# thick clumpy milk



## adriHart (Nov 1, 2012)

today when I'm Milked out my mini La Mancha, her milk came out semi solid and lumpy. I could feel the clumps inside her udder on one side but i continued to milk her out all the way. The milk smells and tastes fine but it was so thick that it wouldn't go through my strainer! it's like it had turned to cream inside before I got it out of her. she didn't like me touching it either, but let me milk her other side just fine. it was 100 degrees out today so hard to say if it is hot to touch, but I still want to say it may have been hotter on one side.
my questions are: she has a doeling on her still so should I remove her, and also, is her milk still drinkable for me and my family?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I would test for mastitis.


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

Would almost bet on it being mastitis. Hit the feed store for a test and a tube of today. At least I think its today that has more meds then tomorrow.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Always a good idea to test for masitisis. I had the same issue with my saanen this season...it was like pumping cheese out of her udder...I fed her own milk back to her for a few days...about 30 cc each time and kept miking and straining..her milk tasted just fine....it was just clumpy...after I worked out all the "cheese" type milk she was fine..it didnt return..


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## adriHart (Nov 1, 2012)

so if it is mastitis, does that mean we can't drink the milk? what about her nursing kid? I thought I read on fiasco farms site to dry off the affected side. that seems extreme. do I have to?...if that is the case, then I would need to sell this doe. I need to sell the milk and can't afford to keep dry animals. Argh.


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## HerdQueen (Oct 15, 2012)

My doe Nugget had NASTY case of mastitis. 2 rounds of today and it was still bad. I got Masticlear(it has pen g in it) and gave her big dose systemically of pen g. Cleared her right up. I kept her kid on her. If her kid will nurse that side I would keep her on and let the kid do the work for you. But I would seperate I believe it is 6 hours after treatment, just so the meds have a chance to work. Do not drink her milk until it is clear.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

I agree with keeping the kids on her..keep her milked out..It doesn't look like mastisis to me but testing will give you peace of mind...


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

Looks like mastitis cases we see on the farm here. Creamy with flakes. Creamy is pretty bad too. I would treat with Spectramast. It's stronger and more effective for this type of mastitis than ToDay.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

No, you don't need to dry her off... if you can though, before you do any treatments with infusing with Today, milk her out often and use a warm compress and massage with a pepper mint oil mixed with Bag Balm, if after a day or 2 the milk doesn't clear up then start with the Today treatment, tape that teat so the kid leaves her alone... strip her, wipe with alcohol, infuse the entire tube, tape her well and repeat in 10-12 hours, milk the infected side completely out, massage and repeat the infusion.

The milk that has the med in should be pitched, it may take 2-3 days of milking after the last tube for the milk to be clear of all signs of the med. It won't hurt the kid to suckle after the final milk out after the 2nd dose, may cause some diarrhea but won't hurt.


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## adriHart (Nov 1, 2012)

just a little update: that first time that I milked her out with cheesy milk was the only time it was like that. by the next morning her milk was creamy and normal again and her teats were not hot. she seems to be acting fine.I know she was in heat last week and possibly bred a few days before this happened I wonder if there was some kind of hormonal change that made her milk get that way. it was like milking cottage cheese out of a tiny hole. very weird.


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

I'd still CMT test just to be sure, but that's good news.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

If you haven't tested for mastitis, I would still do it. Better safe than sorry.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

glad it cleared up


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

That's excellent!! So relieved to hear it!


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