Abstract:

Objectives of this study is to evaluate possibilities for early detection of udder’s diseases of Lithuanian Black and White cows and compare thermography and routine California mastitis test (CMT) results. Cows were examined in the negative and at positive ambient temperature. Infrared thermography (IRT) applied skin surface thermograms of teats in the area of Furstenberg’s rosette analyzed as posing evidence based signs of subclinical mastitis coincide with the CMT. It is shown, that subclinical inflammatory processes of cow’s mammary gland can be simply and successfully identified at an early stage of pathology development applying the thermal imaging method. IRT results measuring the skin surface temperature of teat sphincters of healthy dairy cows and cows with subclinical mastitis were completely similar to the CMT findings. Effectiveness of IRT does not depend from ambient conditions: inflammation can be easily detected both in positive and negative ambient temperatures. We confirm IRT being as alternative, noninvasive, high sensitive, rapid and portable method for subclinical various origins inflammatory processes of cow’s udder, which can be certified for practical subclinical mastitis screening and subsequent detection.

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