Innovations

New defense against mastitis

A new defense against clinical mastitis has been approved which could help dairy farmers reduce antibiotic use.

Veterinarian Dr. Paul Rapnicki with Elanco Animal Health tells Brownfield Imrestor helps reduce clinical mastitis within the first 30 days of calving.  “This is important because it’s not a treatment for clinical mastitis, but rather, what it does is helps restore the immune system of the cow around the time of giving birth and actually helps reduces her risk of getting clinical mastitis significantly.”

Rapnicki says clinical mastitis can affect a cow and the farmer in a number of ways.  “There are direct costs—the need purchase products like antibiotics to actually treat the infection, if antibiotics are used the milk has to be discarded for the appropriate withdrawal time, there’s often diagnostic costs involved.”  He says, “There’s also indirect costs that the producer incurs.”

Imrestor is available to farmers with a prescription from a veterinarian.

AUDIO: Interview with Dr. Paul Rapnicki