# Swollen utter



## paintedspheres (May 23, 2010)

HI there, i have had my rescue goat Emma for about a year. I never owned a goat before this and have never been around them. She is a companion for my horse and a pet. I do not know her age (maybe between 5-10) or her breed (would like to post pix so maybe you all can tell me). She has taken a lot time to get to trust us all. She has always had one utter bigger than the other. She looked like she had milk in her when we got her but they assured us she was not pregnant. She was not but her utters have stayed lopsided. I noticed a few days ago that the bigger one looked even bigger. She seems fine and is eating fine so I went on line and saw something about possible spring plants or needing worming. She lives mostly on dry lot and had not been wormed in several months (at least 5) so I wormed her with a half tube of Safe-Guard. She weighs at least 200lb (yes she is large) and so that should have tripled it. It is what I was told to give her. I thought I only did that once but I see I am suppose to do it for 3 days according to one of your threads. I wormed her yesterday and today her poop is a little soft and clumpy. Does that mean she has worms? I am so worried I have done something wrong. She was licking at her teat today but she does not mind me touching it and she is acting fine. I have never really messed with them because I do not want her to produce milk. Her smaller teat looks to be a tiny bit swollen too but is a softer pink. The large one looks a little dark in areas of it. Nothing is seeping out the end and they look closed up.

Any help would be appreciated. We have a lot of horse vets around here but not much in the way of small farm animals.
Thanks


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

oh she is beautiful! I have no idea what breed she is but wow pretty

as her her udder - I would presume to think that she probably has a precutious udder and is making milk or she has mastitis. If it is mastitis it should be treated with something called "ToDay" you can find tubes of it at Tractory Supply Com. 

as to her soft stools -- I wouldnt give her anymore wormer. Unless she has tapeworms safeguard isnt real effective for treatment of other worms. You would give the 3 day dosage for a tapeworm infestation. Sometimes goats get soft stools from the wormer. If it doest go away though then I suggest you take a stool sample to a vet and see if they can check for worms and coccidia just in case. 

Welcome to TGS :wave:


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## paintedspheres (May 23, 2010)

Thank you so much! No seems to be able to tell me what she is. It doesn't matter really but would just like to know. I will try the Today. Should I try another wormer? Maybe Ivermectrine (sp?)

Thanks you so much! I am worried about her! 
How could she suddenly have started producing Milk if that is what it is?


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

hormones -- that sometimes will cause the sudden start of producing milk. But she doesnt need to be producing milk to get mastitis.


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## mrs. lam (Apr 20, 2010)

Very pretty goat. I love the skirting.

Stacy, do you remember how to do the mastitis test using dishwashing liquid? I thik it was Ivory, but I don't recall how much....

Gina


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

Have you bushed her out/ Does she produce a large amount of "winter coat"

I ask that because she look just like my Cashmere goats.

As for the dewormer. Did you get a fecal float on her? I ask that becasue she might not have any worm problem at all. I would not deworm a goat just because. They should only be done IF they have a problem, and the only way you will know is if you take a stool sample to the vet.

Here is my doe that she looks a lot like.


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## paintedspheres (May 23, 2010)

Oh wow they do look alike. Yes she does yield a lot of winter coat. it fills a plastic grocery bad. I gave what I got last year to a coworker recently. When she has time she is going to comb it and spin it to see how the quality is. It is sooo soft. I would love a scarf or a hat from her wool  maybe because she is mine but I think she is such a hansom girl. I show her pictuer to everyone!

I spoke to the john Deer people who did have some Today in stock. They said it was the kind you inject in their utter and the powder kind. It said on the box that is was for cows so they had no idea how much to use. Not sure I want to break any seal that might be there and let the chances of infection to increase. I took her temp when I got home and it is 102.5. That is a bit high isn't it? She seems bigger on the small side now too and there was a tiny bit of crustiness around the tip of her teat. I am thinking she might need antibiotics. Someone I know might know a vet in the area that knows goats. I will give them a call. 
What do you think about the Today product? They said they could order the powder for me. Is that oral??? :shrug: 

Here is a picture of her with my horse. He is 15.3 so it gives you an idea of how big she is.
I am so glad I found this site


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## paintedspheres (May 23, 2010)

LOL I just realized I keep spelling udder, utter! Didn't realize I was doing that until just now. Anyway, I have been reading more and it sounds like there is something also called Tomorrow. What is the difference? I guess her temp is fairly normal but I really regret now, not taking her temp before, I feel like an idiot. My horse had a colicky problem for I while and I have been so fixated on that I feel like I have neglected Emma. I admit I am intimidated to do this catheter thing. Could I do it wrong? 
Sorry, can ya tell I am a nervous mother :^)
Looked for the mastitis test but did not see it anywhere.


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

I would say she is a Cashmere. :leap:  If you have that much and someone is able to spin it I am sure that is what it is. Cashmere fiber is at least 1.5 inches long and a Micron count of 18.5 and below, I am sure you really do not care about that, but just in case you do. 

WOW I sell my Cashmere fiber for $15.00 a oz once it is cleaned and dehaired.

You have a very beautiful horse also, they make a great pair.

Now I do not know if it is because you do not milk out the cashmere but when my does are dried up from nursing their babies, they are almost always lopsided, so I have to milk the one side out to get it even before the first show, and I do not have to do it again.

