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Further information
It is good practice to observe dry cows regularly for signs of clinical mastitis. If a sealed quarter develops clinical mastitis, the affected quarter should be stripped out manually before appropriate therapy is instituted.
As the veterinary medicinal product is not absorbed following intramammary infusion, it can be used in pregnancy. At calving the seal may be ingested by the calf and produces no adverse effects.
The veterinary medicinal product is not absorbed from the mammary gland, but forms a seal in the teat until physically removed. Infusion of the veterinary medicinal product into each udder quarter produces a seal in the teat that provides an immediate and long lasting physical barrier to entry of bacteria and other mastitis causing organisms.
Care must be taken not to introduce pathogens into the teat. It is essential that strict aseptic techniques are used for the infusion of the veterinary medicinal product as it possesses no antimicrobial activity. For best results the following steps are recommended:
1All teats need to be thoroughly cleansed and disinfected prior to infusion of the veterinary medicinal product. Ensure sufficient time is allocated to treat each animal and do not combine this with other husbandry activities.
2Ensure animals are appropriately restrained in hygienic conditions. Keep syringes clean and DO NOT immerse in water.
3A separate pair of clean disposable gloves should be worn for the treatment of each cow.
4Start with a visibly clean, dry teat and udder. If teats are obviously dirty then clean off dirt from teats only, with moistened disposable paper towels and dry thoroughly. Dip teats in a rapid-acting pre-dip, leave for 30 seconds, then wipe each teat completely dry with separate disposable paper towels. Strip fore milk into a strip cup and discard.
5Thoroughly disinfect the whole surface of the teat with a disposable spirit/alcohol soaked swab. Studies indicate that the most effective means of teat cleaning involves the use of swabs freshly prepared from clean dry cotton wool soaked in surgical spirit (or the equivalent). If this is not available, then the supplied cleaning swabs can be used. Clean the teats furthest away from you first, to avoid contaminating clean teats.
6Gently scrub each teat end with new individual, disposable spirit/alcohol swabs, until both teat end and swab are visibly clean.
7Remove the cap from the intramammary tube, being careful not to touch the nozzle.
8Grip the teat base firmly between your fingers at the junction with the udder. Turn the teat to a slight angle. Infuse the contents of the syringe into the bottom portion of the teat below where you are pinching the teat avoiding contaminating the teat end. Infuse teats in the opposite order to cleaning, i.e. treat the quarters closest to you first. Do not massage the product into the udder.
9Apply a post-milking teat disinfectant and confine the treated cows to a yard where they should stand for at least 30 minutes to allow the teat canal to close.
Failure to follow these recommendations can possibly lead to post-infusion mastitis, or in extreme cases, death.
After calving, the following steps are recommended for the effective removal of the veterinary medicinal product to minimise residues entering the milking machine. The milking machine should not be used to remove the veterinary medicinal product from the teat.
10Pinch teat at the top and strip quarter 10-12 times prior to first milking.
11Strip foremilk and check for residues for first few milkings.
12Inspect mastitis filters and milk sock for evidence of residues after every milking.