Bovine herpes mammillitis in three dairy cows

Skin pathologies of the teat and udder are rare but a difficult to diagnose challenge for large animal practitioners. Due to their localisation, the milkability can be compromised partly or completely so that the economic value of the animals is seriously at risk. Skin pathologies of the udder can be of infectious or non-infectious nature. Most prevalent non-infectious skin lesions are primarily caused by trauma, especially with big or very low hanging udders, or can be caused by a generalised disease like Dermatitis solaris due to a cholestase (5). Infectious reasons can be of viral, bacterial or parasitological nature (5, 17). Aim of this case study is to present the diagnosis, therapy and the course of a herpes mammilitis infection.