Biomedical subjects

R B Rindsig

Publications and source records attributed to R B Rindsig.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1982

Electrical conductivity of milk for detection of mastitis.

The potential value of electrical conductivity of milk as a screening test for subclinical mastitis was evaluated. Conductivity of foremilk and of postmilking strippings from 368 quarters of 92 cows was measured. Infection status of quarters was determined by bacteriological analysis of strict foremilk samples. Infections were classified as by primary or secondary pathogens, depending on the importance of the isolated organism as a mastitis pathogen. Somatic cells were counted on foremilk samples. Milk conductivity increased with infection. Conductivity of postmilking strippings was higher than that of foremilk in samples from quarters infected by primary pathogens. By thresholds which correctly classified at least 90% of normal quarters, accuracy of identifying primary pathogen infections by absolute conductivity was 62.8 and 96.2% with foremilk and postmilking strippings. Differential conductivity and combination of absolute and differential methods also were evaluated with the latter being the most effective. Number of quarters with elevated conductivity of postmilking strippings tended to be higher when somatic cell count was greater than 500,000/ml in both normal and infected groups. Conductivity of milk seems to hold promise as an indicator of subclinical mastitis.

Animals↗

PubMed1981

Effect of length of milking interval and fat content on milk conductivity and its use for detecting mastitis.

Foremilk and strippings were obtained from 20 cows at the morning and evening milkings where the milking intervals were 14 h and 10 h. Infection status was determined by bacteriological analysis. Conductivity of foremilk and strippings was determined. Cows then were switched to 12 h milking interval, and conductance of foremilk and strippings from both milkings was determined. Conductance of foremilk samples increased after longer milking interval. Accuracy in detecting infections by primary pathogens via conductivity of foremilk was also greater following the long interval. Conductivity of foremilk from morning and evening milkings were, however, similar when the milking interval was even. Conductivity of strippings was affected less by milking interval. Conductance determination on quarter samples from 28 cows on both a whole and fat-free basis indicated an inhibitory effect of milk fat on conductivity. Conductivity of skimmed strippings samples was greater than that of skimmed foremilk samples, indicating higher electrolyte in strippings, and may explain why conductivity of strippings is not significantly lower than of foremilk in spite of the higher fat content in the former

Animals↗

PubMed1980

Influence of similarly flavored milk replacers and starters on calf starter consumption and growth.

One of three commercial feed flavors, butter, milk arome, or maple, was added to a milk replacer and a starter to determine if a flavor association by calves would increase starter consumption and growth. Eighty-five calves were randomized completely to 1 of 16 treatment combinations arranged in a 4 X 4 factorial experiment. Calves received milk replacer from day 6 to weaning at 5 wk. Starter was offered ad libitum from day 6 to 8 wk. Butter and milk arome flavor were added to milk replacer at 500 mg/kg and starter at 750 mg/kg. Maple was added to milk replacer at 990 mg/kg and starter at 1980 mg/kg., Data were subjected to analysis of covariance with sex, breed, date of birth, and birth weight as covariables. There was no effect of flavor in milk replacer on starter consumption or growth as compared to the control milk replacer. Calves fed maple starter consumed more starter to 8 wk and from 6 to 8 wk than did calves fed the control starter. Average daily gain to 5 wk and from 6 to 8 wk was greater for calves fed maple starter, and to 8 wk for calves fed either maple starter or milk arome starter than for calves fed the control starter. Least squares mean for starter consumption (kg) and average daily gain (g) to 8 wk for treatments control, butter, milk arome, and maple starters were 42.2, 367; 46.2, 427; 47.7, 431; and 48.8, 469. Starter consumption (kg) and average daily gain (g) to 8 wk for treatment combinations involving the same flavor were 45.2, 415 for control replacer-control starter; 45.4, 428 for butter replacer-butter starter; 48.9, 484 for milk arome replacer-milk arome starter; and 46.3, 427 for maple replacer-maple starter.

Animal Feed↗

PubMed1979

Mastitis history, California Mastitis Test, and somatic cell counts for identifying cows for treatment in a selective dry cow therapy program.

Mastitis history, California Mastitis Test scores, and filter-deoxyribonucleic acid cell counts from 232 cows were used to project the effectiveness of criteria which could be used to determine which cows to treat in a selective dry cow therapy program. Bacteriological analyses of quarter milk samples were used to identify infected cows. Effects of month, lactation parity, stage of lactation, and interaction of stage of lactation with lactation parity on somatic cell numbers in milk were determined. The various criteria singly or in combinations correctly identified from 50 to over 92% of the cows with one or more infected quarters at drying off. However, from 25 to 80% of the cows free of infection would have been treated as well. The most discriminating criteria were two monthly cell counts exceeding 500,000 cells per milliliter where 53% of the cows with infected quarters were identified correctly and only 25% of the uninfected cows would be treated, or the two monthly cell counts exceeding 500,000 cells per milliliter plus a California Mastitis Test score of +2 or +3 at drying off. Here 89% of the cows with infected quarters would be treated, and 56% of the uninfected cows would be treated.

Animals↗

PubMed1978

Complete versus selective dry cow therapy for mastitis control.

Two hundred and thirty-two cows were assigned alternately to complete dry cow therapy (infusion in all quarters on the day of drying off) or selective therapy (infusion in all quarters if a history of mastitis, California Mastitis Test score of +2 or +3 in any quarter, or if cell counts from bucket milk samples as determined by the membrane filter-deoxyribonucleic acid procedure were above 500,000 cells/ml). A dry cow product containing 10(6) units of procaine penicillin G and 1 g of dihydrostreptomycin in a slow release base was used. A 1% iodophor teat dip was used throughout the experiment. Infections of Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, other streptococci, and gram negative rods were eliminated from 85.4% of the infected quarters with complete therapy and 88.2% of the infected quarters with selective therapy. New infections occurred in 3.1% of quarters with complete therapy and in 6.5% of the quarters with selective therapy. Incidence of mastitis following the dry period was less with complete therapy compared to selective therapy (4.6% vs. 7.8% of the quarters). Selective therapy was as effective as complete therapy in eliminating existing infections. Complete therapy would be the choice in situations where new infections in dry period are of concern.

Animals↗

PubMed1974