# Swollen teat concern



## Bradley Event Center (Feb 9, 2019)

LacyLeggs gave us twins 7 days ago. At the time of delivery her utter and teats were quite swollen as I assume is normal. The kids have only chosen to nurse one side. After figuring this out I successfully milked the other side which was engorged. I have milked her twice a day since but the teat which was slowly improvising this morning is showing sign of decline. I have cleaned the utter and teats, used hot compressesses and massaged the utter at each milking. Yesterday I noticed she is kicking at the teat when she walks and it looked bruised at the end. When I first milked her the teat looked like it had a hicky at the end. What should I be doing to help her.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Try some banamine for swelling it may help.


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## Bradley Event Center (Feb 9, 2019)

Thank you. I will do that. I went ahead and made an appointment with a large animal vet since I know so little. I will share pictures and his medical advice after my appointment to pass along to anyone else who may find themselves with the same problem in the future. Someday I hope to be more knowledgeable and not need to call on a vet. But last time I used him he spent at least an hour teaching me and it will probably be worth every dollar I spend once again. Thanks again


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

The "bruised" end is worrying. I'm very glad you're getting it checked out by a vet. "Black mastitis" is very serious and can start with a small area on a teat or on the udder wall that turns black and is cold to the touch. Hopefully it's nothing more than a bit of inflammation. If your goat has pink teats, minor bruising can look nasty, whereas on a goat with dark teats you wouldn't even see it. Glad you're having it checked out.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Let us know what the vet says.


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Hope your vet can treat it easily! Darn those kids who decide to only nurse one side - they really cause a lot of problems! Best of luck


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Any news?


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## Bradley Event Center (Feb 9, 2019)

I have had difficulty posting. The sight thought I was a machine. lol
So trying again.


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## Bradley Event Center (Feb 9, 2019)

Bottom line is she should not be bred again as the structure of the teat is flawed. I will need to milk her on one side until the kids are weaned.
The vet suggested that the teat had suffered from frost bite, I have had her in a barn with heat lamps for at least a week before kidding and all nights after, and the color did not show until the 2nd day after the boys came. So I am assuming there is something else.
Vet comments:
1 week post-partum with 2 bucklings right teat distended
Examination reveals enlarged right teat with edenatous, cool, discolored ted end beginning to slough outer skin. temp 102.1, milk normal, distended quarters.


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## Bradley Event Center (Feb 9, 2019)

Diagnosis: Non-functional right teat
R: Milked out quarter, continue twice daily
4ml Noromyein I.M. 
Dri-Clos (Cloxacillin 10 ml intramammary)


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## Bradley Event Center (Feb 9, 2019)

Sorry it took so long to get that up, it took me awhile to figure the sight did not like the x in my RX, and would not let me post it with that, wired.

Update: Until yesterday all had appeared to stay the same. At the evening milking the milk just stopped coming out mid-stream. I could barely squeeze out a drop. The end of the teat is stilt swollen, hard and dark almost black. Heading down to her right now and hoping she milks well.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

:hug:


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## Bradley Event Center (Feb 9, 2019)

no milk today, She is up moving drinking, eating and acting normal. I will take it day by day. I am looking into introducing a "catheter" into the milking duct to relief pressure. I am such a nu-bee that I do not even know the correct names and for sure do not know how to do this. Any opinions or instructions on this. The vet is not available this weekend. I am trying to attached photos of the progression


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## Bradley Event Center (Feb 9, 2019)

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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

Boy, that is not looking good. I wish I had a good suggestion for you.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Yep, that is staph A. Get her away from your other does, it is contagious and can infect the ground she's on under the right conditions.


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

This is was what I was afraid of. That is very nasty stuff right there, and as Goathiker pointed out is contagious. It's not frostbite. She's going to lose that entire teat I'm afraid. I've never dealt with this condition myself so I have no advice other than to get her separated and be very, very careful when handling other goats after you handle her. I don't know if goats often die from this type of infection or just lose the udder, but it is very serious. There was a goat on here a year or so ago that got gangrenous mastitis and lived but lost the udder. 

I wish your vet were better informed.


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## Bradley Event Center (Feb 9, 2019)

Ouch!
before I started this I knew this would be a learning experience. Glad I found you all. 
Question: How does this effect human babies, I have a 1 year old grand daughter visiting and will be flying out to take care of my daughter and meet my newborn granddaughter in 2 weeks. Should I be concerned about infecting humans?


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## Bradley Event Center (Feb 9, 2019)

following up on this over at USDA dept of AG website and wondering if there are any other names this disease my go by in addition to "staff A" or "black mastitis"


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

That is bad, I am so sorry.
The others are right.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

https://veterinaryresearch.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13567-018-0564-4


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Oh dear, I'm just seeing the updates on this now. Thank you so much for posting those photos - the progression is very obvious, great photos for others hoping to learn.

I believe loss of the infected half of the udder is inevitable in these cases. However, a friend owns a boer doe who suffered that loss and has gone on to breed and produce milk in just the remaining half able to raise twins. So I don't believe you're veterinarians initial suggestion that it was a flaw in the teat structure and that she should not be bred as it may be genetically passed on is correct. 

For the folks who have experienced this - if the infection is cleared - they are not liable to get it again, correct?

I hope your doe is thriving fine despite you having the stomach-churning job of managing the udder sloughing and keeping it clean.


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## Bradley Event Center (Feb 9, 2019)

Seriously considered putting her down. But she just has seemed to not be bothered much by this problem. So this is the progression to date.
Lacy legs continues to eat and drink normally, the buckling are nursing on the good side only and growing rapidly. The refuse suplamental bottles but insist on munching on mommy's feed. The two pictures show the beginning and almost complete slugging off of the teat only. The utter does not at this time show any indication of problems and is no longer producing milk.


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Wow - glad to hear her and the bucklings are doing great! Thanks for the progression photos


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Glad to hear they are doing ok.


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

Glad to hear your doe is still doing well and is even able to feed her kids from the one side! That first photo is adorable despite the nasty, dead teat in the foreground.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Glad she and her kids are doing OK.

There is no need to put her down.
Never breed her again and she will be just fine after all is said and done, under your care to get her through this.


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## Dwarf Dad (Aug 27, 2017)

Glad everything is working out.


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