A “cowside” comparison provides quicker assessment of environmental, infectious and milking machine-induced teat conditions. Faster assessment will lead to earlier application of the appropriate action or future preventive measures, thus allowing dairy producers to increase profitability.

NMC Teat Health Committee Chair Keith Engel, GEA, launched the TCP during the annual business meeting. “Having the Teat Condition Portfolio available online to NMC members is a huge asset to all those working with teat health,” Engel said.

Easily searchable by key word, the TCP allows members to go immediately to the teat symptoms that match what they are seeing. “Or, members can merely click through a variety of images until they find a scenario that matches the teat ailment they are viewing in real time, cowside,” he said.

Engel continued, “Because the resource is online, it can be easily updated with images submitted by members who encounter various teat conditions or have suggestions for new key words.”

Meeting attendees, including dairy producers, veterinarians, researchers, extension specialists and industry suppliers are excited about the new educational online resource, Engel noted. The previous NMC Teat Condition Portfolio, developed by Teat Club International in the 1990s, was a valuable resource when developed at the time. “With today’s technology, it was definitely time to update this resource and make it available cowside,” Engel continued.

“We are pleased with the benefits NMC members will reap from this tool to help diagnose and improve teat health on dairy farms,” Engel concluded.

NMC is a professional organization devoted to reducing mastitis and enhancing milk quality. NMC promotes research and provides information to the dairy industry on udder health, milking management, milk quality and milk safety. Founded in 1961, NMC has about 1,000 members in more than 40 countries throughout the world.