Comparison of the effectiveness of the means “Oxy Foam” and “Pre-Dip” in reducing the causative agents of mastitis on the skin of cows' teats

Abstract

Although teat disinfection before milking has advantages, some producers believe the use of disinfectants to be unprofitable compared to qualitative teat processing using warm water with skin drying using paper towels. The aim of the work was to compare the effect of pre-milking treatment of cows' udders with Oxy Foam and Pre-Dip on the reduction of mastitis pathogens on the skin of teats cows on large dairy farms. The study was conducted in the winter-spring period on two dairy plants with a stable-free range cow breeding system. In the first group of animals: the right anterior and the right posterior teats of the udder were processed using disinfectant Oxy Foam and the left anterior and the left posterior teats were washed using warm water (control). Pre-milking treatment of the studied teats using disinfectant included foam application, keeping it for 30 seconds, and further wiping dry using disposable paper towels. In the second group of animals: the right teats were treated with Pre-Dip with the help of a cup by immersion with a subsequent exposure of 15 seconds. Swish from the skin of udder teats were taken using sterile tampons before the processing before milking and repeatedly after the end of the milking process. The ordinary treatment using warm water and drying using paper towels was found to reduce the number of microorganisms on the teat skin by 2.5 times (Р ≤ 0.001), while the use of disinfectant Oxy Foam –  by 6.4 times (Р ≤ 0.001), and Pre-Dip – 4.8 times (Р ≤ 0.001). Herewith, treatment with water reduced the amount of hemolytic staphylococci on the teat skin – by 1.9 times (Р ≤ 0.01), disinfection using Oxy Foam – by 4.4 times (Р ≤ 0.001) to 13.2 ± 3.14 CFU/cm3 of the wash, and with Pre-Dip – 4 times (Р ≤ 0.001) to 14.6 ± 3.05 CFU/cm3 of wash. After using warm water, the number of pathogenic streptococcus reduced by 1.8 times (Р ≤ 0.01), and by 2.5 times (Р ≤ 0.001), when using Oxy Foam and Pre-Dip – 2.1 times (Р ≤ 0.001) to 7.5–8.9 CFU/cm3 of the wash. Microorganisms of Escherichia kind were well-removed with the use of ordinary -pre-milking treatment and were distinguished from the cow teat skin in single cases in the number of only a few cultures. Therefore, Oxy Foam based on hydrogen peroxide and lactic acid turned out to be a more effective means for treating the udder of cows before milking, compared to Pre-Dip with a content of 0.15 % of free iodine. Further research will be aimed at creating new domestic ecologically safe means for the pre-milking treatment of cow udders.