# Black Mastitis



## rcwells (Aug 27, 2008)

I have a Saanen goat that recently got black mastitis. She is not mine, but my roommates. I was in charge of milking her. The 17th of this month I milked her and noticed she had a pinprick leak, but being a novice milker, I didn't think anything of it. The 18th I go out to milk her and the bottom portion of her right udder has turned purple and cool to the touch. The milk coming out was yellow and stringy. The vet could not make it out that night so she came on the 19th and gave her an antibiotic shot, a b vitamin boost, a pain relieving shot, and put a mastitis tube(I think is was "Today") up into her teat. She recovered her happy nature, but the udder will not heal. I know it is a forgone conclusion that she will slough the bad area. My problem: I have still been trying to milk her out every day. The skin has come off and she has a delineated area of good and bad. I am leaving the country for 2 weeks. I fear she is going to slough it while I am gone and my male roommates will not give her the attention and love she needs to heal. I have a few questions on what they will still need to do while I am gone. Will she still need to have the affected side milked? Will she need any more antibiotic shot during the sloughing? I have scarlet oil and bag balm that I have been putting on her daily. What can be done about cleaning the open wound when it does slough? Any help here would be much appreciated.


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## alyssa_romine (Oct 5, 2007)

there is another topic just like yours that might help you. I havent delt with mastitis before so I cannot give any advice but here it the topic...

http://thegoatspot.net/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=4473


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## rcwells (Aug 27, 2008)

I check the other thread and have looked through some others that also deal with this issue. The important thing, I know, is that Cookie seems to be healthy other that her half dead udder. I really just want to keep her that way and need to know if she will be ok with the limited care I know my roommates will give her or if I need to find someone who will give her the care I would give her while I'm gone. She has made it through so much already that I want to try to keep her from being put down. If amputation is the suggested way I will call the vet tonight and get it taken care of so she can be on the road to recovery before I leave.


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## goathappy (Oct 5, 2007)

I personally have never dealt with gangrene(also known as black) mastitis, but if she is sloughing off the dead tissue, I think it would be probably best that she gets a mastectomy, which to my knowledge can only be done at a university vet school. Infection is your greatest concern at this point because of her sloughing off the dead tissue. The reason why this needs to be done at a vet school is because there are several important arteries that need to be properly 'cut off'(I'm not sure if I"m using the right terminology) to ensure that your doe will make it through the surgery ok and not be at as big of a risk from dying.

What did your vet say?


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## rcwells (Aug 27, 2008)

I haven't called the vet since she came out for the antibiotics. I was trying to get an idea of what needs to be done before I made any decisions about her. I'll call her and the local vet school and see how much amputations cost. Thank you for the response.


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

I also have never had to deal with it but I could only imagine what it is like. It seems like a lot of goats are getting this. How weird. 
Now you said it was your room mates. Is this the same room mate that will not take care of her while you are gone? His own goat? 
Good Luck and I hope she recovers. I know Runaround just went through this but sad to say that she lost her doe.


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## rcwells (Aug 27, 2008)

Yes, the self same roommate. He will leave for Iraq a week before I get back to the states, but I know he isn't interested in milking her, even if only for a week. I however, have come to care a great deal about this goat, in my opinion she is the best tempered one of the lot we have. Because I was the one milking her, I have grown a bond with her and he hasn't.


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## Nancy_in_GA (Nov 12, 2007)

You should at least give a series of antibiotic shots daily (about a week to 10 days, penG and/or Biomycin/LA200) to make sure the infection doesn't pass from the udder to her blood system. It is best to amputate the teat so the infectious material will drain out of the udder. Once the udder starts to slough off they recommend that you spray it daily with a hose to remove the dead tissue (called debriding), but in our case nothing came off, the dead tissue merely dried up and eventually fell off in one clump. We did amputate the teat.


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## rcwells (Aug 27, 2008)

I've got her on oxytricyclen(sp?) right now, and yesterday gave her another "Today" shot up her teat. I do still need to milk her out right? There is no way around that, other than amputation?


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## rcwells (Aug 27, 2008)

Oxytetracyclene is same as LA200, yes she is on this.


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## RunAround (Feb 17, 2008)

Yes, I just lost my doe to this. I believe she went septic on me despite the best care I could give. Is this doe still making milk on both sides? Dawn dried up on both sides, so there wasn't anything to milk out of her. If she is still making milk then I guess I would still milk her... but only on the good side. I don't think the today will do much good for you now. That tissue is dead. I would say your best bet is to keep putting hot compresses on the part of her udder that is live, if it is still swollen. I would keep up with systemic antibiotics... Oxytetracylcline(sp) or Procaine pen G . If you can afford a mastectomy then I would do it. Saves her from a lot of pain and infection in the long run. This girl is going to need lots of care still. If your roommate isn't up to it then i would try and find someone else. 

I have been reading more about gangrene mastitis and I think the main cause of it is a copper deficiency. How is your girls hair coat? I would think about giving her some copper.


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## rcwells (Aug 27, 2008)

Thank you, that is very informative. I don't know yet if we can afford a mastectomy. I am looking around for care options. Her coat seems fine. She is soft and doesn't appear to have lost any hair except around the affected area. She is still milking out of the good side, but not near as much as before she became ill. If it would be easier on her I would just as soon let her dry up. We have no kids that need nursing and no reason for the milk other than personal use. Any thoughts?


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## rcwells (Aug 27, 2008)

Thank you, everyone, for you help. Cookie has gone to a vet in town that specializes in goats. At the clinic they said this is not the worst case they have seen and, with some aggressive treatment, she will not need a mastectomy. The worst case is that she will have some scarring that will make that side unusable. They are going to keep her over the weekend, but I will inform you all of her treatment when I find out what it is.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

oh thats good news I think... :scratch: 

Hopefully she recovers quickly for you


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## FarmGirl18 (Oct 5, 2007)

That's great to hear. Hope she recovers quickly for you. 

BTW welcome to the Goat Spot from a fellow Okie.


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## greatcashmeres (Jul 13, 2008)

I was not able to give any advice, but I have been following your thread. My continued thoughts for Cookie and you, and yes do update us.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Oh wow,, At least she will still be usable and alive................ :thumbup: 
I am still going to pray for her..........poor little girl ray:


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