# Udder with thickening walls?



## MarthaBella (Mar 15, 2012)

My 4 year old doe, Isabella, has been freshened since May of last year and is still giving me about 1 1/2 quarts with a once a day milking. I have noticed since I bred her a month ago that the skin on her udder is getting thicker. It is starting up high on the outside walls of the udder. The teats are still quite soft and the whole udder is not involved. Before I milk I wash with only a damp cloth, no chemicals. The skin is starting to feel a bit like leather, and that's not normal for her. It's usually butter soft. Has anyone else ever had something like this happen? I started to put lotion on it a couple of days ago, thinking that maybe it's just really chapped but she's not more sensitive on those areas than before so I'm not really sure that's the issue.

Any ideas? I tried to google it but no success...not sure how to find the info I'm looking for.

Thanks!


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

We often feel changes in texure with sub-clinical Staff. I would suggest that once she is dried off, she is dry treated with Tomorrow. I would also suggest a Clora-hexadine based udder wash until dry off time.


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

I don't milk but it almost sounds like mastitis starting. Not sure but kind of.


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## MarthaBella (Mar 15, 2012)

I've dealt with mastitis before and this is definitely not mastitis. It's not inside the udder at all...just the skin of the udder and definitely feels leathery. What does a clora-hexadine wash do? Is it antibiotic? I guess I'll look it up and see. I will look into subclinical staff too...thanks, Goathiker.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

It's a gentle anti-microbal.


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## MarthaBella (Mar 15, 2012)

I checked into the chlora-hexadine wash and I only found it on Jeffers website for sale...for cattle, a whole gallon, which is WAY more than I need. It's almost $20 plus another $16 for shipping! Ouch. I'll see if I can find it at Cenex or something locally so I don't have to sweat the shipping costs.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

You can buy a bottle of Betadine. Get 100% all natural baby wipes with skin sofeners. Pour 1/4 cup of Betadine into the baby wipe solution. Turn the wipes over a few times so they all soak up some and it gets stirred up. Then just use the wipes on her.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

You could also use Fight Bac http://www.jefferspet.com/fight-bac/camid/LIV/cp/DS-FB/


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## MarthaBella (Mar 15, 2012)

Thanks Goathiker! Very helpful!


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