Economic and Environmental Assessment of Cephapirin Use in Dry Cow Therapy of Holstein and Simmental Cows According to Parity

This study investigated the use of cephapirin in dry cow therapy of Holstein and Simmental cows in Croatia. Economic costs and potential environmental emissions were assessed according to parity structure in dairy herds. Results showed that healthy cows represented the largest share of antibiotic-related expenditure, especially among first-parity animals. This may point to the inefficiencies of blanket dry cow therapy in a considerable number of cows. With advancing parity, mastitis-related costs became dominant, and breed-specific differences in antibiotic use were observed. Environmental risk assessment indicated that cephapirin emissions substantially exceeded safe thresholds. That suggested possible environmental concern. These results support the use of selective dry cow therapy based on parity and udder health status to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use and improve resource allocation in dairy production systems.