Evaluation of the topical action of intramammary antibiotic preparations (IMAP) for the treatment of digital dermatitis in dairy cows: A retrospective study

Abstract

The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the topical action of intramammary antibiotic preparations (IMAP) which are used for mastitis treatment in the treatment of bovine digital dermatitis (DD). Medical records of the cattle which had been treated at Research and Application Centre of Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Bursa, Turkey were reviewed and 119 cows were included in the study. A total of 139 DD lesions were identified and the cows with active lesions of DD were treated with different topical therapeutics including IMAP, antibacterial ointment mixture and antiseptic solution after the debridment and bandage was applied. Cows were examined 7, 14, 21 and 28 days after initial treatment; during each examination, the healing period of the DD lesions was assessed. As a result, our data indicated that all topical IMAP treatments had an identical efficiency for treatment of dermatitis lesions and dermatitis lesions improved significantly within 7-15 days. In conclusion, topical IMAP is a valuable alternative in the topical antibiotic treatment for DD in dairy cattle.