Preliminary assessment of an adhesive gel barrier for the treatment of udder cleft dermatitis in dairy cows.

Adhesive gel barriers show promise for treating udder cleft dermatitis in dairy cows.

Udder cleft dermatitis (UCD) is an increasingly recognized condition in dairy cows characterized by severe lesions with foul odor, open wounds, and associated pain and discomfort. This open-label pilot study evaluated an adhesive gel barrier as a potential treatment for UCD across two veterinary centers on four farms. The initial proof-of-principle phase involved five cows treated with weekly applications over 4 weeks, showing marked improvement without adverse events. A subsequent open-label study enrolled 25 cows on three farms with UCD lesions ranging from grade 2 to 5, treated with weekly applications for up to 9 weeks. Results demonstrated consistent improvements over time, particularly in reduction of malodor, discharge, lesion depth, and re-epithelialization. The adhesive gel barrier appears to offer promise as a treatment and management option for UCD. However, the authors acknowledge limitations including the small sample size, lack of control group, and open-label design. The findings support progression to a larger, controlled clinical trial to establish efficacy and optimal treatment protocols for this emerging condition in dairy cattle.

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