MADISON, Wis., June 7, 2023 – smaXtec, the most technologically advanced health system aimed at preventing diseases in dairy cows, is pleased to announce the launch of a new level of detection for mastitis in dairy farming – “level zero.” Level zero is a significant breakthrough in veterinary medicine that will help dairy farmers detect mastitis in cows earlier and more accurately, enhancing the well-being of the cows and reducing economic loss for dairy producers.
Studies show that inner body temperature increases up to four days before clinical symptoms of mastitis become visible.1 Due to the highly precise measurement of inner body temperature by the smaXtec bolus, smaXtec discovered a temperature pattern that directly correlates to the emergence of mastitis. This new level zero detection allows dairy producers to shift their attention from reactive treatment to proactive prevention.
“Temperature is key to catching mastitis early,” said Nathan Radue, manager of Hickory Grove Dairy in Wisconsin and smaXtec customer. “Instead of antibiotics, I use more probiotics and aspirin now when receiving the first temperature increase alert, and I can see the improvement almost instantly through the constant monitoring provided by smaXtec.”
Enabling early intervention with non-prescription remedies is one of the biggest benefits of smaXtec’s early detection. Instead of using prescription drugs to treat a cow with clinical mastitis, smaXtec users can turn to over-the-counter remedies to prevent the mastitis from progressing to a level one case.
smaXtec customers report a 55% reduction in antibiotic usage for mastitis cases in the first few months of using the bolus technology, with longer-term customers reporting antibiotic reduction by up to 70%.
“By knowing ahead of time that she has a flare up, we can give the cow some probiotics to help her body fight it more naturally,” said Sheldon Luehmann, owner of Pine-Vue Farms in Minnesota and smaXtec customer. “Nine times out of 10, that flare up settles down before it turns into mastitis.”
Mastitis is one of the costliest diseases on dairy farms – considering loss of milk production, veterinary and drug costs, premature culling and more. By detecting mastitis at level zero with smaXtec, dairy farmers experience routinely healthier cows, consistently higher milk yields, less antibiotic usage and, ultimately, less dumped milk – saving both time and money.
“We are rewriting science books with our revolutionary health monitoring solution,” said Stefan Scherer, CEO of smaXtec. “Our research shows that mastitis classification always started with level zero, it just wasn’t possible before. Now thanks to the continuous and precise temperature measurement by the smaXtec bolus, our customers are detecting signs of mastitis before clinical signs are visible.”
smaXtec is committed to improving the health and productivity of dairy herds worldwide. The new level of detection for mastitis is just one example of ongoing efforts to develop innovative solutions that benefit both animals and farmers.
For more information about the new level of detection for mastitis and how smaXtec is helping future-proof dairy operations, please visit www.smaXtec.com.
1Adams, A. E./Olea-Popelka, F. J./Roman-Muniz, I. N. (2013): Using temperature-sensing reticular boluses to aid in the detection of production diseases in dairy cows, in: J. Dairy Sc. 96: p. 1549-1555
About smaXtec
We offer professional dairy producers the most technologically-advanced health system aimed at preventing diseases in dairy cows. As a result, producers achieve consistent high milk yields, reduce the use of antibiotics many times over and significantly increase animal welfare. Through 24/7 monitoring and optimization of time-consuming daily tasks, the entire work process on dairy operations can be made more efficient. In this way, we make an important contribution to the stability and profitability of dairy production worldwide.
