Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
s~s~
1 This invention relates to teat dips for dairy animals.
In particular, this invention relates to an improved teat dip which
forms a long-lasting protective film coating on the teats of the
dairy animals.
PRIOR ART
Teat dips for dairy animals have been available for
many ycars. The conventional teat dip which is presently in wide
use consists of a germicide such as iodine, as an active
ingredient, a detergent carrier and a pH buffer, in water. The
conventional iodine-release teat dip has been shown by laboratory
tests to assist in inhibiting the spread of mastistis. The lab-
oratory tests indicate that the known teat dips are effective as
sanitizers and germicidal compounds. However, in actual use under
farming conditions, teat dips are considerably less effective
than they are in laboratory tests.
During milking, the action of the suction cups in a
~o~la ~e
B mechanical milking machine tends to product nicks and cracks in
the skin crevices and in chaffed areas of the epidermis and
corium. When the conventional teat dip is used after milkingt
the germicidal content can irritate the highly sensitized warmed
skin areas of the teats and this can cause considerable
discomfort to the animal and may even cause an initial increase
in existing skin irritation. This problem is particularly acute
if the teat dip has been buffered to a higher pH of about 5
with free caustic material.
I have found that the effectiveness of conventional
teat dips is significantly reduced by factors relating to the
animal's environment during feeding and rest periods between
milking times. For example, when an animal is in pasture it
is exposed to factors such as temperature, air humidity, precip-
itation, sunshine, wind velocity, evaporation, and contact
.
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1 With insects and pasture weeds, all of which can considerably
redu~e the effective li~e of a teat dip. In addition, when
animals are stabled, other influences such as insufficient,
soiled or unsuitable bedding, contact with manure and other
contamina~ts, can also adversely affect the effectiveness of -
the teat dip. I have also found that the desirable germical
characteristics of the conventional iodine-release teat dips
are adversely affected during the feeding and rest period
between milkings by wound secretions which retard the recon-
stitution of the natural oil mantle on the skin and by the exposure
to light.
According to one aspect of the present invention,
I have found that the effectiveness of a conventional iodine
; teat dip can be substantially improved by the addition of PVP
l-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone polymer in an amount sufficient to form a
protective film on the teats.
According to a further aspect of the present
i~vention, I have found that the effectiveness of the protective
film formed by the PVP is substantially increased by plasticizing
the PVP prior to its addition to the conventional teat dip.
According to another aspect of the present invention
an improved teat dip consists of .1 to 3% weight/volume of a
germicide as an active ingredient, 1 to 25% weight/volume of
a deterge~nt carrier and 1 to 10% weight/volume of a pH buffer
having as an addition l-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone polymer in an amount
in the range of .01 to 20% weight/volume to form a protective
film on the teat of a dairy animal in use.
.: ,
According to a still further aspect of the present
invention, there is provided a teat dip consisting of 0.1 to 3%
weight/volume of a germicide as an active ingredient, 1 to 25%
weight/volume of a detergent carrier and ~ to 10% weignt/volume
of a pH buffer, the improvement of the addition of plasticized PVP
in the range of 0.1 to 20% weight/volume, the PVP being plasticized
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to form a long-lasting non-tacky elastic protective film on the
teat in use, the plasticizing agent being added to the PVP in an
amount in the range of 10 to 35% weight of PVP.
Tests have shown that the PVP when added to a conventional
teat dip as a protective film former is most effective when added
in an amount of about 2% weight/volume. The PVP forms an effec-
tive coating on the teat which protects the udder against the
a~verse effects of exposure to environmen~al farm conditions
of the type previously described.
The improvement achieved by the addition of PVP is
further enhanced by piasticizing the PVP prior to its addition
to the conventional teat dip. Suitable plasticizing agents
for this purpose may be selected from the group consisting of
sorbitol, urea, carboxmethylcellulose, and glycerol and any combin-
ation thereof. The plastic-izer is added in an amount in the
range of 10 to 35% weight of the PVP such that the film formed
by the PVP in use is a long-lasting non-tacky elastic protective
; film. The plasticizer increases the elasticity of the film with
the result that the film is more effective in resisting
the deleterious effects of the environment to which the animal
is exposed between milkings.
It has also been determined that the difficulties
which have previously been experienced with respect to skin
irritation when applying a teat dip to a freshly milked teat
are effectively reduced by the use of a teat dip according
to the present invention in which the pH is adjusted to a pH
in the range of 4 to 5.5 and ideally 4.8 by the addition of
a buffer in the form of an organic or inorganic salt such as mono-di-
or tri-sodium salts of citric, phosphoric or carbonic acid and/or
blends thereof.
; It has also been found that an ultraviolet light
absorber of the type suitable for skin contact may be added to
the PVP in an amount in the range of O.Olto 3% weight of PVP
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and the ultraviolet light absorber serves as an optical filter
in the protective coatings to counteract the deleterious effects
of exposure of the film to sunlight and other sources of radiation.
Suitable ultraviolet light absorbers are effective in the ultra-
violet radiation range of 200 to 400 my. Suitable ultraviolet
- absorbers are as follows;
2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone-5-sulfonic acid
2-2',4.4'-tetrahydroxybenzophenone
2,2'-dihydroxy 4,4'-dimethoxybenxophenone --
sod.2,2'-dihydroxy-4,4'-dimethoxy-5-sulfobenzophenone
2-ethylhexyl 2-cyano-3,3-diphenylacrylate
- The l-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone polymer PVP, which is added
to the conventional teat dip according to the present invention has
the structural formula
, H2C CH2
~ L -I -
~ CH-CH2 n
In the preparation of the improved teat dip of the
present invention, a conventional germicidal teat dip is prepared
consisting of a germicide, a detergent carrier and a buffer as
a stabilizer to a pH of 4.8. In a separate operation, the PVP
is plasticized. Thereafter, the plasticized PVP is added to the
conventional germicidal teat dip. It is important to note that
the plasticized PVP must be added to the conventional teat dip
after the conventional teat dip has been compounded and buffered
to a pH of 4.8 so that the plasticized PVP will form a protective
film in use. -- -
From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the ~resent
invention provides a simple and efficient teat dip.
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