Cepralock internal teat sealant will be available in Ireland from June 2021.

According to Suzanne Naughton from MSD Animal Health, the new teat sealant will have no air pockets in the tube and will be easier and faster to administer than alternative products.

The product comes with a dual tip, enabling users to partially insert the tip into the teat, or to fully insert the tip.

Naughton says Cepralock is being manufactured at existing MSD Animal Health sites in Germany, so they have control over the manufacture and supply of Cepralock.

Teat sealant supplies

There has been difficulty in sourcing supplies of teat sealant in Ireland over recent years.

Speaking at an MSD Animal Health webinar on Wednesday night, UK-based vet Peter Edmundson says that using a teat seal at dry-off will reduce mastitis incidence by up to 25% in the next lactation.

Edmundson says the use of teat seal is critically important when using selective dry cow therapy (SDCT).

The use of SDCT is set to become mandatory in Ireland from next January, as blanket antibiotic treatment at drying off is banned.

Advice

He gave some practical advice when administering teat seal as part of selective dry cow therapy:

  • Make sure there is good lighting and the operator is working at the correct height.
  • Only do one teat at a time, starting with the furthest away teat and finishing with the closest teat.
  • Wear clean gloves and keep them clean.
  • Disinfect teats using almost surgical-like cleanliness. He advises farmers to pre-dip teats, wipe and disinfect with cotton wool pads and surgical spirits.
  • Edmundson says that 97% of herds in the UK use SDCT and only one in three cows gets an antibiotic treatment at drying off.

    He says that the reduction in antibiotic use in the UK was driven by milk processors and retailers, but that farmers have adopted to the new regime very well.

    It’s a similar story in Holland, with MSD’s Jantijn Swinkels saying that just 30% of cows in Holland are treated with antibiotics at drying off.

    Average bulk tank SCC in Holland is between 170,000 and 180,000 cells/mg, which is similar to Ireland, but about 95% of cows in Ireland currently receive antibiotics at drying off.

    Caution

    All speakers cautioned the audience, who were mostly comprised of Irish veterinarians, about the need for a rigorous selection protocol for SDCT using milk recording data, hygiene at drying off and good housing management over the dry period.

    Suzanne Naughton says that 60% of all new infections in early lactation can be traced back to the dry period.

    “There are bigger challenges in Ireland because 90% of our cows are dried off in November and December and are then housed for the winter.

    “Cold and wet conditions are ideal for the spread of mastitis-causing bacterial agents. Teat sealant should always be used to give added protection against new infection,” Naughton said.