What happens at calving? How is teat sealant removed?
At calving, teat sealant is removed by calves sucking or manual stripping. All cows should be manually stripped at the first eight milkings. In most cows, teat sealant is removed over this time, but flecks may be seen for up to three weeks after calving. It has no detrimental effect on calves (passes through the gut without difficulty), and is trapped on the filter sock. It is important not to confuse flecks of teat sealant material with clots of mastitis. An easy way of telling them apart is to rub the material between gloved fingers. The teat sealant is greasy and smears away to nothing. What about residues or tests for inhibitory substances? There are no residue concerns, and no withholding periods for Teatseal®. It has no effect on screening tests such as Delvo. Can you use teat sealant and antibiotic Dry Cow Treatment at once in the same cow? There is very little information about the compatibility of teat sealant and antibiotic tubes given at the same time. In a substantial trial
