Hygiene in the Prevention of Udder Infections. IV. Evaluation of Teat Dips with Excised Cows’ Teats

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Abstract
Suspensions of Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus [St.] agalactiae, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were used to contaminate teats excised from cows. Commercially available teat dips were applied for evaluation of comparative germicidal activity. Iodophors, sodium hypochlorite and sodium dichloro-s-triazene-trione were highly effective against all four test organisms. Quaternary ammonium, chlorhexidine and cetylpyridinium chloride were effective against S. aureus and S. agalactiae but not E. coli and P. aeruginosa. Bronopol and 8-hydroxyquinoline sulfate were marginally effective on the 2 gram positive organisms and ineffective on the 2 gram negatives. Three of the dips were ineffective against all 4 pathogens; 2 were in nonaqueous bases, and the other was a blend of pine oil and antibodies of udder origin. In other trials, iodophor at .3% titratable iodine was highly effective against S. aureus and S. agalactiae. Products containing .5 and 1% iodophor maintained effectiveness after each was used to dip 140 teats under conditions of commercial diarying. Logarithmic reduction in the geometric mean number of organisms recovered from teats was more meaningful for evaluating data than percent reduction.