Ubera Dry External Teat Barrier
An antibiotic-free external barrier applied to the teat at dry-off, to keep bacteria out during the fortnight when the udder is least able to keep them out itself.
Dry-Off Got Riskier, Not Safer
Two things have moved at once. Yields have risen, so more cows leak milk in the days after drying off. And blanket antibiotic dry cow therapy has rightly given way to selective use, so fewer cows go into the dry period with an antibiotic behind them. Both push in the same direction: the teat canal is open, the udder is full, and the first fortnight of the dry period is when new infections get in.
Milk leakage at the start of the dry period is a recognised risk factor for exactly that. An external teat barrier is the cheap answer to it — a physical seal on the outside of the teat rather than a product put up it.
What Ubera Dry Is
Ubera Dry from VMD Livestock Pharma is applied to a clean teat by dipping, sets within about twenty seconds, and forms a water-repellent barrier. It is antibiotic-free and biodegradable, it leaves no residue in the teat canal after the first milking, and the manufacturer puts the protection at up to five days per application, with weekly reapplication ahead of expected calving. An in-vitro study at the University of Ghent found its barrier performance comparable or superior to two other external sealants tested.
It is not a substitute for a dry cow decision. Which cows need an antibiotic tube, which need an internal sealant and which need neither is a conversation with your vet, and this sits alongside that decision rather than replacing it. We stock the product and can talk you through where it fits; the selective dry cow policy is your vet’s.
Teat Health Questions
What is an external teat sealant for?
It forms a physical barrier on the outside of the teat at dry-off, to reduce new intramammary infections during the period when the teat canal is open and the udder is full. It is applied to the outside of the teat, not into it.
Is Ubera Dry an antibiotic?
No. It is antibiotic-free and biodegradable, and the manufacturer states it leaves no residue in the teat canal after the first milking.
Does an external teat barrier replace dry cow therapy?
No. Which cows need an antibiotic dry cow tube, which need an internal sealant and which need neither is a decision for your vet under a selective dry cow policy. An external barrier sits alongside that decision.
Ask at any of the four stores — Ayr, Kinross, Lanark & Stirling — or ring 01786 474 481. There are qualified SQPs in every store.
Ask your rep at dry-off