotics without pain relief addresses the infection but leaves the animal in unnecessary pain during the resolution period. Including NSAIDs in mastitis treatment protocols is an effective, low-cost welfare improvement that is not yet universally implemented.