Administering dry cow treatments
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It is recommended that all cows are protected from mastitis during the dry period. However, there are hazards involved with the administration of antibiotic Dry Cow Treatment (DCT) and internal teat sealants (ITS) for both cows and operators, so it is critical that it is carried out properly.
Protection options
Options for protection include antibiotic Dry Cow Treatment (DCT) and/or Internal Teat Sealants (ITS). DCT is used to treat existing infections not been cured during lactation and reduce the number of new infections that may occur during the dry period. ITS are used to protect uninfected quarters during the dry period and at calving and extend protection provided by DCT.
Potential hazards
- Introducing environmental bacteria into the teat if the teat end is not disinfected properly, or it becomes contaminated before it has sealed. Infection with environmental bacteria can cause severe mastitis.
- Operators getting injured by cows during administration of DCT or ITS. It is important to take your time and have sufficient help.
- Antibiotic residues in milk and meat (including calves) are a risk from cows which are culled during the dry period, or calve earlier than expected. The specified minimum dry periods and withholding periods for each product after calving must be observed.
Other considerations
- Consult with your vet about using dry cow on your whole herd or part herd antibiotic DCT. Not using antibiotic DCT on cows which are going to be culled within the next 2-3 months.
- It’s important to only use antibiotic DCT at the cow’s last milking for the lactation
- Ensure cows are marked that have been treated especially if they are dried off before the rest of the herd and put cows in clean areas after treatment
- Always administer the treatments as recommended and thoroughly spray teats with freshly made teat disinfectant afterwards
- Always record this information at dry off time.
See Guideline 17 and Technote 17 for more information