# Congested udder...need ideas!



## Chessa (Jan 9, 2014)

Have a doe that gave birth yesterday afternoon to triplets, pretty typical kidding, nothing crazy. Well as of this morning, she was pushing the kids away when they were trying to nurse, and upon further inspection, one side of her udder is a complete solid mass. It literally feels like an oval-ish shaped somewhat flat sided solid piece, no lumps or breaks in it at all. The other side is fine, and the kids have nursed on it while she was held. All day we have been massaging it off and on, and earlier this evening I held a warm compress on her while massaging for about 45min, and nothing! Not even a drop comes out! What else can we do? I'm scared if this becomes a full blown infection that she will lose the ability to nurse at all, especially if she's on antibiotics. And I can't imagine that with only half an udder that she's going to have enough milk for 3 babies, so I'm going to start milking one of the other gals and supplement them. I'm just at a loss as to what more I can try and do for her. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Hot compresses, massage and peppermint oil several times a day.


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Chessa how is your doe's udder? It sounds like you were doing everything right.


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

Hopefully you got her decongested by now. Banamine, dexamethasone, some type of anti-inflammatory helps a lot with congested udders. 
But it won't help if mastitis was actually the problem.


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## Chessa (Jan 9, 2014)

Well, after contacting her previous owner, turns out she had this the last time she kidded and her mother had it every time she kidded.....boy, seems like something you should disclose to your buyer!! But, that's neither here nor there now. Amazingly, her body seems to just Know, and she is making a ton of milk on the working side. All 3 babies are nursing great, just supplementing them a little bit just to ensure they're all getting what they should. But of course one of the babies is a girl, so I will for sure be disclosing this info to her buyer since it seems to be genetic, so her value just drastically dropped! Haha. More importantly though is that it's not mastitis, and she's feeding her babies well, and that's the most important part.


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## deerbunnyfarm (Dec 14, 2015)

I may be wrong but, isn't a congested udder a symptom of CAE? Has she been tested? Just wondering if maybe instead of it being a genetic issue, it would be a health issue that has been passed on....


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## Chessa (Jan 9, 2014)

Could they have CAE and never get any other symptoms other than the udder? Just curious. She has tested negative in the past, but now I'm just going to go back and double check that just in the off chance that I missed something. That would be a double whammy for the seller I bought her from now wouldn't it?! Haha


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

They can. I would have her tested. But it can be a genetic issue or an environmental issue.


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## DonnaBelle66 (Mar 4, 2013)

*Cae*

As a person who tried to manage CAE from 2008 till now, I can tell you that if you have CAE in your herd it is very much like a human having HIV. There are many symptoms, a hard udder is one of them. Also swollen knees, and respiratory illness, sometimes pneumonia. And a shortened life span. I just totally culled my herd and sanitized my barn, feeders, and dirt floors. I have not been able to find out how long the CAE virus lives on hard surfaces, so my barn will sit empty for 2 months. Some goats are asymptomatic, never show symptoms, but pass it on to kids. Who may be symptomatic.

CL is also a horrible thing to have in your herd, but I have not had experience with it. It does live in the soil forever if the soil is contaminated when the abcess is lanced.

Unfortunately not all breeders will tell you if they have a CAE positive herd.

ASK TO SEE TEST RESULTS. Reputable breeders will test yearly and have results for you to see.

DonnaBelle


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## PaulaHiett (Jan 24, 2016)

Hi - so glad to hear the babies are doing well..... how is the udder? My Nannie has this problem every time she kids. Sometimes hot compresses are the opposite of what is needed. Try cool compresses and massage to remove swelling and loosen plugging in the ducts. Try an electric machine - I have good luck with a "human" breastpump with the "larger" flange. Coconut oil makes a good massage oil and has anti-infective properties. Mom may also need probiotics and lechithin to reduce clumping in the milk. 

these are the pics from my nannie taken on day 11 post birth. The babies still cannot nurse from it without help, but they can with support. In the past - it has been around week 3 before the kids were big ( and skilled) enough to nurse that side without help, but they did as long as I kept the milk flowing until then.

