Medical-grade honey as treatment for udder cleft dermatitis in dairy cows

Udder cleft dermatitis (UCD) is a common inflammatory dermatological condition of the udder skin in dairy cows, localized at the fore udder attachment or between the front udder halves. The severity of the condition can vary from superficial dermatitis to extensive wounds and different classification scales exist. To date, no effective curative treatment has been identified. Honey has been used in wound care for a long time due to its ability to promote healing and antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. Thus, the aim of this pilot study was to investigate whether medical-grade honey could be as effective as zinc ointment in treating UCD. Fourteen cows with severe UCD (large crusts or open wound) were matched into pairs and then randomly assigned to treatment with medical-grade honey (n = 7) or zinc ointment (n = 7). Treatment continued for 8 wk, and UCD was graded at 3 different time points during the study. Treatment with medical-grade honey resulted in a higher improvement rate (42.9%) compared with zinc ointment (14.3%), although the result was not statistically significant. This study indicates that medical-grade honey could be an alternative treatment of severe UCD.