This information was presented for DAIReXNET and released as a webinar on June 20th, 2016. In this webinar, Dr. Nickerson discusses the prevalence and treatment of mastitis in bred heifers, as well as several strategies for prevention. Learn about using teat seals, controlling horn fly populations, vaccinations, and feed additives that might help reduce the incidence of new infections.

1. Managing Mastitis in Bred Heifers
S.C. Nickerson, UGA, scn@uga.edu
Goal: Improve milk quantity & qualityMastitis management in heifers is part of this goalHeifers: Calve with maximum yield and low SCC
Mastitis!
diminishes
yield/quality
Supported by USDA-NIFA Grant no. 2013-68004-20424

2. • Prevalence of intramammary infection
• Treatment with antibiotics
• Use of teat seals to prevent new cases
• Horn fly control to ↓ spread
• Vaccination ↑ immunity
• Feed additives: improve animal health
Mastitis in Heifers: Outline
Prevention:

3. Mastitis is not noticed until freshening
or at the first clinical flare-up
during lactation.
Young dairy heifers are
regarded as uninfected
Future milking herd!
(Also need an udder health program)

4. ~20-30% of heifers: S. aureus
SCC >10 million/ml
(Few clinical symptoms)
Breeding age: 12-15 mo and older
>75% of heifers: subclinical mastitis
Clinical Subclinical

5. Neonatal
Prepubertal
Breeding age
Pregnant
2 - 2.5 yr (¼ - ½ lifetime!)
NO MASTITIS CONTROL ↓ MILK YIELD ↑ SCC!!!!!!!
Future milking herd!
(Also need an udder health program)
Heifers exposed to mastitis
bacteria at a young age
←Colonize
teats

6. Keratin plug
Intramammary infection
Bacteria
How do heifers get mastitis?
Teat
Staph.
aureus

7. 75% of heifers may be infected in 60% of quarters; Staph. aureus is a major problem.
Mammary quarter infection rate: 60%
All infections associated with elevated somatic cell counts (SCC).
Staph. aureus
40%
uninfected
60%
infected
↓ Yield!

8. Reduced secretory potential
Infected rear quarter Uninfected front quarter
Scar tissue formation in response to Staph. aureus
Lower yield during 1st lactation
and spread to the lactating herd
Cross-section of a heifer’s
udder infused w/ green dye
10% less
milk
20,000 lb
vs.
22,000 lb
What happens inside an infected quarter?
FrontRear

9. Greatest development of
milk-producing tissues
is during 1st pregnancy
Protection from mastitis bacteria
Insure maximum milk production
Infected quarters should be treated
If mastitis is suspected in heifers…
Lactating and dry cow intramammary infusion products

10. Dry cow product use in heifers
• Cefa-Dri
• Tomorrow
• Dry-clox
• Albadry Plus
• Biodry
• Quartermaster
• Orbenin-DC
• Spectramast DC
Treat prior to 30
days prepartum
(avoid residues)

11. **Sanitize teat orifice, use partial insertion technique, dip teats
*Cure rate is 90 - 100% when treated during pregnancy.
*SCC significantly reduced 50% at calving vs. controls.
*Milk production increased by ~10% over the controls.
*Reduced spread of Staph. aureus to the lactating herd.
Dry cow therapy in heifers:

12. When is best time to treat?
Pregnancy checks
Hoof trimming
Moving to close-up lot;
run through chute/treat
Extra-label: Valid CPR

13. Lactating Cow Products
• Cefa-Lak
• Today
• Hetacin-K
• Albacillin
• Pirsue
• Amoxi-Mast
• Dariclox
• Spectramast LC
~14 days prepartum
Any sooner results in
antibiotic residues

14. 73% Holstein heifers infected 2 wk prepartum
Treated with:
Penicillin/novobiocin or Pirlimycin
Determined cures at calving:
Oliver et al., 2004
Albacillin: 76% cure rate; Pirsue: 59% cure rate

15. 96% of Jersey heifers infected 2 wk prepartum
Treated with:
Penicillin/novobiocin or Pirlimycin
Determined cures at calving:
Albacillin: 75% cure rate; Pirsue: 87% cure rateTreated heifers produced 10% more milkWhether dry / lactating products are
used, follow proper infusion method:

16. Full Insertion:
Stretches sphincter
Dilates teat canal
Removes keratin
Introduces bacteria
Partial Insertion:
Maintains integrity
Minimizes bacterial
entry into the gland
Environ.
bacteria
E. coli
Prototheca
Nocardia
T. pyogenes
Yeast
Partial
insertion
(2-3 mm)
Full
insertion
Bacteria
Prevention…

17. Use of Internal Teat Sealants Prepartum:
Physical barrier
to Bacteria
• Bismuth/paraffin based
• Infused 30 d prepartum
• Removed at 1st milking Orbeseal™
Bismuth subnitrate/mineral oil
Teatseal®
Bismuth subnitrate/paraffin oil
4-fold reduction in clinical S. uberis
infections within 14 days of calving.

18. What about teat seal AND antibiotic?
Does the combination work
better than either alone
in dairy heifers?
1.Untreated
2.Antibiotic DCT
3.Teat seal
4.DCT + teat seal
1
2
3
4
Results (n=38) at calving demonstrated….
30-60 d prepartum:

19. Cure rates and prevention rates for
untreated qtrs & qtrs treated with
DCT and/or teat seal in 38 heifers
58.3
100
75
100 96.2 92.8 96.2 93.1
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Cure rate Prevention rate
a
b
ab
b a aaa
SCC: 1,488,000 Ave SCC: 464,000 No differences among tmt
Why bother treating at all?

