Method of inhibiting mastitis in bovine animals

Abstract

A method and instrument for placing an implant in the teat duct and udder of an animal, as a milk cow. The instrument has an elongated tubular member having a passge accommodating the implant. The tubular member is adapted to be inserted into the milk duct through the discharge end thereof. A head having finger gripping ears is attached to the tubular member. The implant is moved from the passage with a piston connected to a rod extended through the head. A head engaging member secured to the rod is used in cooperation with the ears to apply force to the rod to move the piston in the passage to move the implant into the teat duct and udder. The implant has a core of an elongated flexible plastic string. A plurality of bands are clamped about the core. Alternate bands are coated with a first metal, as silver. The remaining bands are coated with a second metal, as gold. All of the bands may be coated with the same metal, such as silver. The implant includes a capsule implant containing material that reacts with the silver to produce silver ions which have advantageous antibacterial effects.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.