Good luck -


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## Chessa (Jan 9, 2014)

PaulaHiett question.....once the babies were bigger and able to suck hard enough to nurse that side, did it break up her congestion? Or did it stay the same throughout? Just wondering if there is any chance to look forward to that maybe being a possibility. She had been given massages and oils/creams a few times a day since this started, but nothing comes l


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## Chessa (Jan 9, 2014)

Sorry, hit send too fast haha. Anyway, long story short, through all the attempts, that udder is still staying locked up tight, so I've accepted defeat with it. It's strange because it literally feels like just one big solid mass inside there. I can even "hold" it in my hand through her bag. Crazy, no lumps, breaks, etc. it's like an oval shape, but somewhat flat. I'm at a loss with this one.


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## cfish001 (Sep 1, 2015)

Chessa said:


> Sorry, hit send too fast haha. Anyway, long story short, through all the attempts, that udder is still staying locked up tight, so I've accepted defeat with it. It's strange because it literally feels like just one big solid mass inside there. I can even "hold" it in my hand through her bag. Crazy, no lumps, breaks, etc. it's like an oval shape, but somewhat flat. I'm at a loss with this one.


I am a firm believer in the use of oregano essential oil. It has so many uses including anti-inflammatory, pain killer (can be as strong as morphine), anti-bacterial. It is natures best antibiotic, and bugs dont develop an immunity to it and become super bugs.

It sounds to me as there is some inflammation going on in her udder. Get a good brand that is not already diluted with oil (i use do-terra) and mix 4 drops with a small amount of coconut oil and rub this on her udder about 4 times the 1st day then morning and evening after that.

I have been using oregano oil on myself and my goats for several years with astounding results. I have avoided Doctor visits by using it on a twisted ankle, and tendinitis that developed on the bottom of my foot. Both were painful and oregano oil turned both of these conditions around in a day. Any time any of our goats show any signs of mastitis such as a abnormally warm udder, we use it immediately.

We also had a case of bad mastitis with a goat shortly after we got goats. Being a new goat owner, we didnt recognize the signs soon enough, went through a round of antibiotics to save her life and soon after large sections of her udders became hard. The vets certainly didn't help and basically told me that was all they could do. It was lucky that I didn't accept defeat and found oregano oil. It took a while, she recovered completely after using oregano oil with no hard spots in her udder at all. Everybody was telling me it was a lost cause.

I never had this condition on any of my goats, but I would be using oregano oil on it. Oregano oil may be expensive, but it is a lot cheaper than a vet visit and cannot hurt her and just may surprise you.


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## Chessa (Jan 9, 2014)

Ok, new issue, same doe: (wasn't sure if it was enough to start a whole new thread)....she started having discharge yesterday afternoon. Looks like normal post delivery stuff, but she was already 10 days after birth. She hasn't had any discharge up until this point is why I'm a little concerned, because I know they can "leak" for a few weeks, but there was nothing and now this. She is eating fine, temp normal, and has no smell, so I'm thinking it's ok, just don't want to overlook a problem.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

That is fine.


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## PaulaHiett (Jan 24, 2016)

I like the use of the oregano and coconut oil. Has anything helped? 

I wonder if this is some type of cystic problem.... 


My nannie stays loose as long as I assist to express until the kids can do it alone. They are now 18 days old, I have not needed to help mom since day 14. Have you tried an electric pump at all?


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## Chessa (Jan 9, 2014)

Hadn't tried a pump. Ended up just supplement feeding the kids a couple times a day. She does let them nurse the good side, but I just can't imagine there's enough for all 3 there, so in came the bottles. They seem to be doing well going back and forth though.


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## top_goat (Sep 16, 2014)

Just wondering - obviously OP was not aware this doe tended to congested udder. If we have a doe that has had this before, can anyone see any benefit/danger to beginning mild udder massages before she kids? I have such a doe who is just beginning to fill her udder and...yup, it's firm. She's a phenomenal mom and a great milker...once you get her going! I can feel OP's frustration...getting them going is tough! Thanks!


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## Chessa (Jan 9, 2014)

That's a good question, let me know if you find any answers or if anyone has found it beneficial.....


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## dreamacresfarm2 (May 10, 2014)

good question- following


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Paula - have you retained and bred doe kids from your doe that has that udder? I would be very concerned about selling any kids from her if it happens every year. Just curious if you had retained them all to check if the problem was passed on? Even a buckling from her could possibly throw it to his daughters.


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