A superior alternative to iodine?

Amid reports of iodine supply issues and cost increases, research suggests that an aerosol spray could o er a safe and e ective alternative for navel care of newborn calves.

Bacteria such as Streptococcus sp and E. coli can easily enter the bloodstream through a calf’s naval and studies have suggested 29% of illness in calves can be attributed to navel issues. This can be mitigated through proper management of the navel after birth, with iodine applied in a navel cup being the traditional method. However, this can present certain practical and hygiene issues as navel cups should be (but rarely are) cleaned and refreshed between each use, according to a whitepaper: ‘Intra Repiderma: The new green standard for navel care of newborn calves’. There can also be some wastage and run o into the environment, and in its concentrated form it is dangerous by inhalation and can irritate the skin and eyes.

In eld trials carried out on a French dairy farm in 2021, 100 calves were given a single application of 4% iodine (navel dip), while another 100 calves received a single application of Intra Repiderma, which is a skin protection product supplied as a pressurised aerosol spray. The ndings revealed that in the second week, four out of 100 calves in the iodine group had one or more navel problems, while none in the Intra Repiderma group did. The trial explored four parameters after treatment, evaluated by the farm vet: non-dry navel, navel discharge, pain reaction and navel issues. Researchers say all parameters deteriorated towards the second week in the iodine group but improved in the Intra Repiderma group. Additionally, product waste

He recommended the following cleaning and disinfection method:

• Remove all stock and muck out

• Wash pens/fencing etc with a detergent to lift dirt and debris

• Rinse away detergent

• Allow to dry

• Apply appropriate disinfectant at the correct concentration

• Allow to dry and run o into the environment is avoided as Intra Repiderma is sprayed directly onto the navel; and only 10ml is required per application compared to 35ml of iodine, the whitepaper noted. Iodine was additionally estimated to be 25% more expensive per application than Intra Repiderma – though there are reports that the cost of iodine has soared recently, says AgriHealth, the wholesale supplier of Intra Repiderma in the UK.

• Rebed with clean bedding.

Intra Repiderma is also an antibiotic-free product which sprays micronized powdered organic minerals –meaning the product is in a dry form. It has strong adhesion for at least three days and doesn’t run o ; and is sprayable upside-down for convenience when spraying navels.

Finally, avoiding the handling of concentrated iodine is safer for the user, and as a single-

Choosing the right product for the pathogens you want to tackle is also important – cryptosporidium and coccidiosis, for instance, will be harder to target. Your farm vet or adviser will be best placed to advise on product choice. Finally, it’s important to practice good hygiene in all areas the calf goes from birth – not just the shed, Tim concluded. FG use aerosol spray, the risk of contamination and development of resistant pathogens is minimised, the whitepaper concluded. FG