The Condition and Welfare

It has been commonly recognised that mastitis is a painful condition, and that one of the aims of mastitis therapy should be pain relief (Fitzpatrick, 1998). It has also been suggested that efficient and early treatment of clinical cases of mastitis should be a requirement for dairy farms to be able to claim high welfare status (Hillerton, 1998). The Farm Animal Welfare Council recognises that clinical mastitis has clear animal welfare implications (FAWC, 1998).

On an organic farm, it is important both to treat mastitis efficiently to avoid pain associated with the acute condition, and to keep mastitis incidence at levels where minimal suffering is caused to the cows (see Treatment).