Is her bag getting hot? Is it hard? Id not then I would just milk her one big side out and I would bet she will be fine. IF she is hot and/or hard, then you are looking at mastitis.


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## paintedspheres (May 23, 2010)

Oh that would be cool if she is Cashmere!!! My cousin raises them in upstate NY. Her name is Pam Hendel. I was only up there once but she had about 200 head!

I felt her just a little while ago and I think she is a a little hot. The big side might be getting a little hard but I have nothing to compare it with. Since she does not have a temp. and I did find the number to a vet that might be able to help, I think I will call them tomorrow (they are closed now) and see what he thinks. She does have some leaking now on both sides. Just a little dried stuff. She certainly has not lost her appetite!


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

Can you get a picture of her? It might help. Have you tried to milk her out? Try that, see if you can get her milked out and I would bet she will be fine.

If I had to bet, I would say she is Cashmere.

What is the name of your Cousins farm? I might know who she is.


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## paintedspheres (May 23, 2010)

HI Lori, I guess i have been afraid to try to milk her because I didn't want to open her up and make her start producing more milk. A lot of people have told me to do that though and so I think I might try it tomorrow after work. I don't know how though. I guess I will just follow my instinct. I hope I have it! :^) I have a pix on my cell phone od both udders. If I can I will load it.

I use to have a card for my cousins farm and I can't find it. I will look or I will ask her sister on Facebook. 
I can see from your sig. You have a lot of experience with goats! To say the least :^)


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

You will be fine milking her, don't worry about that, she will not start to produce any. The main thing is you need to make sure there are no knots or bumps. You will know if it is mastitis. 

I do love my goats, we have been breeding and trying to get the best Cashmere we can and still have the best goats. I would love to go to the east cost to some of the Cashmere farms.


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## paintedspheres (May 23, 2010)

Here are some pictures I took yesterday on my cell. 

First is a handful of hair I combed out of her while sitting there. This was from her left flank only. She has been brushed a couple times this spring and there is still more. I love that she never gets wet and lays in the dirt and woods and grass and bedding but her hair smells so clean! 

Second is the udder that is already big and people notice it and think she has a kid. It is now bigger and darker. It usually does not hang down nearly as far and the sack is very big! it is interfering with her gait.

Finally is her good udder. It is usually not visible. It is now poking out and the end has some dried stuff on it. It has grown a little sack and the end is sticking outward. I can also see the hole now.


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

First of all, YEP she is a Cashmere. :leap: 

Second is she anywhere near a buck? I know she has a horse as a stall mate, but is there or has there ever been a buck around?


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## paintedspheres (May 23, 2010)

:leap:  I am so happy to know what she is!!! Now I want to read everything about cashmere goats I can get my hands on. My spinner coworker said she has mostly used angora rabbit hair but Cashmere is good too! :hi5: :hi5: 

No, no bucks near us. There are a couple on either side of us that are about a half mile away through the woods and have never been near us. No goats have been on our property but her. Where she is housed I cleared from a very wooded area. I built a 1/3 mile track through the woods, recently, for my horse so he could run more. She runs after him. Could that have been to much flopping around and running for her??? You can see a pix of her running on the track in my blog at paddockparadiseva.blogspot.com There is also a lot of forage out there. maybe she got into something.

I am going to milk her tonight. I just got home, need to take the horse out for a ride and when it is cooler where my stock is before it gets dark I will try. I have downloaded a couple youtube videos on how to do it :chin: 
Wish me luck!


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## paintedspheres (May 23, 2010)

I tried to milk her but could not get anything to come out. She looks maybe (maybe) a tiny bit smaller, her sacks feel not quite as hot and her temp is still normal. Should I just keep checking her and keep an eye on her?
She was so good to be milked though. I did not need to contain her she just stood there. When I got her I could not even touch her but now I can do most anything except her feet. She hates to have her feet touched!!!


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Try washing her udder with a very warm cloth, also, she may have plugs in the ends of her teats(orifices)....they will look like they have a blackish center to them. Also, it takes quite a bit of massaging and bumping upward to fill the teat, after the teat fills you use your thumb and forefinger at the top of the teat to trap the milk and squeeze the teat with your remaining fingers against your palm. It's great that she allows you to mess with her udder...most does will jump and kick if they've not been trained to milk.

Try the technique I mentioned and see if you have any success.... no temp is a good thing and so is no heat from her udder.


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## paintedspheres (May 23, 2010)

Finally, I expressed some milk! Third time is always the charm. She has a lot of milk in there and it looks good. It is very liquidy and an off colored tanish white. I got at least a cup out I think (she knocked the bowl out of my hand) and she is still very large. How much should I try to get out? Should I milk her until her sack goes down? I only worked on the very large one. Should I clean the end of her teat regular until she plugs up again, or should I milk her for a few days until maybe that side will not be so lop sided? CLUELESS here!


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Good job! If you can, completely milk out the large side, it sounds like she has "old" milk in there that didn't resorb the way it should have...Hoeggers and Jeffers carry Dr Naylors mastitis test cards...cheap too around $5, get some if you can they are great to have handy for these situations.
You don't want to stimulate her into production so just milk out the old milk and watch her for filling again. Precocious udder will also produce an off white or opaque "milk"


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