one of my sisters HEIFERS calved the other day and she has 4 hard quarters. this has happened twice before with heifers over the years. all have been black limousin angus crosses. this one is a black limousin brangus cross cow. i really want to know what causes this. (i'm suspecting it has something to do with the amount of time they spend in water). we have talked about this over and over but i thought i'd bring it back up one more time. what kind of mastitis is this? there is nothing that can be done with 4 hard quarters, correct?
more ? about mastitis.
- Thread starter Beefy
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in my case i will be bottlefeeding a calf and selling a cow. she has no milk at all. (well, not accessible milk anyway)
generally with mastitis cases here on this farm they go unnoticed until its obvious that she has a blind quarter. i'm with you on the letting the calf milk her out. if she is up in the pen AND has mastitis i will treat her (with something like LA200). otherwise, when she becomes a goat she hits the road.
generally with mastitis cases here on this farm they go unnoticed until its obvious that she has a blind quarter. i'm with you on the letting the calf milk her out. if she is up in the pen AND has mastitis i will treat her (with something like LA200). otherwise, when she becomes a goat she hits the road.
Beefy":3uagcn5s said:
It may sound crazy, but sometimes the massage action created by the calf along with the sucking seems to clear it up - you may have to supplement the calf and you may not.
I got one like this one the place as I write - she goes down the road this fall, but her calf appears to be doing well.
We still have too many for this old guy to catch the problem before it becomes really obvious. Fortunately it is very rare here - about one case every three years or so.
Maybe all that bunting breaks up the "hard pack"?
If she is a yong cow - doctor her, fatten her and put her in the freezer.
Bez!
A hard udder isn't always mastitis in a newly fresh cow/heifer. I tend to first think edema and treat for that before I automaticaly jump on the mastitis brandwagon. There are diretics that can be given for treatment of edema.
dun
dun
Udder Edema:
Udder edema is common in high-producing dairy cattle (especially heifers) before and after parturition. Predisposing causes include genetics, nutritional management, obesity, and lack of exercise during the precalving period. Physiologic edema is not usually painful and occurs when pitting edema develops symmetrically in the udder prior to parturition. Udder edema can become a chronic condition and persist throughout lactation. Treatment should be initiated if swelling threatens the udder support apparatus, or if the edema interferes with the ability to milk the cow. Edema can be treated by milking cows before parturition but this may predispose older cows to parturient paresis ( Parturient Paresis in Cows). Massage, repeated as often as possible, and hot compresses stimulate circulation and promote edema reduction. Diuretics have proved highly beneficial in reducing udder edema and corticosteroids may be helpful. Products that combine diuretics and corticosteroids are available for treatment of udder edema.
Precocious Mammary Development:
Initiation of milk secretion in heifers prior to calving is occasionally noted. Precocious mammary development in a single gland sometimes results from suckling by herdmates. Symmetric mammary development has been associated with exposure to feedstuffs containing estrogen or contaminated by mycotoxins. Removal of contaminated feedstuffs generally results in resolution of the problem.
Failure of Milk Ejection (Milk Letdown):
In rare instances, newly calved heifers may experience problems with milk ejection. Fear of handling or unfamiliarity with the milking process is the usual cause. Care should be taken to ensure that animals are handled calmly and gently and that the milking routine provides for adequate stimulation (>20 sec) before attaching the milking unit. Administration of oxytocin (20 IU, IM) may be necessary in some instances.
Agalactia:
Agalactia is seen occasionally in heifers and can be a primary endocrine problem or a localized problem of the mammary gland. In recently fresh cows, agalactia is occasionally caused by a severe systemic disease or by mastitis caused by Mycoplasma bovis . Agalactia has also been associated with cows grazing or eating endophyte-infested fescue.
