# Hot Swollen Teat



## River (Dec 27, 2011)

First time for this goat to kid, she gave birth yesterday. Immediately, one teat has becomes hot, hard, and has a swollen ball near the tip. The affected nipple is larger and rubbery. I've milked her out a small bit, but she is clearly in pain. It was red yesterday, today it is not so red. Her one baby is thin and frail, the mom kicks her when she gets on the nipple, and the baby absolutely refuses to take the milk from a bottle. I am hot packing and milking her - discarding the milk from the sick teat because it seems too dark and thick. Can I use the milk from the normal nipple - or is that full of infection too? I need to get the baby eating and calm down this breast infection. Thanks in advance for any advice.


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## River (Dec 27, 2011)

*Re: Mom goat sick, baby fading too*

I just tried the heat towels on her again. Milked out a third cup measure of viscous pink gunk from the affected side, which is now very hard throughout - I tried to be careful to milk downward, so as not to push the infection further up. The baby has been brought in house to try to bottle feed - she is thin.
I think I am going to lose both the mother and kid. I put peppermint oil on the mom's udders, suggested in a related discussion forum. 
Please, has anyone seen this before? what should be done for her?


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## ptgoats45 (Nov 28, 2011)

The doe needs to be treated for mastitis with antibiotics. If there is a vet near you they should be able to give you a dose of a stronger antibiotic than penicilian. I'm not sure on the dose for the penicillian, hopefully someone will chime in who has treated mastitis with penicillian. You can also buy a product called Today that will need to be infused into the udder. I've never done it, and if I had to I would rather have a vet do it first so I can see what they do. You can milk out the normal side and feed to the kid, keep milking the bad side and discard it. 

Has the kid had any milk since she was born? If she had some milk from mom she will need to be re-taught that the bottle is where her milk will come from. Even kids who are pulled at birth sometimes need to be persuaded to take a bottle, most likely because the nipple is cold and doesn't smell right. Will the kid suck on your finger? Is her temperature ok? Cold kids will not have a suckling reflex. You can try to hold your hand over her head to simulate the shadow of the doe when they put their head under the belly to find the udder. You can also try putting a little molasses on the nipple to help get her to suck. I have also put the nipple in their mouth and gently squeezed and released the mouth to get some milk squirted in the mouth, often when they get a taste of the milk they will start sucking. Just be patient and keep trying, she will learn that is where the milk comes from.

You will lose the doe if her mastitis is not treated, with antibiotics. If you can start treatment soon you should be able to save her. That side of her udder may end up non-functioning, but the other side should be ok as long as she doesn't get mastitis on that side too.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

The good side should be ok to nurse. I would get Today and infuse her bad teat. Keep putting warm compresses on and keep milking it out. Getting all that out is the best for her. I would also start her on Penicillin. Hopefully you can get her kid on the bottle.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

If the kid is hungry enough, if you make the nibble hole big enough that you can squeeze the bottle and get milk into its mouth should start sucking. If it refuses, keep doing it a little at a time, and watch that she does not block it off with her toung. but most of all, be careful you dont drown her.

If your going to do penicillin, what I do is read the label, if its the same as mine itll say 1cc per 100lbs, the first time I double it. A vet told this to my mom years ago, and I still go by it and have been ok.
Like everyone else says, keep milking, its going to hurt her, but you gotta get it out. I think tractor supply has masto blast, its a drench. If you have vit. c, I do that too, and if you get the tomorrow, which I would also suggest, and this is your first time............read directions...........take a deep breath..........and do it. It is so easy to do. the first time I had to give it I FREAKED when I realized what they were saying to do, and after a day finaly did it and was crazy easy. good luck and keep us posted


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## River (Dec 27, 2011)

Thanks so much for all the good advice. I am tube feeding 40cc x 4 per day to supplement the mom's milk. The baby is feeding on the mom's good side. Also giving 1cc probiotic for the baby, 5cc probiotic for the mom every other day.
In Milking out the mom's bad side, the discharge is bloody, and not very much. 
The last half inch of the teat is dark red, swollen and raw looking - between treatments the tip looks black. But after message and milking its back to just raw red. I've laid her on a warmed hot water bottle each time after the process - she hates me already. The vet gave me 3 days IM antibiotic shots, and 3 days of Today. Of course it is now Saturday, and I can not reach the vet - should I get more Today and continue her on BioMyin 200?


