A novel approach to the treatment of sub clinical intramammary infection in UK dairy cows: Preliminary findings from a recent research project

151 sub-clinically infected quarters were selected to receive either an intramammary antibiotic twice a day for seven days, or one of two treatment regimes that required the gland to not be milked for seven days with antibiotic administered only once. The bacteriological cure rates were not significantly different between the treatment groups, nor were the proportion of quarters with a somatic cell count below either 100,000 or 200,000 cells per ml 21 and 28 days after treatment was intitiated. The mean of the log transformed quarter somatic cell counts were not significantly different between treatment groups 14 days after treatment initiation. This study showed that there was a better than expected cure rate of subclinical intramammary infection when a "simulated dry period" is used in conjunction with antibiotic therapy.