"Blind" or Nonfunctional Quarters:
These are usually the result of a severe infection, which may occur in dry or lactating cows or in heifers due to sucking by other heifers or calves. On the rare occasion that fibrosis is not extensive, treatment of the affected quarter might clear the infection. Some of these quarters will milk fairly satisfactorily during the next lactation. Rarely, blind or nonfunctional quarters may be congenital.
Congenital Disorders:
Congenital aberrations include many structural defects, but the most significant disorder is supernumerary teats . These may be located on the udder behind the posterior teats, between the front and hind teats, or attached to either the front or hind teats. Removal of supernumerary teats from dairy heifers is desirable to improve appearance of the udder, to eliminate the possibility of mastitis in the gland above the extra teats, and to facilitate milking. Most are easily removed surgically when the heifer is from 1 wk to 1 yr old (best done at 3-8 mo of age). Supernumerary teats may be surgically removed from preparturient heifers before lactation begins. The incision should be sutured or stapled after teat removal.
Udder edema is common in high-producing dairy cattle (especially heifers) before and after parturition. Predisposing causes include genetics, nutritional management, obesity, and lack of exercise during the precalving period. Physiologic edema is not usually painful and occurs when pitting edema develops symmetrically in the udder prior to parturition. Udder edema can become a chronic condition and persist throughout lactation. Treatment should be initiated if swelling threatens the udder support apparatus, or if the edema interferes with the ability to milk the cow. Edema can be treated by milking cows before parturition but this may predispose older cows to parturient paresis ( Parturient Paresis in Cows). Massage, repeated as often as possible, and hot compresses stimulate circulation and promote edema reduction. Diuretics have proved highly beneficial in reducing udder edema and corticosteroids may be helpful. Products that combine diuretics and corticosteroids are available for treatment of udder edema.
Precocious Mammary Development:
Initiation of milk secretion in heifers prior to calving is occasionally noted. Precocious mammary development in a single gland sometimes results from suckling by herdmates. Symmetric mammary development has been associated with exposure to feedstuffs containing estrogen or contaminated by mycotoxins. Removal of contaminated feedstuffs generally results in resolution of the problem.
Failure of Milk Ejection (Milk Letdown):
In rare instances, newly calved heifers may experience problems with milk ejection. Fear of handling or unfamiliarity with the milking process is the usual cause. Care should be taken to ensure that animals are handled calmly and gently and that the milking routine provides for adequate stimulation (>20 sec) before attaching the milking unit. Administration of oxytocin (20 IU, IM) may be necessary in some instances.
Agalactia:
Agalactia is seen occasionally in heifers and can be a primary endocrine problem or a localized problem of the mammary gland. In recently fresh cows, agalactia is occasionally caused by a severe systemic disease or by mastitis caused by Mycoplasma bovis . Agalactia has also been associated with cows grazing or eating endophyte-infested fescue.
"Blind" or Nonfunctional Quarters:
These are usually the result of a severe infection, which may occur in dry or lactating cows or in heifers due to sucking by other heifers or calves. On the rare occasion that fibrosis is not extensive, treatment of the affected quarter might clear the infection. Some of these quarters will milk fairly satisfactorily during the next lactation. Rarely, blind or nonfunctional quarters may be congenital.
Congenital Disorders:
Congenital aberrations include many structural defects, but the most significant disorder is supernumerary teats . These may be located on the udder behind the posterior teats, between the front and hind teats, or attached to either the front or hind teats. Removal of supernumerary teats from dairy heifers is desirable to improve appearance of the udder, to eliminate the possibility of mastitis in the gland above the extra teats, and to facilitate milking. Most are easily removed surgically when the heifer is from 1 wk to 1 yr old (best done at 3-8 mo of age). Supernumerary teats may be surgically removed from preparturient heifers before lactation begins. The incision should be sutured or stapled after teat removal.
Salix/Lasix or Dexamethasone will work for treatment of udder edema. I'd be more inclined to think it was edema than to suspect mastitis in all four on a heifer! but stranger things have happened. I've seen several heifers calve in lately with one light quarter, and what caused it I'd sure like to know too. Some articles suggest flies.
