Analytical Review of New Teat Dip Efficacy Claims

Abstract

The success of post milking teat disinfection and more recently with premilking teat disinfection has resulted in numerous products marketed as teat dips for the control of mastisis in dairy cows. Some teat dips have been evaluated for safety and their ability to reduce the incidence of new intramammary infections, while others have not been tested at all. Currently, no U.S. governmental agency requires efficacy, safety or residue data on teat disinfectants prior to marketing. However, protocols were developed by the National Mastitis Council for efficacy evaluation of postmilking teat disinfectants and were revised in 1989 to update technology and enhance scientific merit and standardization of evaluation procedures. In addition, protocols were developed by the National Mastitis Council for evaluating efficacy of teat dips as premilking teat disinfectants. Objectives of this paper are to review how teat dips are evaluated for efficacy and safety and to present data on teat dips from recently published peer-reviewed scientific journals.