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PHYTOMAST

PhytoMast® is a plant-based formula that's been successfully used for cows, goats and sheep at dry-off by hundreds of farmers and their vets across the US and and Canada for more than 20 years. The registered trademark for PhytoMast® defines it as a "non-feed botanical formulation for bovine udder health, namely, plant extracts for veterinary purposes; a non-feed botanical formulation for bovine udder health, namely, non-feed supplements for livestock." It comes in ready-to-use hygienic, aseptic individual plastic infusion tubes for each teat (and alcohol pads). If you need further in-depth advice on your specific situation, Dr. Karreman is also available for paid consultations.

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  • The primary purpose of PhytoMast® is as a teat lubricant and temporary liquid barrier film for cows, goats and sheep at dry-off. Its primary purpose is accomplished by its main ingredient, Olive Oil, to soothe and help rejuvenate the epithelial cells that line the teat canal and gland cistern that it contacts. Another way to think of it, imagine applying olive oil to irritated skin (epithelium) and feeling its soothing effect.

  • When a cow is *completely* milked out at the final milking at dry-off, PhytoMast® will come into contact with the most outside anatomical layer of the cow (epithelium) even though you can't see that layer visually. Anatomically speaking, this epithelial layer is an external surface. This sounds odd but it's quite true anatomically. PhytoMast® does not achieve its primary intended purpose through chemical action and is not dependent upon being metabolized - its function is to simply soothe and rejuvenate epithelium at dry-off and thus improve epithelial vitality for a healthy start to the animal's dry/non-lactating "vacation-from-lactation". 

  • Use PhytoMast® only on healthy animals that have a negative California Mastitis Test (CMT) and haven't had any visually observable irregular milk during lactation. 

  • PhytoMast® makes no claims against any specific pathogens.

  • PhytoMast® (the entire product) is considered Generally Recognized As Safe and Effective (GRASE) for dry-off by scientific experts based on published studies using it in well-controlled clinical investigations that establish it as safe and effective for dry-off in dairy cows. (Letter on file with the company.) 

  • The individual ingredients of PhytoMast® are all safe and suitable by PMO: Safe and suitable non-grade “A” dairy ingredients, can be utilized in the products when added to a level needed for a functional or technical effect, and limited by Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and are either: (a) Prior sanctioned or otherwise approved by FDA, or (b) GRAS (generally recognized as safe), or (c) An approved food additive listed in the CFR. 

  • All of the ingredients of PhytoMast® are prior sanctioned or otherwise approved by FDA or GRAS or an approved food additive listed in the CFR. This is supported by the fact that Olive Oil, the primary ingredient, is considered Common Food (21CFR102.5). Secondary ingredients include Angelica (21CFR182.10), Licorice (21CFR184.1408), Thymol (21CFR182.10, 21CFR182.20, 21CFR172.105, 21CFR172.515, 40CFR180.1240), Wintergreen <5% (21CFR201.303), Vitamin A (21CFR582.5930, Vitamin D3 (21CFR172.380), Vitamin E (21CFR184.1890, 21CFR182.8890).

  • PhytoMast® is manufactured in a cGMP inspected FDA registered facility.

  • Notably, in relation to the PMO, PhytoMast® is labelled to be used to dry-off dairy animals that will presumably not be milked after its use and thus no milk will go for shipment for pasteurization.

  • In case a cow has received PhytoMast® and is accidentally milked into the milk tank, PhytoMast® does NOT trigger the Delvotest P nor Charm SL Beta-lactam tests.

  • Historically in veterinary medicine, one of the secondary ingredients in PhytoMast® (thymol) was already in use for dairy cows in a product commercially available for use for at least 5 years  (A Manual Of Veterinary Therapeutics. Haver-Glover Laboratories, Kansas City, MO 1928. pg. 98 & 1932 pg. 115)

  • The first PhD in the US focused on non-antibiotic treatment for udder health was awarded in 2013 at NC State University and was based in large part about dry-off studies on PhytoMast®.

  • Using PhytoMast®does not contribute to antimicrobial resistance. Why? Because even a single plant has multiple secondary metabolites that provide a multi-prong effect that supports healthy cellular vitality.  In contrast, continually using only the same specific antibiotic over and over to dry-off cows goes completely against basic medical principles and leads to antibiotic resistance/ antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

  • PhytoMast® is manufactured and packaged in the USA. 

  • PhytoMast® is OMRI approved.

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