How long should I treat infected quarters with SPECTRAMAST® LC and how do I know when it’s appropriate to stop treatment?
SPECTRAMAST® LC (ceftiofur hydrochloride) Sterile Suspension has been determined to be effective against E. coli, Coagulase-negative staphylococci and Streptococcus dysgalactiae using two treatments 24 hours apart. Based on clinical evaluation of an infection’s severity, once-a-day treatment can be extended for up to eight consecutive days to achieve a bacteriological cure. A clinical cure is realized when an animal’s milk visibly returns to normal. Eliminating clinical mastitis symptoms such as clots, flakes and abnormal milk is important, but also may be temporary. A better definition of cure is based on the absence of bacteria when milk is cultured, known as a bacteriological cure. Achieving a bacteriological cure means detecting the disease early and persisting with treatment until the infection is cured at the subclinical level as well. Subclinical mastitis causes elevated SCCs, increased rates of repeat cases or chronic infections, and destruction of mammary tissue. It is best to