20. 3 out of 4 quarters (75%)
may be infected
w/ bacteria
Infected
Treat all quarters with 1) DCT to cure existing IMI &
2) Teat seal to prevent the establishment of new IMI.
Successful treatment will lower SCC at calving time.

21. Proper teat seal infusion:
1. Compress area at base
of teat with hand.
2. Insert cannula using the
partial insertion method
3. Slowly infuse contents
so seal remains in teat
1.
2.
If teat cistern is open to gland
cistern, and seal is jetted into
teat, it may be placed high in
the quarter and milk out for
days or weeks after calving.
←Teat cistern
←Gland cistern

22. Horn flies not only pester heifers by feasting on blood drawn from animals’ backs…
Role of fly control

23. Horn fly
Haematobia irritans
3-month-old heiferS. aureus-infected
quarter
Bred heifer
Front teats
Flies also attack heifers’ teats, causing mastitis

24. Bacteria
Horn flies live solely
on blood from cows.
Lifespan: 3-4 weeks
Irritation and
scab formation
Mastitis

25. Score 2
Mastitis
Score 3
Mastitis
Score 1
Healthy
If heifers’ teat scores are not healthy (Score 1), then a fly problem exists,
and teat lesions (Scores 2 and 3) are associated with mastitis.
Teat condition: a good barometer for fly control
Herds with fly control programs have healthier teats and less mastitis

26. Percentages of heifers with mastitis in
herds with and without fly control
(Foggers, bait, pour-ons, dust, sprays, ear tags)
% of
heifers
10-fold

27. • Use of pour-ons reduces fly populations
• (Every 2 wk – intensive)
Horn Fly Control?

28. Insecticidal pour-on (Eprinex) +
ear tag (Patriot) reduced flies and
↓ Staph. aureus mastitis by 83%
over a 6-month period
Pour-on

29. IGR
Fly lays its eggs
Insect Growth Regulators
(IGR; ClariFly® Larvacide)
Insect Growth Regulators

30. Horn Fly
Life Cycle
Larvae consume IGR
Pupae
Larvacide (IGR)
Maggots
Eggs in
manure
Fly control:
- Pour-on
- Ear tags
- IGR
Very effective
Reduction in fly population

31. Increasing antibody
titers to prevent new
S. aureus infections
Lysigin, AKA
Somatostaph
Preventing mastitis by immunization
Can heifers be vaccinated against Staph. aureus mastitis?

32. James River Correctional Center
• 120-cow Holstein herd
• 22,000 lb milk
• Average SCC: 200,000/ml
• ~20% S. aureus infection rate in heifers
• Prevention of mastitis via vaccination?
• 106 heifers 6-12 mo allotted to vaccinated
and control groups
(53 heifers/group)

33. Immunization Schedule
At 6-12 mo
14 days later
At 6-mo intervals
Pre-calving
Monitored level of S. aureus
mastitis after freshening
Semimembranosus

34. Percentages of heifers freshening
with Staph. aureus infections.
13.3
34
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Vaccinated Control
60.9% Reduction
(P<0.001)
Percentageofheiferswithmastitis
50% reduction in SCC
8.6% increase in prod.
Minimize spread to milking herd
Immunization: +....in heifers
Other options to
boost immunity....Diet/ration?

35. Boosting Immune System:
Dietary Supplementation
Selenium
Vitamin E
Beta carotene
Vitamin A
Copper
Zinc
Promote leukocyte antibacterial activity
Reduced staphylococcal and coliform mastitis at calving & lowered SCC
Se & Vitamin E in heifers:
Supplementation 60 days prepartum
Weiss, 2002
←Periparturient

36. Rate of new infection
LactationCalving
Periparturient
period
Period of
Immunosuppression
(Cortisol)
2-4 wk prepartum
to 2 wk postpartum
(Innate immunity suppressed)
Reduced neutrophil activity
Mastitis increases around time of calving
Innate immunity: most important defense of the mammary gland
Relies heavily on the bactericidal function of WBC migrating from the blood
WBC function is compromised during the periods of immunosuppression: Cortisol
If WBC function could be enhanced, cows could better resist mammary infection
Enhancing WBC?
- Diet: Se + Vit E
- Diet: OmniGen?
P
A
R
T
U
R
I
T
I
O
N

37. OmniGen-AF® enhanced immune status & reduced mastitis at calving
Daily supplementation for 60 d prepartum; at calving:
Enhanced L-Selectin receptor activity on PMN and Monocytes
Increased phagocytosis of S. aureus and E. coli by leukocytes
Decreased free radical generation by PMN (Antioxidant?)
Fewer health events (RP, DA, ketosis, udder edema, death)
Fewer new intramammary infections: no reduction in SCC
At calving:
1st calf heifers
4g/100lb/day
Concluded: Supplemented heifers calved healthier vs controls
Dietary supplements to boost immunity at calving: Beneficial

38. Young calves
Pregnant
Close-ups
All susceptible to mastitis!
• Need a prevention program
• Need a treatment program
• Freshen free of mastitis
• Low somatic cell counts
• Maximum milk production $$
Goal
Fly control
Vaccination
Teat seal +/or
Dietary suppl.
Dry cow tmt/
Lact. cow tmt
Future milking herd:
Prevention
not 100%
SUMMARY
$Huge Investment$