Mastitis

[Hunny Do Ranch]

I have a Jersey cow that has mastitis. The vet gave me a product called Special formula (IMM) and Trimidox to inject into the milk vein. Her first round of meds was Monday. She has been treated 3 times now and I don't think it is making a huge difference. The vet is really hard to get a hold of. Does anyone have anyother suggestions?

 

[born2run]

Never heard of the drugs you mention. What's the base for the IMM drug?

I'll once again sing the praises of IMM Pirsue and IM Polyflex. Another one that I've seen some success with is Hetacin K, which is basically IMM Ampicillin.

Banamine or Pred-ef helps with swelling too.

 

[Hunny Do Ranch]

Never heard of the drugs you mention. What's the base for the IMM drug?

Penicillin G Procaine 100 000 I.U., Dihydrostreptomycin (as dihydrostreptomycin sulfate) 100 mg, Novobiocin (as novobiocin sodium) 150mg, polymyxin B sulfate 50 000 I.U, hydrocortisone Acetate 20 mg, hydrocortisonesodium succinate 12.5mg., per 10 ml.

I'll once again sing the praises of IMM Pirsue and IM Polyflex. Another one that I've seen some success with is Hetacin K, which is basically IMM Ampicillin.

I don't know if I can even get these here.

Banamine or Pred-ef helps with swelling too.

 

[born2run]

Hum ok. That might say why she isn't responding to the IMM treatment. Some strains resist penicillin. Not sure what you have for farm stores around there, but here you can get some drugs like ToDay or Hetacin right off the shelf and don't have to go through a vet. When you're reading labels you might want to look for something that targets Pen resistant staph. Some of these strains are pretty nasty, and take more than three treatments of anything to clear up. I've been known to treat as many as 5 times.

Another thing is just to make sure the quarter is stripped out thoroughly.

 

[milkmaid]

How on earth are you giving these IV meds in the milk vein without getting kicked into the middle of next week? :shock: :lol:

If the drugs aren't working, you need to change to something else. Try Pirsue as born2run suggested, or really anything other than what you're using - it's a very low dose of pennicillin and the whole thing just isn't designed for a bad case of mastitis. I'm not sure I'd even use it on a mild case.

 

[Hunny Do Ranch]

How on earth are you giving these IV meds in the milk vein without getting kicked into the middle of next week? :shock: :lol:

Heheh She will lead right into the squeeze for me not my hubby and I milk her out, infuse her and then inject into the milk vein. She can't really move in the squeeze and she doesn't really try. She is a pretty quiet cow anyways. I love halter broke cows.

If the drugs aren't working, you need to change to something else. Try Pirsue as born2run suggested, or really anything other than what you're using - it's a very low dose of pennicillin and the whole thing just isn't designed for a bad case of mastitis. I'm not sure I'd even use it on a mild case.

I talked to the vet that I don't like to use and they insist on seeing her. We don't have a trailer or a neighbor with one so it makes it kinda hard. We only have 2 large animal vets around and the one I would like to use isn't taking any new clients. The vet I am forced to use killed a horse of mine and no one in town (at least cattle people) don't like her. This really sucks.

 

[born2run]

What can you get locally? I have no idea about drugs and if Valley Vet or another place similar will ship into Canada. They sell mastitis treatment and, in the case of Valley Vet, it'll usually arrive in 24 hours.

Here's the link for Valley Vet. They sell both ToDay and CefaLak. I've treated more with CefaLak than ToDay, but I think the suspension is the same.

http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_product_gro ... BD566D4317

In the case of vets, JMO, look in the phone book and call anyone within an hour of you or what you're willing to drive. I'd tell 'em you just need Pirsue. Granted I'm in dairy country, but unless the cow has suspected E. Coli they won't demand to see her. Good luck!

 

[GMN]

I have a Jersey cow that has mastitis. The vet gave me a product called Special formula (IMM) and Trimidox to inject into the milk vein. Her first round of meds was Monday. She has been treated 3 times now and I don't think it is making a huge difference. The vet is really hard to get a hold of. Does anyone have anyother suggestions?

Why would you inject it into her milk vein anyways? Up the quarter, all 4 preferably with something heavy duty, Pirsue, a cloxacillen, and also a injectable like LA 200, mega doses. How bad is the mastitis> Is it that one or more quarters are hard, or is it systemic where she is overall ill?

GMN

 

[Hunny Do Ranch]

I have a Jersey cow that has mastitis. The vet gave me a product called Special formula (IMM) and Trimidox to inject into the milk vein. Her first round of meds was Monday. She has been treated 3 times now and I don't think it is making a huge difference. The vet is really hard to get a hold of. Does anyone have anyother suggestions?

Why would you inject it into her milk vein anyways? Up the quarter, all 4 preferably with something heavy duty, Pirsue, a cloxacillen, and also a injectable like LA 200, mega doses. How bad is the mastitis> Is it that one or more quarters are hard, or is it systemic where she is overall ill?

GMN

I was told to do this by a vet.

 

[milkmaid]

What was his/her reason for suggesting that method of administration? IV in the neck would be better than IV in the milk vein...

I still prefer IMM treatments because it gets the drugs where they need to go.

