Texas Tech University System

Metritis Is a Common and Painful Uterine Disease That Affects Dairy Cows Shortly After Calving and Is One of the Main Reasons Antibiotics Are Used on Dairy Farms. While Antibiotics Are Often Effective, Many Cows Recover From Metritis Without Treatment. Treating All Affected Cows the Same Way Can Result in Unnecessary Antibiotic Use, Which Increases Costs for Farmers and Contributes to the Growing Public Health Concern of Antimicrobial Resistance. Reducing Unnecessary Antibiotic Use in Food-producing Animals Is Important Not Only for Dairy Sustainability, But Also for Protecting the Effectiveness of Important Drugs Used in Human and Veterinary Medicine and Maintaining Public Trust in Animal Agriculture.this Project Will Evaluate a New, Data-driven Approach to Treating Metritis That Uses Routinely Collected Farm Information to Identify Which Cows Truly Need Antibiotics and Which Are Likely to Recover on Their Own. the Study Will Be Conducted on Commercial Dairy Farms in Multiple States and Will Compare This Selective Treatment Approach With the Current Practice of Treating All Affected Cows. Researchers Will Monitor Cow Health, Milk Production, Reproduction, Behavior, and Indicators of Well-being, While Also Measuring How Different Treatment Strategies Affect the Development of Antibiotic Resistance in the COW'S Digestive System. by Validating This Selective Approach Under Real Farm Conditions, the Project Aims to Provide Reliable Scientific Evidence That Can Guide Future Treatment Decisions. If Successful, the Results Will Support More Responsible Antibiotic Use, Protect Animal Welfare, Reduce Costs for Producers, and Contribute to Long-term Agricultural Sustainability and Public Health.