Effect of Postmilking Teat Antisepsis on Teat Canal Infections in Lactating Dairy Cows

¹ Mastitis Research Laboratory, Hill Farm Research Station, Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Route 1, Box 10, Homer 71040

Effects of a .18% iodophor teat: dip and a fatty acid plus lactic acid teat dip on teat canal infections were studied in two separate trials under experimental challenge procedures using Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus agalactiae. The iodophor teat dip was 90% effective in preventing new S. aureus teat canal infections and 95.6% effective in reducing progression of S. aureus teat canal infections to intramammary infections. The dip also reduced persistence of S. aureus teat canal colonizations from week to week by 94.4%. The fatty acid plus lactic acid dip had no effect on preventing S. aureus teat canal infections but reduced progression of S. aureus teat canal infections to intramammary infections by 43.8%. The fatty acid plus lactic acid dip also reduced the persistence of S. aureus teat canal infections by 39%. An insufficient number of Strep. agalactiae teat canal infections was detected in both trials for valid analyses. Neither dip had any effect on prevalence of naturally occurring, coagulase-negative staphylococcal teat canal infections or on teat canal infections by other organisms.

Key Words: mastitis • teat dip • teat canal infections

Submitted on May 5, 1989
Accepted on September 7, 1989