How do you treat mastitis?

[Amo]

I tried a search. Really didn't find anything.

I have had several cows this year before they calve or right after they calve really swell up. Sometimes I will get them in right away after they calve and the bag will be hard & watery liquid will come out. One vet I used before he retired swore by Micotil for mastitis. One does of about 15cc and it was cured. Sometimes it works, others not. Have had 2 this year I wasn't around(outside factors) to work with them. Have one now. Gave two shots of Micotil, Sunday & Monday. Today used penicillin. Been milking them out till dry. One 1/4 is coming around. Hoping the other will follow.

Yes I know of the dangers of Micotil & that the cows should be culled. With that being said, what do you guys use for mastitis? Ive used penicillin in the past. Super slow, and not very effective. Micotil has worked better than penicillin, but its expensive plus the dangers even if your careful. The advantage provided that it worked was one shot and done. Id say 2/3's of the time one shot of Micotil did the trick. One vet told me Nuflor. Was going to use that today instead of penicillin. Didn't have enough so went with the old standby I guess.

Just looking for what works best. I know its just like asking whats better....JD or IHC, its opinion. Ive got an old cow that looks like she has developed a bad 1/4 already and hasn't calved. Dumb?, can you do anything pre-calving? Most likely they will get culled. This one is proably on her 11 calf. Thats good enough. The other 3 have been 6th, 5th, & 4th calvers. For future reference Id like to kinda know what works for most folks.

Thanks!

 

[TB521]

Ive used nuflor and la200 nuflor worked first treatment la took two

 

[wbvs58]

What works best for the problems you are describing is "nothing" just leave things alone and let the calf sort it all out.
Ken

 

[B&M Farms]

What works best for the problems you are describing is "nothing" just leave things alone and let the calf sort it all out.
Ken

I agree. I have had cows before with a couple bottle teats that took a calf a month or so to start sucking them. I used to worry about it but never had a problem. I culled the cow after the first time though.

 

[TexasBred]

I tried a search. Really didn't find anything.

Buy mastitis tubes made specifically for this purpose. Milk the quarter out completely and then infuse the contents of the tube into the teat canal. You may have retreat but should work. You can buy a product called "Today" and another called "Tomorrow" over the counter at most feed stores. Forget the Micotil.

 

[Big Cheese]

Since I've gotten in the cow business with my family...I'm only 25 so not very long...we have had one case of Mastitis. We used Penicillin. We gave two shots of 12ccs in each hip and milk the cow out best we could. I think we did this for about 3 or 4 days. We used a whole bottle of Penicillin on the cow it was one of small bottles not sure of how many mL it was. She got over it and was fine. She ended getting sick again and die about 6 months later. I wont keep a cow that has had Mastitis ever again. My advice is get her over it and pour feed to her to fatten her back up a little and send her to the barn. Cattle prices are to high. Just my 2 cents.

 

[dun]

I tried a search. Really didn't find anything.

Buy mastitis tubes made specifically for this purpose. Milk the quarter out completely and then infuse the contents of the tube into the teat canal. You may have retreat but should work. You can buy a product called "Today" and another called "Tomorrow" over the counter at most feed stores. Forget the Micotil.

Whenever we had it in the past that was our solution. On dairyman swears by injecting some of the infected milk IM. Seems to work but takes a long time.

 

[TexasBred]

Since I've gotten in the cow business with my family...I'm only 25 so not very long...we have had one case of Mastitis. We used Penicillin. We gave two shots of 12ccs in each hip and milk the cow out best we could. I think we did this for about 3 or 4 days. We used a whole bottle of Penicillin on the cow it was one of small bottles not sure of how many mL it was. She got over it and was fine. She ended getting sick again and die about 6 months later. I wont keep a cow that has had Mastitis ever again. My advice is get her over it and pour feed to her to fatten her back up a little and send her to the barn. Cattle prices are to high. Just my 2 cents.

BC most mastitis tubes contain penicillin but in an oil carrier. Makes it last longer and by infusing it into the teat you are putting the pen right where the problem is. Mastitis does not have to be a serious problem.

 

[Big Cheese]

We've only had one case of it so I don't know to much about it. However, I just asked my dad what all we did to her and he said we squirted a type of paste up into her udder as well but we can't remember what it was called.

 

[angus9259]

What works best for the problems you are describing is "nothing" just leave things alone and let the calf sort it all out.
Ken

This has been my approach. Typically one quarter ends up dry till the next year. I never know how well those quarters bounce back though.....

That said, I did have one go toxic. She almost died. Actually lost the nipple on 3 of her 4 quarters.

 

[Amo]

They "bounce back"? I always thought it was once and done. Ive had some in the past that you get in if you can catch it in time. The two I worked with for a very short time. They only had it gone in one 1/4. The calves can kinda sourvive on that. The cow I was asking about had lost 2 at one time. She wasn't really producing enough to care for the calf. That is why I was trying.

 

[TexasBred]

They "bounce back"? I always thought it was once and done. Ive had some in the past that you get in if you can catch it in time. The two I worked with for a very short time. They only had it gone in one 1/4. The calves can kinda sourvive on that. The cow I was asking about had lost 2 at one time. She wasn't really producing enough to care for the calf. That is why I was trying.

Sometimes it takes multiple treatments to get rid of mastitis and depending on the strain sometimes you don't get rid of it.