I also have a 2yo FF with a lumpy udder, actually I am certain she has matitis. She freshened last Friday with twins, a doeling and a buckling. We left the buckling on her, and he is only eating off one side. I starting milking her on Sunday morning, and the side he is not eating from has mastitis. I have a test kit on order, but it's not here yet. But that half of her udder has all the classic symptoms - warm/hot, lumpy, painful for me to milk etc. I have been treating it with Today and massaging it, and trying to milk it - tonight I had clots, strings and a little blood in it. Do I keep up with what I am doing, or take her to the vet? How long do I try to treat it myself before I take her to the vet. I felt like I was making progress tonight when I actually got some of that gunk out of her udder - am I correct to think this? Her udder was much less lumpy when we were done than it has been. Thanks, Anne
The vet won't be able to do more than you are. You won't clear mastitis with just infusions of today. It takes systemic antibiotics also. But guessing what is wrong and going on antibiotics? Always always always take a sample of the milk and freeze it, then start guessing what you are going to use. That way if you guess wrong you have the sample to send in to find out what you are dealing with. The today in the udder now and you can't send in a sample until after you get off the drugs. Using pennicillin and/or naxcel now and you have yet another 10 days before you can send in a sample. Whatever you choose to do keep her empty, give her ground up vitamin C on the milkstand and if you have it give banamine it helps control the pain, especially if you give half doses of it 1cc per 200 pounds about 20 minutes before milking but it also helps with the inflammation in the udder. If I was guessing I would add naxcel to what you are doing, and get some gentemycin and add 2cc of the 100mg variety to each today or tommorrow infusion for 3 times 12 hours apart...after the last infusion I would start milking her 3 times a day or more if you can get out there....with the vitamin C and banamine. I would disregard what you have done so far, until you get the gentemycin to add to the infusion. vicki
Thank you Vicki. I don't have Gentemycin, and can't find any in town, but I do have Penn G. Which is what the vet said to use 2 years ago on a different doe. (No it's not 2 years old.) This mornings milking went terrible. I don't think we got a half cup out of this doe - Saanen. DH has to hold her hind legs while I attempt to milk her. Tonight went much better - DS 15 and DH held hind legs and we were able to empty her udder. I gave her the infusion and an IM shot of Penn G. I did get vitamin C tonight - after chores, and will start that tomorrow. I just feel so glad to have emptied that udder! Anne
Give all over the counter shots of antibiotics subq. Especially with penn that is soo much drug...3cc per 50 pounds and you have to give it every 12 hours...and for likely 10 days, you will run out of muscle to give it in quickly...and it's also why we choose Naxcel Vicki
When one of my does had a staph lump burst in her teat, the vet had me give Excenel (it's similar to Naxcel) along with the PennG. I gave both drugs subQ and it cleared the problem right up. Kathie
This morning went well. She put out milk (disposed of) and no clumps. She ate her vit. C right out of my hand - no crushing it for her. I do have a question though - the skin on her mastitis teat is red, shiny and kind of "crispy" feeling. Is this from the fever in there or do I have something else brewing? My fear would be gangrene. I think one of the posts about this the original poster said that it started as a red blotch on her teat. I am spraying before and after with a bleach, soap & water mix. I never touch the good teat after the mastitis teat and I spray my hands before I give her the infusion and wash w/ hot soapy water as soon as I get home. What else? Anne
