# Congested Udder or Mastitis?



## ETgoatygirl (Mar 23, 2012)

Hi everyone. So, I have a question about my Nigerian Dwarf, Stardust. Her udder is just not that great this year. Last year it was. Anyway, one side of her udder is sort of fleshy and denser than the other. It is not hot or super hard. When I milked her this morning, I noticed a few clumps in the milk and a tiny spot of blood, but nothing major. Does she just have a congested udder, or is it mastitis? What can you do about a congested udder? I know there is medication available for mastitis. I just find it a little strange that it's only on one side, and that the udder isn't hot at all, so it doesn't seem like it would be mastitis, but I'm not sure.. She does seem a little uncomfortable when I milk that side. Thank you for the advice in advance!


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

I'm fighting my first bout of mastitis/congestion this year. Do you have a test? What really made me get on the ball about treating her was 1) there was a bit of blood in the strainer, 2) her milk was tasting off (now that we've treated her the sweetness is coming back) and 3) her mastitis test was different than my other does. Then we noticed that a large ball in her udder popped up out of NOWHERE, and the other half of her udder was starting to firm up.

So far she is improving by leaps and bounds. Here is what I have done for her.

2x a day: 4 vitamin Cs, crushed in her food
2x a day: 1/2 cup of kelp (had to discontinue as we are running out of kelp)
3x a day: a drench made up of 4 garlic cloves, cyanne pepper, her own milk, molasses, and olive oil (to make the drench easier to suck up)
3x a day: brought into the milk room for a warm water and peppermint oil compress.

In addition to that she is a walking bottle-feeder to Bee's quads, who are all helping me by keeping her well drained during the day (I separate at night and milk her in the morning). If she wasn't nursing kids, I would bring her in to empty her out as often as possible.

I ordered Fir Meadow's Udder Blast Infusion, but I'm not sure I'm going to need it at this point. If she had shown no signs of improvement after the first day of treatment, I would have gone right down to TSC and bought myself some Today and Tomorrow. But right now she is doing very well with this treatment, so that makes me happy


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

I'm not sure why everyone thinks mastitis is only when the udder is hard and hot? That is a worst case scenario mastitis and be glad you're not dealing with it!  

Do you have a CMT ? If not, do a quick homemade mastitis test. If results are positive, go ahead and treat that half with a mastitis treatment of your choice. You'll also want some peppermint oil, Vicks, or udder comfort to rub on her to help massage in. Start a warm compress and try to work out the lump. This may be a site specific area of mastitis. Sort of like a cyst inside the udder. Concentrate on this area.


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## eh2624 (Feb 3, 2014)

My Nubian doe has a hard udder. There is not much milk, but the milk is clear of any blood or clots. Any treatment


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

Rub with peppermint oil and hot compress. Most likely just congested. When did she kid?


Animals make such personable friends, they pass no criticisms, offer their ears through happiness and sorrows, and yet possess such undying devotion, even whilst they know all our secrets.


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## crownofjules (Dec 31, 2013)

mjs500doo said:


> If not, do a quick homemade mastitis test. If results are positive, go ahead and treat that half with a mastitis treatment of your choice. You'll also want some peppermint oil, Vicks, or udder comfort to rub on her to help massage in. Start a warm compress and try to work out the lump. This may be a site specific area of mastitis. Sort of like a cyst inside the udder. Concentrate on this area.


Sorry to hijack the thread, ETgoatygirl...hope you don't mind :thankU: 
I have a similar problem, I think. I noticed last night the "Y" area - top of teat where it meets the bag, has what feel like a cluster of varicose veins... or like some of the mammary sinuses are hanging into the teat. That teat did feel ever so slightly warmer - but I am milking with cold, bare hands... one side, then the other (she doesn't produce enough for a whole bucket to be used). She seems kind of jumpy when I work that teat. 
I am super careful about washing me, her belly/teats. Everytime. I give her a warm cloth massage before I start, and several massages during the milking process. 
I just home-tested her milk this past weekend for mastitis with negative results?

Should I just start giving more hot compress massages throughout the day and would oil of peppermint + carrier oil be good enough? A friend told me to use Vicks Vaporub?

I need to start making a BOOK for all this info and alternatives :dazed: :-D


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

She may have banged the bag up a bit and bruised the tissues. If she still tests negative, go ahead and use some peppermint oil (Vicks does work!), and rub. Hopefully it will go down. Are you sure they're not large milk veins? I've seen that too...any pics?


Animals make such personable friends, they pass no criticisms, offer their ears through happiness and sorrows, and yet possess such undying devotion, even whilst they know all our secrets.


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