Assessment of the benefits of Orbeseal®, when used in combination with dry cow antibiotic therapy in three commercial dairy herds

Abstract

An internal teat sealant containing bismuth subnitrate was used in combination with dry cow antibiotic therapy in a cow-level prospective case-control field trial in three herds with different dry cow management practices. Treated quarters (antibiotic+sealant) had a 59% lower odds of developing a new dry period infection at 1-3 days-in-milk (DIM) than control (antibiotic only) quarters (P<0.001). Herd-level variation in new intramammary infection (IMI) and mastitis treatment rates during the first 100 DIM were observed. Greatest benefits from internal teat sealant use were documented in herds with the highest rates of new IMI during the dry period, and for environmental streptococci. Economic benefit accrued from differences in the timing of treatment for mastitis was estimated to be $5.38 per cow in the herd.