Oxytocin alternative
Oxytocin alternative
HIGH levels of the hormone oxytocin, responsible for milk let down, may provide an alternative to treating mastitis with antibiotics.
So said Chris Knight of the Hannah Research Institute, who has just completed an MDC-funded study into possible alternatives to antibiotic therapy for cows infected with Staph aureus bacteria.
Oxytocin was given at 100iu for seven days before each milking. It was compared with the response to a three-tube course of Synulox antibiotic intramammary tubes, and a topical mint-based liniment with a one-minute massage.
The oxytocin was as effective as the antibiotic treatment, but the liniment only produced the same bacterial clearance as the untreated control quarters.
The advantage of non-antibiotic therapy is that there is no need to throw any milk away and it would be seen as being better by the consumer. But he warned that prolonged use of oxytocin could depress milk secretion in some cows. *