# Is it mastitis and what should I do?



## Saanens N Alpines (Oct 20, 2010)

One of my does had a single kid and he has been nursing only one side, so I have been milking out the other side a few times per day. A few days ago it had gotten really full and had a few lumps right where the teat connects to the udder, so I have been massaging it with a salve I got from Molly's Herbals as well. Well this morning when I went to milk her the teat clogged and I had to pull and work out some clumps and a couple of them had blood spots. Then the milk looked pink. It milked out fine once I got those few clogs out. 

I have never had a doe with mastitis before, so I don't know what I should do for her. Do antibiotic shots help mastitis? I have LA200 on hand. The doe is eating and acting fine otherwise.


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## Saanens N Alpines (Oct 20, 2010)

Forgot to mention no temp at all. 101.7. Is it possible to have a few clumps and pink milk without mastitis? The udder is not red or hot, and she is milking out easily. I'm wondering if the bleeding could be from me getting those clumps out.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I never dealt with mastitis ever in the 8 years prior to Binkey developing blood clots and pink milk last year..one side only and I didn't treat for mastitis when it happened last year, She didn't present with a hot hard udder, had no temp and was eating well...totally herself. She was 6 weeks fresh this year and the same thing happened, same side with the same exact symptoms, I was fortunate enough to have been able to purchase a CMT from Jeffers last fall and used it when she presented with the symptoms, she did test positive. I proceeded to do what I'd done last time with massage and warm compresses, frequent milkings etc but I also treated her with ToDAY for 3 treatments, she still didn't clear up and was still testing positive 2-3 days after the last infusion so I did another 2 tubes of Today.

She's been clear since and it's been 2 months since she's been treated.

LA200 is the preferred injectible antibiotic when treating mastitis / I was advised to do LA200 as well as the Today but since Binkey never had any antibiotic besides Pen G and she wasn't feverish, ill etc. I chose to just do the infusions.


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## Saanens N Alpines (Oct 20, 2010)

Thank you for that info. Liz! Last year did she clear up on her own?


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Last year when it happened, I massaged with bag balm and peppermint oil, warm compresses and milked her out on that side as often as I could...within a week her milk was white, not pink and there were no more clots but I do think that had I treated her for mastitis then, she may not have had an issue this year....After I felt a hard lump up high in her udder, I assumed the bloody milk and lump came from another goat hitting her, this time, she had the same hard lump in the same spot.


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## Saanens N Alpines (Oct 20, 2010)

By that evening her milk was white and she has been fine since, so I am just keeping a close eye on it, and milking it out. I have read that a few clumps and a little pink can be normal as long as it doesn't last, so I am hoping that is the case!


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

:thumbup:


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## fcnubian (Oct 23, 2007)

Also with only having one kid on her, you need to make sure you get the kid eating off the other side...Otherwise one side of the udder/teat will "stretch" out while the other side won't. Of course if you aren't showing, I guess it wouldn't be too big of a deal but just something to keep in mind. I have does that have one kid feeding from them and I have taped teats before to get them eating on the 'off' side. I like the udders to stay even though because I show.


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## Saanens N Alpines (Oct 20, 2010)

Yes, I have been concerned about that. The kid did start nursing the other side, and things seemed fine, but then I put them out to pasture and he didn't nurse that side all day and the clumps came back. I treated her 4 doses of Today and that got the clump out after the first dose, and all was well again. Then the clumps came back as soon as I stopped the Today. I am doing another round. She is fine, no fever or anything. Her milk looks great it just gets blocked in there by these milk clots. If I ever get it cleared I will tape the other teat. She is supposed to be a show goat for my son, and has nice conformation and did well last year. We had high hopes for her this year with an udder, so I am pretty upset. I don't know what the deal is with these milk clots! It seems that once they are cleared out I need to milk her a few times per day to keep it clear.


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## fcnubian (Oct 23, 2007)

I am concerned that you may be dealing with mastitis. That is not normal. And for the record I am now very paranoid about mastitis as I have had two does with it. One of them was a doe that is so pretty and had such a beautiful udder. I was looking forward to showing her this year but her udder is ruined. She'll never be a show goat ever. It sucks big time. The other doe, thankfully was caught in time.

With my mastitis doe (Acapella) I treated her with baytril. Then when I dried her up I used an udder infusion. 

With Honey, her mastitis was left way too long because I didn't know that was what I was dealing with. Her milk seemed normal. Tasted normal. Everything seemed fine until we tested her on the CMT. That showed she had mastitis so we treated for it but it was too late.

If you don't already, I highly recommend getting the California Mastitis Test- Can be found at Jeffers and it's reasonably priced to. I'll never be with out it & I test my does every couple weeks just to make sure.


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## Saanens N Alpines (Oct 20, 2010)

I ordered the test last week. I hope it gets here soon! I am treating her for mastitis.


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## Saanens N Alpines (Oct 20, 2010)

So the Baytril cleared it up? Did you milk her for some time then, until you used the udder infusion and was the infusion just to be safe or did she still test positive after the Baytril? I have heard that the systemic antibiotics don't cross the udder much and that the infusions are best. How much Baytril did you give her and how often. I got Baytril from the vet for a goat once and she only gave me a couple doses of it, which I didn't think was enough. Plus the goat got a sore from the shot that was very hard to clear up.


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