Udder cleft dermatitis (UCD) is a skin condition that develops at the fore udder attachment, or between the udder halves, of dairy cows. The UCD lesions vary in appearance from mild, eczematous skin changes, to severe, with wounds that often become large, foul smelling and purulent. The lesions impair the welfare of affected cows and may also become a hygiene issue during milking. In addition, a previously conducted Swedish study found associations between UCD and mastitis. It is not clear why UCD lesions develop, although some risk factors have been identified. The aim of the thesis was to increase the understanding of the prevalence of UCD in Swedish dairy cattle herds, and to analyse potential risk factors for UCD. In addition, microbiological studies were performed to see which microorganisms are present in the lesions, and how the microbiota of UCD lesions differ from that of healthy skin.
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