Food for thought - have any oxytocin on hand? I've seen the occasional case where with oxytocin you could get something out of the quarter(s) where you couldn't before. However -- in those cases it tended to be completely infected and so it didn't do much good other than to confirm the cow had some serious problems.
What kind of udder does this heifer have on her? picture?
Food for thought - have any oxytocin on hand? I've seen the occasional case where with oxytocin you could get something out of the quarter(s) where you couldn't before. However -- in those cases it tended to be completely infected and so it didn't do much good other than to confirm the cow had some serious problems.
What kind of udder does this heifer have on her? picture?
GMN
Well-known member
Is her bag hard as a rock, no milk coming out at all, or does it feel like when you poke it, it is swelled, clumpy milk, bloody milk coming out or some milk mixed with clumps, or blood? Edema usually makes the bag look swelled, but the milk is fine except twinged with blood. mastitiis I have seen hard rock quarters in heifers, some can be saved if caught as soon as possible, with up the quarter medicine, injectables, and IV treatment, and a rigourous striping out procedure. Was this animal sickly at any time she was pregnant, off feed, limping? Those are classic signs of a mastitis flare up.
GMN
GMN
GMN
Well-known member
One other thing I thought of, is if the teat canal could be closed. I've had this in one quarter on several first calf heifers, where the vet had to put a teat instrument up the canal to open it up. If the canal feels clogged or hardened when you strip out, could be scar tissue blocking the canal.
Being nothing is coming out at all, have to wonder if she is just one of these animals that has no milk. Sell her or a freezer pleaser for your family.
GMN
Being nothing is coming out at all, have to wonder if she is just one of these animals that has no milk. Sell her or a freezer pleaser for your family.
GMN
she has(had) milk, this is day 5 so seems to be drying off some now. it was obvious that she dropped milk right before calving, however the teats have never looked full. its not a teat plug problem. i would be able to get at least one of the four open if it were. i think in her case it is genetic as some of the limousin crosses i've retained have been hit or miss on milk. particularly out of her sire. i only kept a few out of the very best cows.
That's a decent udder there. Let's see if I read this right - she DID drip milk prior to calving? If you saw her leaking milk, and with an udder like that one (those teats should be easy to strip!), you should be able to get some milk out.
On the other hand, if you did not see her leaking milk, I'd be considering that she's plugged up -- and no I don't mean the usual plug that can be stripped by hand. I've seen the occasional heifer that had blocked up teat canals; sometimes you could get a few drops out, but that was it. Udder looked normal otherwise and I rather doubt it was the result of mastitis prior to calving. Whether it's a genetic flaw or not I don't know; one heifer had both front quarters plugged like that and I made a special note of both her twin heifers... be another 9-12 months though before they have their first calf.
On the other hand, if you did not see her leaking milk, I'd be considering that she's plugged up -- and no I don't mean the usual plug that can be stripped by hand. I've seen the occasional heifer that had blocked up teat canals; sometimes you could get a few drops out, but that was it. Udder looked normal otherwise and I rather doubt it was the result of mastitis prior to calving. Whether it's a genetic flaw or not I don't know; one heifer had both front quarters plugged like that and I made a special note of both her twin heifers... be another 9-12 months though before they have their first calf.
my bad, when i say dropped milk i meant that she made milk, that i know its in there and it just cant get out. she had no milk one day and the next day she had a nice full bag. she let it down. she has never to my knowledge had even a drop of milk get into a teat. i feel like at the base of each teat there is a hardened mass of something blocking the milk from getting to the teat. if you look at that front right teat can you see something that looks like a hardened mass extending up above the teat? i may have made that up but thats what it looks like to me.
my main problem with it is why all four?!
my main problem with it is why all four?!
born2run
Well-known member
Could ya ream them out? That'd be a last resort, IMO, since it opens the udder up to bacteria. Provided that the oxytocin didn't work that might be an option though.
