Nonantibiotic mastitis therapy - a critical evaluation

Non-antibiotic therapy of bovine mastitis is gaining importance in both are a's field and science. This is chiefly due to unsatisfactory results of ant ibiotic therapy and the goal to avoid antibiotic residues in food. Consider ing effectiveness and disposability, frequent milking of mastitis cows and the application of oxytocin and secretolytics can be recommended. Vaccines of E. coli and S. aureus as well as the antimicrobial proteins nisin and ly sostaphin which have proven their effectiveness are legally no yet admitted in Germany, though this will surely change within the coming years. Furthe r vaccines of mastitis-inducing pathogens and cytokines are still in develo pment, thus a definite evaluation is not yet possible. Both, the contradict ory information on homeopathy and the obtained results of physical therapy tack the proof of effectiveness and can therefore not be recommended as mas titis therapeutic agents.