Mastitis

[randiliana]

We have a 2 year old heifer here. She calved about a week ago and is just now sucked out to the point that it is noticable. One quarter is larger than the others, upon examination, it has a hard area in it (covers most of the quarter once sucked out) and when milked you can get some clear to milkyish liquid out of it. Not a lot, but then we have a calf on her that also was sucking her out. The quarter is no warmer than the other 3 and she acts healthy otherwise.

Tonight we treated her with long acting penicillin. Until Monday our choices for antibiotic are limited to Penicillin or Oxytetracycline. Any suggestions?

 

[msscamp]

One quarter is larger than the others, upon examination, it has a hard area in it (covers most of the quarter once sucked out)...

I'm confused. How can a cow that calved a week ago have mastitis in a quarter that has been sucked out - even if it was only one time? Or is this a typo?

 

[Beefy]

it sounds like scar tissue, and the calf is squeezing the milk out thru rocks.

 

[Beefy]

One quarter is larger than the others, upon examination, it has a hard area in it (covers most of the quarter once sucked out)...

I'm confused. How can a cow that calved a week ago have mastitis in a quarter that has been sucked out - even if it was only one time? Or is this a typo?

your confusion confuses me.

 

[msscamp]

One quarter is larger than the others, upon examination, it has a hard area in it (covers most of the quarter once sucked out)...

I'm confused. How can a cow that calved a week ago have mastitis in a quarter that has been sucked out - even if it was only one time? Or is this a typo?

your confusion confuses me.

that is my specialty - confusing people, even when I'm not trying to confuse people. You should see what I can accomplish when I am trying! :shock:

 

[Beefy]

One quarter is larger than the others, upon examination, it has a hard area in it (covers most of the quarter once sucked out)...

I'm confused. How can a cow that calved a week ago have mastitis in a quarter that has been sucked out - even if it was only one time? Or is this a typo?

your confusion confuses me.

that is my specialty - confusing people, even when I'm not trying to confuse people. You should see what I can accomplish when I am trying! :shock:

that almost confused me as well.

 

[msscamp]

One quarter is larger than the others, upon examination, it has a hard area in it (covers most of the quarter once sucked out)...

I'm confused. How can a cow that calved a week ago have mastitis in a quarter that has been sucked out - even if it was only one time? Or is this a typo?

your confusion confuses me.

that is my specialty - confusing people, even when I'm not trying to confuse people. You should see what I can accomplish when I am trying! :shock:

that almost confused me as well.

:lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

 

[GMN]

Maybe the teat canal is plugged, and you only think the calf is drinking, where nothing is coming out, making that quarter look big.

GMN

 

[cowvet]

Have you done a "rapid masitis test" on the milk from that quarter???"?

 

[randiliana]

Maybe the teat canal is plugged, and you only think the calf is drinking, where nothing is coming out, making that quarter look big.

GMN

No, the teat is not blocked. We have attempted to milk her out. And all that can be expressed was a mostly clear liquid.

 

[randiliana]

Have you done a "rapid masitis test" on the milk from that quarter???"?

Sorry, we do not have one. We are beef, and usually don't have a big problem with mastitis.

 

[Beefy]

i would milk her out and give her something like la200 until you can get something better. if that or the something better doesnt work its probably the scar tissue.

 

[cowvet]

Have you done a "rapid masitis test" on the milk from that quarter???"?

Sorry, we do not have one. We are beef, and usually don't have a big problem with mastitis.

For lack of anything else to see is it is mastitis you could do a quick "home made" test...

mix one part dish washing detergent and three parts water (mix don't shake!)

then mix equal parts milk and this detergent mixture ( a couple of teaspoons of each will do). Swirl this together for about 10 seconds. If it clots and goes goopy/slimey/phlegm then this is indicative of a very high somatic cell count, and therefore indicative of mastitis!

If it doesn't react i would take a sterile sample to a vet for culture (always got to assume your detergent doesn't work like mine!!!)

 

[randiliana]

Have you done a "rapid masitis test" on the milk from that quarter???"?

Sorry, we do not have one. We are beef, and usually don't have a big problem with mastitis.

For lack of anything else to see is it is mastitis you could do a quick "home made" test...

mix one part dish washing detergent and three parts water (mix don't shake!)

then mix equal parts milk and this detergent mixture ( a couple of teaspoons of each will do). Swirl this together for about 10 seconds. If it clots and goes goopy/slimey/phlegm then this is indicative of a very high somatic cell count, and therefore indicative of mastitis!

If it doesn't react i would take a sterile sample to a vet for culture (always got to assume your detergent doesn't work like mine!!!)

Thanks, I will try to try this. Getting hubby to put anything down the chute (that isn't obviously ill) is quite a chore. She, and her udder are looking better today, but I shall try to get her down the chute in the morning when I do the morning chores. We have 4-H achievement day tomorrow so we may be short on time, and she is not showing any ill effects.

 

[milkmaid]

One quarter is larger than the others, upon examination, it has a hard area in it (covers most of the quarter once sucked out)...

I'm confused. How can a cow that calved a week ago have mastitis in a quarter that has been sucked out - even if it was only one time? Or is this a typo?

A cow can calve with mastitis.

A lot of times heifers have weird lumps and such within the udder tissue... I wouldn't automatically assume it's mastitis, but it could be. Or sometimes if an animal had mastitis in the past, the quarter will produce for a few weeks, but it will only be a clear fluid. Generally there's no infection in those cases.

 

[randiliana]

As an update, I checked her out this morning. Her udder feels much better, no hard spots in it, and the milk is looking like milk. All she got was 2 shots of penicillin. Partly for her udder, and partly because she took a while to clean and I could "smell" her. It wasn't real strong, but I can usually pick up an animal with an infection (even if it isn't obvious) by smell. It is kinda a gross talent, but it IS handy.