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I agree with the others... start treatment right away.... :thumb: 


Also watch her for gang green mastitis ...it is usually cold and black... :hug:


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## River (Dec 27, 2011)

This morning another doe gave birth. I took the afterbirth and coated the frail, now 4 day old kid that was getting tube fed. The new mom is now taking care of her babies and accepted the "orphan" as hers - so far so good. I am waiting to see if the 4 day old accepts her new mom and suckles her. 
As for Parsley, my sick mastitis girl - hot water bottle and messages and milking out the bloody discharge. The breast looks better, not as hard. I am very worried about her.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I am glad to hear about the Doe ...taking the babies for her own.. that is terrific news...  :clap: 



I am praying for your Doe with Mastitis ...that is not fun at all.... :hug: ray:


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

ray: Prayers for your doe. :hug: Good to hear about the other doe though! :thumb:


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## River (Dec 27, 2011)

A hair dryer works better than heated wash clothes, which cool down too fast, and better that the hot water bottle, which she won't stay down on - I just get her into the milking stand and rub her down with udder balm or peppermint oil and point the hair dryer at her - it takes no time for the heat to loosen up the udder - the dryer is set on low.
Parsley is not getting worse, she is not getting better - she sleeps standing, grinds her teeth and is in some pain, but she eats and otherwise looks and acts normal until you look at her udder. Should I put her back with the herd? She misses them. Will putting her back endanger her baby, or will he just be happy to have 2 moms. Will a kid suckling 2 moms transfer her mastitis or have the several days of antibiotic treatments made the mastitis germs non-communicable. If its non communicable at this point, I feel she should go with her herd - if she doesn't survive this, at least she goes down among friends. Will having her baby suckle her keep her in milk, I think drying her out may help her to beat this sickness. Taping the nipple really doesn't work, the udder balm won't hold the tape. Anyone have any thoughts, I am obviously too confused and too close to see the best way to proceed. Thanks.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Exactly what have you done for her? Is she on Penicillin or anything? Have you used an infusion like "Today"? I see you have used the udder balm but confused on what else you have done.


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## Guest (Feb 1, 2012)

2cc per 100lb is not very much Penn. I usually give 8cc per 100lbs every 3 days since Penn is a long acting antibiotic. And always, SQ


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## Anna (Oct 17, 2007)

I agree with penG the dosage is 1 ml per 25b lbs. and never give less than 5 days in a row. I split the dose up and give the shot IM twice a day. LA200 is not effective on most mastitis cases. You really need to keep up with her penicillin and Today infusions, you won't be able to stay on top of an infection like that with just compresses and perppermint oil.


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## Anna (Oct 17, 2007)

I just saw your post about wanting her back with the herd. I would try to put a buddy with her until you feel that her kid is settled with her new mother or keep the new mother and kid up to let her with the herd until then, it is possible the kid could spread it. Also be sure to wash your hands well after handling her udder, and always milk her last. Sometime bacteria can be spread by us even! If it weren't for her kid with the other mom, I wouldn't see anythign wrong with letting her back with the herd so long as she is feeling well enough to fend for herself. Goat's hate being alone. If she really seems to be in pain I have had wonderful luck with Banamine injections(rx through the vet), it also helps with fever. Something you may look into.


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## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

I agree with the other poster the Pen seems like it needs to be higher. I highly suggest getting some Today udder infusion in that udder asap. click here for Today. I don't think just giving the Pen is going to really get to the source and really kill that bacteria.


