NEWS ON COVERED TEAT CANAL INJURIES IN DAIRY-COWS

Covered teat canal injuries are contusions or ruptures of the teat can al skin, the Furstenberg rosette, and the muscle and connective tissue underneath, whereby outer teat skin is only slightly damaged. Consequ ences are permanent or intermittent stenoses as well as adhesions in t he teat canal and Furstenberg rosette. Diagnosis may be made by adspec tion, palpation, milking, probing, and endoscopy. Endoscopy may be per formed through the teat canal and through the teat cistern wall, A con servative treatment consists in resting of the injured teat by tempora ry cessation of milking for 3 to 14 days. Milk mass yield decreases du ring temporary cessation of milking in one qual ter: Milk fat and prot ein yields, and somatic cell count increase. However,; milk yields oft en return to initial values within several weeks. Surgery may be perfo rmed under endoscopic control. Instruments designed by the authors pro ved useful for teat canal surgery. Treatment after surgery may include resting of the tent by temporary cessation of milking for 3 to 14 day s or for 2 x 3 or 3 x 3 days. During temporary cessation of milking an antibiotic is administered intramammarily to prevent mastitis. A natu ral teat insert, composed similar to the tear canal sebum may prevent tear canal adhesions. A tear bandage protects and indicates nor to mil k this tear.