Publikationsdatenbank

Short communication: Diagnosis and classification of clinical and subclinical mastitis utilizing a dynamometer and a handheld infrared thermometer (2019)

Art

Zeitschriftenartikel / wissenschaftlicher Beitrag

Autoren

Wollowski, L

Bertulat, S.

Kossatz, A.

Heuwieser, W. (WE 19)

Quelle

Journal of dairy science : JDS

Bandzählung: 102

Heftzählung: 7

Seiten: 6532 – 6539

ISSN: 0022-0302

Sprache

Englisch

Verweise

URL (Volltext): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002203021930267X?via%3Dihub

DOI: 10.3168/jds.2018-15509

Pubmed: 31103301

Kontakt

Tierklinik für Fortpflanzung

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Haus 27
14163 Berlin
+49 30 838 62618
fortpflanzungsklinik@vetmed.fu-berlin.de

Abstract / Zusammenfassung

In times of ongoing automatization of dairy cow husbandry, objective and reliable tools for mastitis diagnostic are highly in demand. The objective of this study was to investigate the diagnostic value of a handheld dynamometer and an infrared thermometer to diagnose and score clinical and subclinical mastitis and to compare those values with results from palpation of the udder tissue. Overall, 218 cows with clinical mastitis (i.e., 46 mild, 106 moderate, and 66 severe cases), 142 with subclinical mastitis, and 68 healthy cows were enrolled. Our data provide evidence that the dynamometer is an accurate diagnostic tool to differentiate between healthy udder quarters, and those with subclinical and clinical mastitis. Furthermore, the severity score of clinical mastitis can be estimated by dynamometer. The firmness threshold for the detection of clinical mastitis was 1.002 kg. Using a threshold of 1.175 kg in clinical mastitis quarters, it was possible to differentiate between negative and positive bacteriological results. A differentiation between healthy and clinical mastitis quarters with the infrared thermometer was possible, albeit udder surface temperatures were highly influenced by ambient temperature. Udder surface temperature increased by 0.15 to 0.18°C for each degree of ambient temperature. In conclusion, the utility of an infrared thermometer to estimate the udder health status of dairy cows is limited, whereas the handheld dynamometer appeared to be an accurate and objective method.