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PRESS RELEASE
- Six
Steps To Improved Mastitis Management
Records
play a key role in evaluating treatment effectiveness
Received 06-25-02
KALAMAZOO,
Mich. (June 24, 2002) - Milking management and clinical mastitis therapy
can become very routine. But mastitis itself, the result of a continually
evolving relationship between microorganisms, the cow and environment,
is far from routine. When change occurs, mastitis management programs
may need to change, too.
That's
why dairy managers are finding clinical mastitis records essential.
The practice of gathering data, establishing benchmarks and analyzing
data is the foundation of the Q-MAX(SM) Maximum Milk Quality Plan from
Pharmacia Animal Health. This management program uses standardized procedures,
written protocols and proven dairy management practices to help prevent
mastitis infections.
Jerry Olson,
DVM, dairy technical services consultant for Pharmacia, outlines six
steps from Q-MAX(SM), a program designed to help dairies set up a successful,
cost-effective udder health management program:
- Establish
goals and action levels. Milk quality management begins with establishing
goals. A good start is to determine an ideal bulk tank somatic cell
count (SCC) level. What are the financial incentives for improving
bulk tank SCCs? What do you want to achieve? At what point above this
SCC level do you make management changes? This is where veterinarians
play an integral role. By examining critical control points -- such
as milking technique, herd biosecurity or environmental hygiene, effectiveness
of dry-cow therapy, causes of clinical mastitis, and rate of new infections
during the dry period and over the last month -- veterinarians can
pinpoint factors contributing to high SCCs.
- Develop
standard operating procedures. As dairies grow larger, herd managers
become more reliant on milkers to identify cases of clinical mastitis
cases and the herdsperson to treat mastitis. Standard operating procedures
that provide detailed instructions help ensure consistent mastitis
treatments.
- Determine
what data to gather. Many tools are available to monitor mastitis,
including bulk tank SCCs, bulk tank cultures, individual cow milk
cultures from clinical mastitis, bedding cultures and individual cow
monthly SCCs.
- Organize
data. Compiling clinical mastitis data helps to determine prevalence
of clinical mastitis and its economic magnitude. Computerized dairy
health management record systems provide an opportunity to make effective
use of clinical mastitis episode and therapy data. For example, calculating
days in lactation at first mastitis occurrence can help you identify
specific risk factors for new infections.
- Establish
benchmarks. Every farm needs to know what the benchmarks are for various
measures of milk quality for herds of similar size and develop appropriate,
attainable goals for those measures of milk quality.
- Review
data on a regular basis. Producers should work with their veterinarians
to continually evaluate performance. These appraisals allow herd owners
to see whether the dairy is operating according to plan.
So, ask
yourself whether your mastitis records are doing the job for you, or
could they be better managed.
Pharmacia
Animal Health, a division of Pharmacia Corporation, is dedicated to
developing products that promote the health of pets and livestock throughout
the world. Pharmacia Corporation (NYSE:PHA) is a top-tier global pharmaceutical
company with a leading agricultural subsidiary. Pharmacia's innovative
medicines and other products save lives and enhance health and wellness.
Pharmacia's 59,000 people work together with many diverse stakeholders
to bring these benefits to people around the world, and to create new
health solutions for the future.
- 30 -
CONTACT:
Shannon Buskohl
(319) 233-0502
SBuskohl@Morganmyers.com
See also:
Veterinary
Q & A: Dental care for Pets 
The
Importance of Dental Care for Pets
The
News Archives
For additional Pharmacia press releases (various
topics)
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