Last year a new non-antibiotic teat sealant became available on the Australian market. It is specifically designed to protect uninfected cows during the dry period.

Teat sealants provide a non-antibiotic approach to protecting uninfected cows from environmental mastitis during the dry period. They are made of non-irritant, insoluble material which is infused into the teat after the last milking (from a tube similar to an antibiotic tube). The teat sealant stays in the lower part of the teats throughout the dry period and physically prevents bacteria from entering the teat ends.

Each herd is different, but as a guide:

• you must be able to select uninfected cows (by regular Milk Recording).
• herds with high mastitis levels (more than 30% of cows have cell counts above 250,000 cells/mL) will get more benefit from using Blanket antibiotic Dry Cow Treatment.
• herds with low risk of new infections during the dry period should use a Selective antibiotic Dry Cow Treatment strategy (only use antibiotics in cows with high cell counts).
• If your herd has low mastitis levels, and cows are at risk of environmental mastitis infections, teat sealant provides a non-antibiotic alternative to protect your uninfected cows.

Herds using teat sealant are choosing the “Combination” drying off treatment strategy, where antibiotic Dry Cow Treatment is used in all quarters of infected cows and teat sealant is used in all quarters of non-infected cows.

The critical point to recognise is that Teatsealâ is only registered for use in uninfected cows. It has no curative action, so it is not appropriate to use for infected cows. Only use it in cows:

§         that have had at least 3 cell counts throughout this lactation, all of which have been below 250,000 cells/mL, and

§         have not had any clinical case of mastitis in this lactation

Cows that have had high cell counts or clinical mastitis should receive an antibiotic Dry Cow Treatment at drying-off.

Very, very good hygiene is essential at administration. This is true for all infusions into the udder, and especially for teat sealant because it has no direct anti-bacterial action. It prevents bacteria migrating up the teat canal after drying-off, but it will have absolutely no effect against bacteria pushed up into the udder with the tube, if administration is not scrupulously clean.

Once administered, the contents of the tube should not be massaged up the udder – teat sealant must settle in the lower part of the teat.

Herd owners considering the use of a teat sealant can consult their vet for further information and guidance.

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