Health and Care

Find information on dairy cattle health, including prevention and control of mastitis. Resources on hoof health, lameness, heat stress, vaccines, and overmilking are also available in this section. Learn body conditioning scoring techniques.

Dairy Cattle Health Care

Dairy herd health is dependent on farmers’ expertise and readiness to prevent, diagnose, control, and treat common cow diseases and health issues.

The Pennsylvania Dairy Health and Biosecurity Manual is a comprehensive guide designed to help dairy farmers keep their herds healthy and economically productive. Compiled by Penn State Extension’s team of experienced veterinarians, it’s a practical and up-to-date resource on all cow-health related problems.

In addition to herd health care, dairy producers should also manage the biosecurity risks associated with cattle farming. Here you can find resources on how to reduce the risk of spreading infectious diseases and pathogens.

Dairy producers could also benefit from the body condition scoring technique and use it when troubleshooting cattle health and nutrition problems. Information on cow vaccines and schedules is also available in this section.

Udder Health and Mastitis: Prevention and Control

Mastitis, an inflammation of the cow’s udder, is the most common dairy cattle disease in the United States. It is also the most expensive issue on dairy farms, costing the average US dairy farm $110 per cow each year.

Proper diagnosis and treatment are necessary to avoid costly veterinary treatment and milk product loss. Learn how to conduct initial mastitis testing, how to culture milk to identify bacteria, and determine the cause of the mastitis with the On-Farm Milk Culturing for Mastitis Control online course.

Mastitis in cattle can be caused by contact with milking machinery or by infection. Get practical advice on the best milking practices for mastitis prevention.

Here you’ll find additional resources on udder health, overmilking, teat cleanliness, teat-end health, and rapid milk flow. For more information on the effect of mastitis on milk quality, visit the Dairy Production and Milk Quality section of this site.

Other Dairy Cattle Diseases

Information on this site is intended to help producers diagnose and treat other common diseases, such as foot rot and lameness, milk fever, endometritis, and ketosis in dairy cattle. Research on bovine tuberculosis is also available.

Get advice on hoof health, prevention, and control of foot problems in dairy cows, and learn methods to reduce lameness in new and existing housing systems.

Penn State Extension resources can also help producers identify and treat dairy cattle diseases and conditions, such as grass tetany, Johne's Disease, bovine leukemia virus, milk fever, and heat stress.

One of the toughest decisions livestock producers have to make when raising and caring for animals is deciding when euthanasia is the appropriate and humane choice. Find advice on how to determine if is it time for euthanasia and instruction on how to choose and perform appropriate euthanasia techniques.