Health and Care
Find information on dairy cattle health, including prevention and control of mastitis. Resources on hoof health, lameness, heat stress, vaccines, and overmilking are also available in this section. Learn body conditioning scoring techniques.
Dairy Cattle Health Care
Dairy herd health is dependent on farmers’ expertise and readiness to prevent, diagnose, control, and treat common cow diseases and health issues.
The Pennsylvania Dairy Health and Biosecurity Manual is a comprehensive guide designed to help dairy farmers keep their herds healthy and economically productive. Compiled by Penn State Extension’s team of experienced veterinarians, it’s a practical and up-to-date resource on all cow-health related problems.
In addition to herd health care, dairy producers should also manage the biosecurity risks associated with cattle farming. Here you can find resources on how to reduce the risk of spreading infectious diseases and pathogens.
Dairy producers could also benefit from the body condition scoring technique and use it when troubleshooting cattle health and nutrition problems. Information on cow vaccines and schedules is also available in this section.
Udder Health and Mastitis: Prevention and Control
Mastitis, an inflammation of the cow’s udder, is the most common dairy cattle disease in the United States. It is also the most expensive issue on dairy farms, costing the average US dairy farm $110 per cow each year.
Proper diagnosis and treatment are necessary to avoid costly veterinary treatment and milk product loss. Learn how to conduct initial mastitis testing, how to culture milk to identify bacteria, and determine the cause of the mastitis with the On-Farm Milk Culturing for Mastitis Control online course.
Mastitis in cattle can be caused by contact with milking machinery or by infection. Get practical advice on the best milking practices for mastitis prevention.
Here you’ll find additional resources on udder health, overmilking, teat cleanliness, teat-end health, and rapid milk flow. For more information on the effect of mastitis on milk quality, visit the Dairy Production and Milk Quality section of this site.
Other Dairy Cattle Diseases
Information on this site is intended to help producers diagnose and treat other common diseases, such as foot rot and lameness, milk fever, endometritis, and ketosis in dairy cattle. Research on bovine tuberculosis is also available.
Get advice on hoof health, prevention, and control of foot problems in dairy cows, and learn methods to reduce lameness in new and existing housing systems.
Penn State Extension resources can also help producers identify and treat dairy cattle diseases and conditions, such as grass tetany, Johne's Disease, bovine leukemia virus, milk fever, and heat stress.
One of the toughest decisions livestock producers have to make when raising and caring for animals is deciding when euthanasia is the appropriate and humane choice. Find advice on how to determine if is it time for euthanasia and instruction on how to choose and perform appropriate euthanasia techniques.
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ArticlesConsiderations for Dairy Cattle Fitness to Transport
Transporting dairy animals requires a careful and considerate approach to guarantee their welfare while adhering to industry standards. -
ArticlesMaximizing Feed Intake: Key for Transition Cow Success
Transition cow management should be primarily aimed at preventing and monitoring ketosis and hypocalcemia. -
ArticlesHandwritten Records, An Important Tool to Monitor Health in Transition Cows
Accurate health and production records help producers make meaningful decisions and can be a powerful tool. Includes a template for handwritten records. -
ArticlesPreventing Contagious Mastitis Starts with Personnel Training
Training protocols should be simple, easy to understand and most importantly, translated into the language that best fits your employees. -
ArticlesTrain Farm Personnel for Better Animal Health and Fertility
Training farm personnel has positive impacts on animal well-being and performance, thus increasing overall farm profitability. -
ArticlesIs Calving Stressful in Dairy Cows?
Pain, inflammation, and stress during the transition period can negatively affect the well-being and performance of dairy cows during early lactation. -
ArticlesRegistros Escritos a Mano Para las Vacas de Transición
Precisos registros de salud y producción ayudan a los productores a tomar decisiones importantes y pueden ser una herramienta eficaz. Se incluye un modelo de plantilla para registros escritos a mano. -
ArticlesTackling Hypocalcemia and Systemic Inflammation During the Transition Period
Hypocalcemia and systemic inflammation are normal physiological processes in a transition cow, but when exacerbated they can predispose cows to develop diseases and have a poor performance. -
WebinarsFree
Dairy Veterinarians' Perspectives on Pre-Weaned Calf Housing
When 04/28/2026Length .5Event Format Virtual | LiveExplore how dairy veterinarians across the United States and Canada view calf housing, balancing health, behavior, management, and public expectations in individual and group systems. -
ArticlesNew Insights on Calf Transport
Each year, several million dairy calves are transported in the United States, and the way we manage this process has a real impact on calf health and welfare. -
ArticlesSafety Risk from Manure Storages of Dairy Cows Bedded with Gypsum
Findings from on-farm monitoring of dairies using gypsum as stall bedding show a link has been found to highly toxic levels of hydrogen sulfide gas during manure movement and agitation. -
ArticlesProper Care for Non-ambulatory Dairy Animals
Producers are encouraged to have a written protocol for non-ambulatory animals and treat them as a medical emergency. -
WebinarsSocial Science Research in Dairy: Past, Present, and Future
Length 30 minutesExplore how social science research reveals the roles, values, and decision-making processes shaping modern dairy farming, along with new insights into farmer perspectives. -
ArticlesSpringtime Brings Tick Risks to People and Cattle Alike
The Asian Longhorned Tick (ALT) has been identified in at least 18 states. Rapid explosions of this tick can be detrimental to cattle. -
ArticlesAntibiotic Stewardship: Can It Really Save Your Dairy Money?
Improving animal health offers a rewarding way to reduce antibiotic use. -
ArticlesReducing Heat Stress Can Help Lower Somatic Cell Counts
With hot weather, the main concern is often loss of milk production, but heat stress can also cause cows to experience a seasonal high SCC as well. -
VideosThe Strip Yield Test
Length 4:32In this video, you will learn about an easy test that can be performed on your farm to test if overmilking is occurring. With these results, you can monitor unit removal as well as adjust unit take-off to reduce stress on teat ends. -
VideosLearn To Score Body Condition
Length 12:10Learn to assign body condition scores for dairy cattle on a 5-point scale by evaluating specific areas of the pelvis and loin. -
ArticlesLameness: It's Costing You
Lameness can have negative implications beyond cow comfort. Lameness contributes to reduced milk production, reduced reproduction and increased costs related to treatment and prevention. -
ArticlesExamples of Cows at Various Body Condition Scores
Photos demonstrate dairy cows with a range of body condition scores. Each photo includes key observations at that score. -
ArticlesThe Target Cow Concept: Finding the Right Cows at the Right Time
This article introduces the Target Cow concept, which focuses on identifying and proactively managing high-risk groups of animals during the transition period. -
ArticlesHealth Events in Dairy Cattle: Prevent Them All for Optimal Repro!
This article describes the intricate relationship between animal health and reproductive performance in dairy cattle. -
ArticlesBenefits of Meeting Animal Welfare Standards
Recommended management practices benefit both the animal and the farm viability. -
ArticlesFarm Blindness and How it Could be Affecting Your Dairy
Take a look at your farm through a different lens. -
ArticlesConsider More Than Days of Age When Weaning Calves
For many operations, the decision to wean calves is based solely on the age of their calves. If calves are experiencing growth slumps, the transition period may need some changes to ensure that calves are ready to make this nutritional change.
