Virbac Animal Health has launched a special scheme to encourage farmers to have milk samples analysed in line with the industry-wide campaign to promote the responsible use of antimicrobials.

Under the terms of the scheme, veterinary surgeons purchasing Virbac's Cephaguard DC therapy will receive vouchers to distribute to their farmer clients. These vouchers can be redeemed for milk bacteriology to determine the pathogens causing mastitis and so ensure treatment is more targeted and effective.

Brigitte Goasduf MRCVS, Ruminants Marketing Manager at Virbac, said: "Mastitis is a major concern for dairy farmers with reported numbers of cases ranging from 26-50 for every 100 cows.

"Experts agree that individual SCC monitoring and the accurate diagnosis of pathogens causing infection are key to treating mastitis effectively.  Unfortunately many farmers are often deterred by the cost.

"Our scheme gives our veterinary customers the opportunity to foster good practice by encouraging farmer clients to submit milk samples for investigation at no cost to them.  This will then enable them to treat the bacteria causing the infection in line with industry guidelines for the use of antimicrobials.

"Over time, we believe farmers will come to realise that adopting this more targeted approach is not only more cost-effective but will also preserve their ability to treat their herd, both now and in the future."

For further information on the scheme, contact your Virbac territory manager or call Virbac on 01359 243243.  

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