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## River (Dec 27, 2011)

On 1/26 the vet gave her a Banamine Injection, Oxytetracycline Injection, Oxytocin Injection, 2 doses Today intramammary infusions. I gave her daily Oxytetracycline injections and Today for the next 2 days, with messages and milking out the bloody discharge. Since then she has had one more Oxytetracycline injection and one more Today treatment. She seems to be doing well. Catching her, to message her, is getting harder. Her teat is black at the last inch, like burnt skin, which appears to be peeling off now down from the top towards the nipple. I am now trying a silver chloride topical gel daily alternated with a zinc oxide topical cream, for skin care. She has practically no discharge at this point. Her baby girl is doing well, the other mom keeps her well fed. The baby goes to both mom's, but the birth mom just smells too much like the medicine for the baby to feed from her. If luck is with me, the gangrenous skin will be sloughed off - this doesn't look, or smell like gangrene to me, but what else would it be?


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

> I agree with the other poster the Pen seems like it needs to be higher. I highly suggest getting some Today udder infusion in that udder asap. click here for Today. I don't think just giving the Pen is going to really get to the source and really kill that bacteria.


 I agree...

It does concern me... about the teat turning black...that may not be a good sign...


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

I think the fact the doe is still alive 11 days later is encouraging.


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## bushes1172 (Aug 8, 2019)

Anna said:


> I agree with penG the dosage is 1 ml per 25b lbs. and never give less than 5 days in a row. I split the dose up and give the shot IM twice a day. LA200 is not effective on most mastitis cases. You really need to keep up with her penicillin and Today infusions, you won't be able to stay on top of an infection like that with just compresses and perppermint oil.


I am new at the goat life and I see you commented about LA 200 not being affected for mastitis, I am not sure if my goat has mastitis we had a vet say he didn't believe she did but now I see pink coming from one side of her teat. The other teacher seems to be perfectly OK and she has been feeding the babies for two weeks on one utter. What kind of penicillin do you use because all of them say cattle or swine nothing about goats


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## Goatzrule (Feb 7, 2013)

bushes1172 said:


> I am new at the goat life and I see you commented about LA 200 not being affected for mastitis, I am not sure if my goat has mastitis we had a vet say he didn't believe she did but now I see pink coming from one side of her teat. The other teacher seems to be perfectly OK and she has been feeding the babies for two weeks on one utter. What kind of penicillin do you use because all of them say cattle or swine nothing about goats


this post is from 2012 id suggest making your own separate thread so people can find it and help easier


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

bushes1172 said:


> I am new at the goat life and I see you commented about LA 200 not being affected for mastitis, I am not sure if my goat has mastitis we had a vet say he didn't believe she did but now I see pink coming from one side of her teat. The other teacher seems to be perfectly OK and she has been feeding the babies for two weeks on one utter. What kind of penicillin do you use because all of them say cattle or swine nothing about goats


It would be better to start your own thread, so it doesn't get lost here but a little blood in milk can mean babies are rough with mom, bouncing her udder. the udder had tiny blood vessels that can burst easy. when you start your own thread include answers to these questions: Is the teat/udder hot or swollen, red? does it seem painful to milk? is mom acting normal other wise? you can do a mastitis test to rule it out. Feed her about 30 cc of her own milk back to her from that side a few times which can help her detect any bacteria and build antibodies to fight against it. Also feed her daily vit c.


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## bushes1172 (Aug 8, 2019)

happybleats said:


> It would be better to start your own thread, so it doesn't get lost here but a little blood in milk can mean babies are rough with mom, bouncing her udder. the udder had tiny blood vessels that can burst easy. when you start your own thread include answers to these questions: Is the teat/udder hot or swollen, red? does it seem painful to milk? is mom acting normal other wise? you can do a mastitis test to rule it out. Feed her about 30 cc of her own milk back to her from that side a few times which can help her detect any bacteria and build antibodies to fight against it. Also feed her daily vit c.


Thanks so much, I am not sure how to do a thread. I could t even find this until you posted this back to me.. this truly helps..


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

bushes1172 said:


> I am not sure how to do a thread


go to forums, click it, then click Health and wellness. top near the banner there is a brown box that says POST NEW THREAD. Click that. Then fill in the blanks. Let me know if that didnt work for you and I will make you a post and tag you


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## bushes1172 (Aug 8, 2019)

Thanks so so much it worked..


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