Dry cow therapy with ceftiofur to prevent postpartum mastitis in Indian cattle

Veterinary clinicians and academicians of India have limited locally generated data on the efficacy of the antimicrobial Ceftiofur hydrochloride in dairy cattle. The present study was undertaken to study the efficacy of Ceftiofur in dry cow therapy of cross bred Indian dairy cattle. Animals in the treatment group (N=254) received 500 mg of ceftiofur into all quarters on the day of drying while the animals in the control group (N=127) were left untreated. It was found that 98.03%, and 96.06% of treatment, and control group animals, respectively were exhibiting intramammary infections on the day of drying. Efficacy of Ceftiofur in terms of cure rates was 70.6% by day 28 postpartum with control group showing a spontaneous cure rate of 16.39%. The proportions of new intramammary infections by day 28 postpartum were higher in control group (73.77%) in contrast to treatment group (9.23%). Our study suggests an important role of ceftiofur as an effective antimicrobial agent in dry cow therapy.