# Mastitis test, treatment?



## kramsay (Mar 7, 2013)

Oreo FINALLY gave birth today to triplets, she lost the only girl before they where found. my husband found them, the two boys where mostly dry and walking around. We moved them into a kidding stall and tried to get some colostrum in them, I got about 2 oz out of her and that is all I could get, my mom tried and she couldn't get anything. So we moved them inside to warm them up, gave them the colostrum and some warm milk (whole cows milk), they ate good. (I know they need colostrum and will get some in the morning when the store opens.) 
Her bag is full but nothing will come out. No blood, or clumps, she isn't red but her bag is black in color, she is pretty hard. One teat is double the size of the other and has been even when she was dry. I think she must be sore because she won't let them nurse and she is supposed to be a really good mom, I have contacted her last owner to see if she has been treated for Mastitis before. 

I thought there was a test you could do with dawn dish soap ? What should I treat her with? Thanks for your help


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## ArborGoats (Jan 24, 2013)

Have you tried massaging her and applying hot compresses to her udder?


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## kramsay (Mar 7, 2013)

We have tried massaging it, still nothing and no I haven't I really don't know what that is.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

She's congested... A very warm, wet dish towel wrapped around her udder and massaged with a combo of bag balm and peppermint oil will help, In a pinch, Vicks vapor rub will work. You need to do this often and try to milk her as you do the hot compress, it will help get the milk flowing and relieve pressure.
Getting info on previous freshenings is a good idea 

Also, has she been tested for CAE? Sometimes a positive doe will freshen with a hard udder because of the disease.


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## kramsay (Mar 7, 2013)

I done that for 30 minutes but had to come home, my 17 month old son is really sick and he wouldn't stop screaming- he wanted his mommy. He won't leave my side, and I can't drag him out in this weather (we are in a snow storm) so I will have to wait until morning to go back down.

Will this kill her ?, what happens if I can't get her milk to come?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

She may end up with mastitis.


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## kramsay (Mar 7, 2013)

Is there any medicine I can give her? If I go ahead and treat for mastitis will that help her ?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

What she really needs is warm compresses, peppermint oil or bag balm and massaging. Then milk out. Needing to do it several times per day until the congestion is gone.

There is no medication for congestion. Just working it till it loosens up.


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## CritterCarnival (Sep 18, 2013)

> she isn't red but her bag is black in color, she is pretty hard.


This scares me a bit. Do you mean her skin is normally black, so you can't tell if she's red as would indicate an infection...or do you mean her skin is currently blackened like bruising or something??

Sorry, my brain went to the worst case scenario with this nasty weather causing frostbite so quickly with the windchills...

If it's just naturally colored black, do you feel excessive heat in the tissue?? This also indicates infection.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

If her bag turned black then you have a much worse problem. She has a staph infection and you need a vet ASAP.


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## kramsay (Mar 7, 2013)

Sorry for taking so long things have been really busy and my computer is really slow loading this page. 

Her udder is naturally black, well at least the bottom half of it is. The top is white and showing no redness. It is not hot, normally body temp. 


I have done several hot compresses and massages, I am still not able to get much milk out but she doesn't feel as tight, her bag feels like it has lumps in it, and one of these lumps has now moved down into the top of one of her teats. The babies where able to be put back with her yesterday around 4pm, they are nursing and apparently getting something because her bag isn't swelling up like I would expect it to, if they weren't eating. They also figured out with in minutes to get into the warming barrel to stay warm. I have the stall blocked off completely (with tarps and blankets) so the heat stays in and zero drafts can get to them. I am supplementing them every 4 hours and the last feeding at 4pm they took 4oz less then they had ate at the last feeding (at 12). They had just came off of her when I got there. There poops are yellow and slightly runny. They are active.. Our temps have went from -6 to 16.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

That is good. Keep doing it until there are no lumps and you can milk easily.


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

If you have unfiltered Apple cider vinegar , I would put some in her feed or water. You could also warm it up and massage her udder with it.
It's worked well for me with mastitis.


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## kramsay (Mar 7, 2013)

The babies have been on momma 100% for 24 hours and seem to be doing very well, they are active, noisy, and have full bellies. Yesterday afternoon they developed a small case of yellow scours. By evening they were firmed up again, this morning some of it was stuck to there butt and I had to pull it off. I am checking them every four hours and keeping a close eye on the poops.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Glad it is going better


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## kramsay (Mar 7, 2013)

Every one is doing great! 

I am just wondering should I worm momma ?, she has pink gums/eye lids but is very skinny after giving birth.


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