Getting on top of mastitis

[supercow]

I agree u need to talk to the right vet, I'd only talk to our herd health vet. But I don't agree not listening to other farmers, once again talk to the right farmers! I learn something new everytime I talk to a good farmer. U trying to say I need to listen to a vet who's just qualified from uni who's never seen a cow in thier life rather than a farmer who's seen it all, knows what works etc? I respect vets a lot, just certain things I'd talk to a good farmer first. Free advice also! Everytime I speak to a vet it seems it costs 40£!

 

[bovine]

Sorry - I'm not saying don't listen to other farmers. You are misquoting me. What I see so often are farmers with mastitis or cell count problems who are constantly changing things because their mate told them it was a good idea, or a man with a van has a magic chemical, or backflushing is the solution to all problems. They can waste a lot of time, effort and money and still have a mastitis problem - if the problem is not identified in the first place.

If you have a high cell count it may well be for a very different reason to your neighbor - copying their solution may have you barking up the wrong tree. If we know what your problem is THEN looking to see how other farmers have solved it is a great idea.

I went to a farm last year to do the mastitis control plan - he'd spent thousands on a backflush system that had done nothing. His problem was the dry period. It was only looking at all the incidence data and patterns that we could find that (many cases were going chronic and recurring throughout lactation).

That's really my point

 

[Tullyvernon]

Ugh - this attitude winds me up no end. If you are not interested then direct the client to someone else who is, whether that is someone inside or outside of the practice. Bad or lazy advice just reflects poorly on vets in general. There are a lot of vets in the UK interested in mastitis - I will give you a nudge towards the AHDB Dairyco Mastitis Control Plan. You can look on the map to find one closest to you - the fact that to be on the list the vet has done 3 days training on the plan then regular update training means they do have a real interest in mastitis.

http://www.mastitiscontrolplan.co.uk/plan-deliverer-map

I may be biased (yes I know) but a vet is the ideal person to deal with a mastitis problem. No one should understand infectious disease as well. It just needs to be the right vet. Copying what another farmer did, without discovering your exact problem, just leads to wasted money and effort.

I went on the map thinking it will be all vets in the mainland, and found someone 12 miles away

http://udderhealthsolutions.com
Worth a call anyway

 

[jade35]

Looking at the map made me realise how few people were trained to be a deliverer of the mastitis control plan in Devon / Cornwall. I had assumed that most large animal practices would have at least one person who had completed the training.

 

[bovine]

I'm not sure what to think. It's quite onerous and unforgiving staying on the list (I know a lot of vets who were on and dropped off). There was a lot more on there until recently, I wonder if some have fallen off due to paperwork reasons and just haven't noticed. There was a lot down in the South West as I understood there was some funding for the plans.

 

[jimmer]

I'm not sure what to think. It's quite onerous and unforgiving staying on the list (I know a lot of vets who were on and dropped off). There was a lot more on there until recently, I wonder if some have fallen off due to paperwork reasons and just haven't noticed. There was a lot down in the South West as I understood there was some funding for the plans.

our lameness plan was heavilly discounted , as a certain amount of plans needed to be done to keep registration , is this the same with the MCP ?

 

[bovine]

I don't think the following is confidential:

To be a MCP deliverer you do a 2 day course that updates on mastitis and takes delegates through how the plan works. Get a copy of the plan and a licence. Go away and do the plan and data analysis on 1 farm.

Come back a few months later and present the plan in a group. Talk through decision making process etc. Learn from each other, work out programme glitches. Bit more mastitis CPD

Then need to do some further approved mastitis CPD in 12 months and then every 2 years.

To remain active there must be a minimum of 3 plans on the system (can be new plans, or update existing plans).​

 

[thewalrus]

Is pre dipping a waste of time?

 

[bovine]

Is pre dipping a waste of time?

no

 

[jimmer]

Is pre dipping a waste of time?

depends on your issues or lack of them

 

[simon a]

This is a silly question coming from a dairy farmer but how do you, or can you ever really sort it out within a herd of cows. I have had far to many cases this winter, can't get it sorted. Beds done with lime, machine serviced etc but no improvement.

Strange type of it too, cows in the past few days with slightly hard quarters, ok for a day then milk turns creamy, then quarter gone. Using tetra delta and tylan for each case, having no impact at all. Marbox also no use.

Any advice or techniques that work for you's for treatment or prevention would be appreciated....

Use marbocly and metcam with tubes never look back

 

[bovine]

Use marbocly and metcam with tubes never look back

If we over use Marbocyl babies will die. Then they will take it away from vet use all together.

It has no place in routine cases of mastitis. There may be justification in very sick (recumbent) cases - but even this is debatable.

 

[jimmer]

If we over use Marbocyl babies will die. Then they will take it away from vet use all together.

It has no place in routine cases of mastitis. There may be justification in very sick (recumbent) cases - but even this is debatable.

i have flagged you up before about the babies thing !

nothing else seems to touch e.coli though , although i am letting more go 3/4 due to it

 

[kp_n_plghng]

Is pre dipping a waste of time?

For some yes for others maybe not. It can be a fair bit of labour so you have to be certain you'll get the return. If you've got the time available I would try it and see.

 

[Sid]

Ugh - this attitude winds me up no end. If you are not interested then direct the client to someone else who is, whether that is someone inside or outside of the practice. Bad or lazy advice just reflects poorly on vets in general. There are a lot of vets in the UK interested in mastitis - I will give you a nudge towards the AHDB Dairyco Mastitis Control Plan. You can look on the map to find one closest to you - the fact that to be on the list the vet has done 3 days training on the plan then regular update training means they do have a real interest in mastitis.

http://www.mastitiscontrolplan.co.uk/plan-deliverer-map

I may be biased (yes I know) but a vet is the ideal person to deal with a mastitis problem. No one should understand infectious disease as well. It just needs to be the right vet. Copying what another farmer did, without discovering your exact problem, just leads to wasted money and effort.

I agree and disagree. Your vet should help you discover the problem and take advice to remedy it but hands on practical solutions can also help as part of the fight.

 

[Farmerfallace]

It's always the case il use some good tunes like tetra delta and if they don't use then il use somet stronger like ubro and if it's as bad as E. coli straight onto the hard stuff betamox metacam marbocyl etc...although allamycin into the teat works well aswell..

 

[bovine]

Alamycin is not a suitable formulation to infuse into the teat - it's very irritant.

 

[worker]

It's always the case il use some good tunes like tetra delta and if they don't use then il use somet stronger like ubro and if it's as bad as E. coli straight onto the hard stuff betamox metacam marbocyl etc...although allamycin into the teat works well aswell..

Did your vet advise this?

 

[Farmerfallace]

Did your vet advise this?

Not really no but it works well in a small amount

 

[The Happy Herdsman]

It's always the case il use some good tunes like tetra delta and if they don't use then il use somet stronger like ubro and if it's as bad as E. coli straight onto the hard stuff betamox metacam marbocyl etc...although allamycin into the teat works well aswell..

Someone remind me why we as an industry are being accused of irresponsible use of antibiotics and as a result facing tighter regulation?!