Have you considered selective dry-cow therapy?

With the rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the armoury of medications available to farmers when it comes to drying off their cows is set to decline in the coming years.

According to Animal Health Ireland (AHI), the practice of dry-cow therapy is being questioned in many countries – by farmers, consumers and society in general.

Antibiotic dry-cow therapy undoubtedly has an important role to play in treating infections that persist at the end of the lactation and in maximising cure rates.

However, it has been traditionally used to prevent new infections occurring over the dry period. This, the AHI says, is no longer acceptable.

Quoting recent published analysis, the organisation indicated that sales of dry-cow intramammary antibiotics were sufficient to treat 100% of the national milking herd (all quarters of all cows being treated at the end of infection).