# Help! Is this Mastitis?



## crazyforgoats (Feb 8, 2015)

Does this look like mastitis? I stopped milking this doe Ginny in early July. She was then taken down to a field 1/2 mile away from my house. I brought her back home august 1st. Her udder was huge and she was not drying up, so I milked her out, the milk was normal, no clumps, udder was not hot. That was the last time she was milked august 3rd. Her udder got big but it stayed that way, never going smaller or bigger. Last week I noticed the smaller side was starting to dry up, it is almost dyed up now. The bigger side has stayed the same, I am wondering could it be mastitis? her udder is not hot. Should I milk her a see what it is like? Her udder was lopsided from when she kidded early in march, she got bad edema, and her udder got so huge it tore all the ligaments in the back. She was still giving 2 gallons a day though. 

Sorry if this was a long post, I Love this doe and want to know what is wrong with her.


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

I would test for mastitis - good threads on here how to do it in case you don't have CMT. Personally I would get her on a schedule of milking out BOTH sides - first once a day, then once every two days and then once every three days.Try to even up that udder. Other people have different methods - but this has worked well for me with no cases of mastitis. Her My girls never look that big during the drying off period and no cases of mastitis (knock on wood!). 

Others may chime in on what works best for them - I just wouldn't leave her being that big....


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## crazyforgoats (Feb 8, 2015)

Okay, I went and milked her. The smaller side had normal milk it about 2 1/2 pints. The big side I think has mastitis in it. The milk was not milk it was like yellowy water with white strings in it. Her udder is not hard, it was fairly easy to milk. I never planned to bring her back into milk because the whole reason I dried her of only 4 months fresh was for her to gain weight. But if that is what I need to do to get rid of It I will. How can I treat it?


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

A couple of things you might use are Today - teat infusion or Spectramast. Keep milking her once a day until the mastitis gets under control. Then you can gradually decrease milkings. I would also give her some vitamin c )I use chewables 1000 mg a day. 
I completely understand about weight issues = fighting a few right now too! Beet pulp and higher fat (I give a TB of peanut butter) has helped mine - along with good hay and browse.

I hope this helps - hopefully a moderator can give you more/better ideas.....


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I agree, start treatment, you must of caught it early, which is a plus, milk her completely out daily and infuse with Today, until it is cleared up, then do it again one more day after for GP. You can then start drying her off and decrease milking, until she is dry.


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## cfish001 (Sep 1, 2015)

I have used alot of different commercial products when dealing with mastitis or inflammation of any kinds in regard to the udder (including the product call "today"), but my go to product has now become 4 drops of oregano oil mixed with coconut oil. We had a goat (not my goat, but my brothers goat) a couple of years ago that got a bad case of mastitis, had to give her penicillin for 10 days because she was running a temperature. After the penicillin course, her udders became hard. We were CMT testing her at every milking and tried the commercial products for mastitis and nothing seemed to really get her white blood cell count down. We also had the vet out when this was going on and when we got to the stage of hard udders, he said "there is nothing else we can do". I didn't give up and got a herbal product called lymphatone from a herbal supply in Seattle that seems to calm it all down but still did not do the job. I finally found oregano oil at this point, and started using it with coconut oil. I rubbed it on the outside of her udders. It took a while, but her hard udders finally disappeared and she became a productive milker again. It completely resolved the hardness in her udders with 2 applications a day. 

The issue you are having does sound like mastitis, which is inflammation of the udder. One of the properties of oregano oil is reduction of inflammation and antibacterial, also with some pain reduction properties. I use a brand of oregano oil that is not mixed with other oils, then I use it with coconut oil because of its anti bacterial and anti fungal properties, sort of a double punch. Also, you are not supposed to use oregano oil "neat" or full strength because is is considered a "hot oil".

I like to use this because I have seen it work and it does not cause anything like antibiotics does which is kill off all of the good flora in their system. 

Carrol


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## crazyforgoats (Feb 8, 2015)

Thank you, I wasn't wanting to use today or tomorrow treatment because I try to treat my goats naturally. My herd has been naturally treated for the last 4 years. I am going to try the oregano and cocoanut oil. I also read to put peppermint oil in to will this help also? I am milking her 2 twice a day nothing has changed the stuff is the same, I am getting less than 2 pints from the bad side. I am also giving her garlic to help it.


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## cfish001 (Sep 1, 2015)

I am with you. I want to treat my goats naturally. 

All of my goats get garlic everyday. It is supposed to be immune system boosting. Also helps with external parasites. 

I picked up a book several years ago called Modern Essential that has alot of useful information on essential oils. 

Both Peppermint and oregano oil have analgesic properties and relieves pain. 
Oregano oil major properties are anti bacterial, anti fungal, anti-infectious, antiparasitic, antirheumatic, antiviral and immune stimulant, with minor properties of antiseptic and antispasmodic.
Peppermint oils major properties are anti-inflammitory, with minor properties as being antibacterial, antifungal, anti-infectious, antimicrobial, antiseptic, antispasmodic and antiviral. 

By putting the 2 together, you may hit all of the bases. I have never tried the peppermint oil, but it worth a try. Please let me know how it works. 

Another one that might be very beneficial is Lavender, which is shown to work directly on the lymphatic system drainage, also with many of the same properties of the Peppermint oil. I have been told that the udder system is part of the lymphatic system (because of the milk ducts?) 

The peppermint oil does not need the carrier oil, but the oregano oil does.


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## crazyforgoats (Feb 8, 2015)

Update

I have been milking her twice a day. She did not get milked on Monday, and only Tuesday night because I was not home and nobody in my family likes this goat. Her udder is much smaller and softer, the milk has very little clumps left in it, the milk is still off color, but I think it is going away. Thank you to every one who helped me.


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