Prevents infections such as clinical mastitis
Managing cow’s health and performance is an uphill battle for dairy farmers. Cows are prone to intramammary infection, which is at its highest at drying off and around calving and also during the first days of lactation, making dry cow management fundamental to any on-farm mastitis control program. Using internal teat sealants, such as Sureseal from Northern Ireland based company Norbrook, contain bismuth subnitrate and mimic the action of the natural keratin plug in preventing infection of the teat canal.
Modern dairy systems result in slow or incomplete keratin plug formation. Studies show that in high-yielding cows, up to 23 per cent of teats will have an incomplete keratin plug 42 days post dry-off. Sureseal provides a physical seal between the udder and the environment, thus preventing bacteria entering the mammary gland via the teat canal. Infections picked up during the dry period can manifest as clinical mastitis in the days immediately around calving or the first weeks of lactation.
Studies have shown that use of a teat seal in conjunction with dry cow antibiotic therapy significantly reduces the risk for acquiring a new intramammary infection in the period between drying off and the first three days of lactation.