 

[hillsdown]

Hunny Do being from a dairy background and in Canada I do know of Special Formula and still use it often for many things including pink eye.However my matitis experience is to strip the cow out completely each milking and then inject one tube of Special Formula into each teat continue until the mastitis has cleared up.I think sometimes we have given a dose of Excenel or trivetrin also.Doen't hold me to the last part as I haven't milked a cow in 8 years other than to strip one here or there occasionally.I don't know why you would inject into the milk vein unless it is something new they have found to work.And like MM said you are taking your life into your own hands when injecting into the milk vein of a healthy animal.You are right in the kicking zone.It works well to treat a down animal but if they can stand they can kick.Also is it a Staph mastitis because sometimes they are uncureable and you just have to let that quarter go.

 

[Aaron]

Hunny Do being from a dairy background and in Canada I do know of Special Formula and still use it often for many things including pink eye.However my matitis experience is to strip the cow out completely each milking and then inject one tube of Special Formula into each teat continue until the mastitis has cleared up.

That's what we do, with possibly some low-pain oxy-tet. Never usually have a problem afterwards.

You have to strip out the milk though before using the Special formula. Think of it as evening the odds between the good guys and the bad guys (Mastitis).

 

[funky 4-Her]

Hunny Do being from a dairy background and in Canada I do know of Special Formula and still use it often for many things including pink eye.However my matitis experience is to strip the cow out completely each milking and then inject one tube of Special Formula into each teat continue until the mastitis has cleared up

this is what we do with our cows that get mastitis.... Im pritty sure there is a withdraw time, but i cant remember what it is right now... be sure to check that

 

[cowlady1]

are you getting the mastitis out? Milk out all you can out. Then use tubes of today in each affected quarter.Milk out next milking & do again. Milk the mastitis out.If it doesn't clear Penicillin is good.I've put bag balm on the bag to ease the pain. Keeps from getting kicked. You have to strip that titis out good to get her over it. This is for dairy cow. Beef I'm not sure.

 

[cowlady1]

I also have found jersery diets play a role in mastitis. If cal-mag is to low for proteins to break up.they'll get mastitis. No meds. will do anything. Either cut back a little on protein or up the cal-mag in their feed .Alfalfa hay is good but not alot of it. I have a jersery cow. I feed 16% grain 2flakes of 1st cut 1 flake alfalfa grass mix of 2nd cut. She feeds 4 holstein calves.4 gallon a day she milks. To do better than that I'd have to up breed her.

 

[simangus23]

Easiest way to do it is get some nurse calves and put like 3 of them on her --- the vet will want you to strip out the infected quarters 8 times a day---but who has time for that-- and nurse calves can do it-- just dont put any replacement heifers on a mastitis infected cow.
Have you done a milk test to find out what "bug" is there?
For instance Staph Aureus which is the worst kind can be eradicated by using 35 cc's of 1% Iodine in 1 liter of Hypertonic Saline Solution with 10 cc's of Lidocaine (Teat Infusion)
Pursue is also very good. If I were you I would look up the Dairy Specialist at Beltsville MD-- he is the best in the US as he has been working on the Mastitis issue for 30 years -- and he has a cure for it

Thats it

 

[milkmaid]

For instance Staph Aureus which is the worst kind can be eradicated by using 35 cc's of 1% Iodine in 1 liter of Hypertonic Saline Solution with 10 cc's of Lidocaine (Teat Infusion)

Eradicated yes, but she'll never milk out of that quarter again.

Chlorhexidine (Nolvasan) and formeldahyde work too with similar results.

 

[GMN]

For instance Staph Aureus which is the worst kind can be eradicated by using 35 cc's of 1% Iodine in 1 liter of Hypertonic Saline Solution with 10 cc's of Lidocaine (Teat Infusion)

Eradicated yes, but she'll never milk out of that quarter again.

Chlorhexidine (Nolvasan) and formeldahyde work too with similar results.

Very well said. Staph Aureus in my opinion is almost impossible to cure, especially in older animals.

GMN

 

[hillsdown]

For instance Staph Aureus which is the worst kind can be eradicated by using 35 cc's of 1% Iodine in 1 liter of Hypertonic Saline Solution with 10 cc's of Lidocaine (Teat Infusion)

Eradicated yes, but she'll never milk out of that quarter again.

Chlorhexidine (Nolvasan) and formeldahyde work too with similar results.

Very well said. Staph Aureus in my opinion is almost impossible to cure, especially in older animals.

GMN

That's what I have found also GMN and MM;
Never known a cure for staph that is why herds test for staph and the positive ones go down the road.

Extra note: if planning on buying a herd of dairy cows insist on staph testing everything, anything positive you do not want.High SCC and other problems.
Also never buy an milker unless it has been staph tested.

I am sure that Dun can give you all the ins and outs of how staph effects DHI testing.

 

[TexasBred]

If ol' "Somatic Sally" comes down with staph she needs to have her head cut off. Her lacation is finished for all practical purposes. Doctoring it is a waste of money not only for meds. but for dumped milk. Leave her alone and every other cow hooked up to the same milker she used gets exposed to the same time bomb. Be careful using iodine as well as I use to use the stronger stuff to kill tits.