What’s the issue with blanket-use dry cow therapy?

The Netherlands banned preventative use of antibiotics, and blanket-use dry cow therapy in 2012. This has resulted in a wide range of benefits, including less antibiotic resistance.

lnkiy.in/dry-cow

Have a go:

1. Overuse of antibiotics can lead to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Why is it something we want to avoid?

2. What is ‘dry cow therapy’ and when is it used in New Zealand?

3. What is the goal posed by the New Zealand Veterinary Association by the year 2030?

Stretch yourself:

4. In the three years since the ban there was a 50% reduction in the use of dry cow antibiotics. During the same time what was the percentage decrease in clinical mastitis cases?

5. At the time of banning blanket-use antibiotics in the Netherlands the bulk milk somatic cell count (SCC) was above 200,000 and by 2018 it dropped to about 170,000. What does the SCC indicate and why is it measured?