Udder swelling after calving in a cow: symptoms and home treatment

The udder of cows is one of the most sensitive and important organs, the state of which may indicate the he alth or ill he alth of the animal. Udder edema in a cow after calving or before it is called swelling of the mammary gland, which is dangerous for the appearance of mastitis, deterioration of milk quality and a decrease in milk yield. If characteristic symptoms occur, seek medical attention.

Causes of occurrence

The main causes of the disease are as follows:

1. Udder injury.
2. Pathologies of the kidneys, heart muscle, blood vessels (if the udder is swollen long before calving).
3. Lack of physical activity.
4. Incorrect diet (lack of coarse fiber, excess protein and succulent feed, as well as excess magnesium, potassium and s alt in food).
5. Mycotoxicosis (fungal diseases).
6. Hormonal disorders.
7. Serous udder edema. It develops against the background of impaired lymph or blood flow during pregnancy and after calving.

Symptoms and signs

Signs of a hard udder in a cow before or after giving birth are:

1. Swelling of individual parts of the udder (right, left half, back) or the entire organ. The disease state extends not only within the gland, but also to the surrounding tissues.
2. Nipples are getting shorter.
3. The skin is rough, shiny, with a bluish tint. When pressing on the udder, a depression is formed that does not disappear for a long time (the organ looks like dough).
4. Hematomas, abrasions (if the cause of the pathology is trauma).
5. Increase in udder size.
6. Tightness of the skin.
7. Water milk.
8. Pain on palpation does not occur.
9. Deformation of the organ.
10. Tissue compaction with advanced serous edema.
11. Cow gives little milk.

The disease can temporarily subside, and then reappear, but in other areas of the breast.

What could be the complications and consequences

Often, swelling occurs before childbirth, but goes away on its own in the first days of lactation. Veterinarians still recommend monitoring the condition of the animal, since the disease (albeit short-term) increases the susceptibility of the body to the effects of pathogenic microorganisms.

Another dangerous consequence is induration of the organ, in which the gland becomes hard. The cow gives little milk and has to be culled. Mastitis can turn into a chronic form, the signs of which are the growth of tissues and their compaction. The size of the udder also increases and the amount of milk decreases. There is no point in waiting for mastitis to go away on its own. Animal requires urgent veterinary care.

Udder swelling treatment methods

There are three main methods of therapy to completely eliminate breast swelling:

• drawing up the right diet;
• massage and other physiotherapy;
• use of medicines.

Diet therapy

You can treat pathology with the help of a properly selected diet. From the menu of a sick cow, juicy feed is removed, which contributes to the formation of milk. They also reduce the amount of table s alt, concentrates and protein supplements.

Instead of the above, cereal hay is left. In this case, the animal is kept on individual feeding. Most of the time the cow is on a leash. Short walks are allowed, but going out to pasture as part of a common herd is completely excluded.

Physiotherapy

To restore blood and lymph flow, a sick cow needs to have an udder massage. The direction of movement is from the nipples to the base of the gland. For convenience, the hanging udder should be fixed with a special bandage.

Stagnation of milk can be prevented by frequent milking - from 5 to 8 times a day. When edema appears before calving, the cow is milked no more than once a day.

Medications

This method is resorted to if the first two turned out to be ineffective.Therapy includes the use of ointments and intravenous solutions. Infusion treatment reduces the manifestation of allergies, increases blood clotting. Also used drugs for the heart, namely caffeine. Due to the stimulation of cardiac activity, blood flow increases, which contributes to the removal of fluid from the mammary gland. Veterinarians advise smearing the problem area of the udder with Rigefen. Therapy continues for 1-4 days - until the inflammation disappears. The same effect is exerted by bismutzinc ointment, ichthyol and Vishnevsky. However, the last two drugs spoil the taste of milk somewhat.

Folk remedies and recipes

Homemade products are allowed if approved by a veterinarian. Self-treatment of edematous udder is fraught with the development of complications. Alternative methods are effective in the early stages of the disease and only in combination with drug therapy.Such funds help to quickly achieve a positive effect. To relieve swelling of the udder, you can use diuretic infusions and decoctions:

• dill decoction (in advanced cases);
• from birch buds, juniper berries, horsetail;
• infusion of dill or fennel (filled with a bucket of boiling water and allowed to drink 1-2 buckets a day for 3 days).

No less effective are ointments and lotions that are applied to the inflamed udder. To prepare home remedies you will need:

1. Rice starch. The product is diluted in water until a thick consistency is obtained and spread on gauze. Next, the compress is applied to the sore spot and kept for 3-5 hours.
2. Milk, butter, rye flour. They make a cake from these components and apply it to the udder for a couple of hours.
3. Vegetable oil, paraffin or beeswax. The ingredients are mixed in a water bath, cooled and lubricated on the affected area.
4. Potato starch, vegetable oil. The products are mixed and get a cream.

Are there preventive measures?

Preventive measures for the development of udder edema are proper maintenance. In particular, this rule applies to the quality of animal nutrition. Cows should be taken out to pasture regularly to avoid stagnation of lymph and blood in the body.

The most important preventive measure to avoid udder swelling remains the preparation of a suitable diet during the dry period.

This moment requires special attention in the three-week period before and after calving: food should consist of one hay, and succulent herbs and concentrates are removed from the animal's menu. In addition, the frequency of milking is reduced. Three weeks before giving birth, cows are introduced to the menu of protein supplements, silage and concentrates to prepare the body for feeding.

It is important that the feed is of very high quality. It is necessary to regularly check the food for the presence of mycotoxins, treat the grain by crushing or extruding. Change in diet after childbirth is carried out gradually, because the body has not yet recovered from childbirth.

To prevent the development of udder edema, it is necessary to follow the rules of hygiene and sanitary requirements when performing such manipulations:

• delivery;
• milking;
• surgery;
• haircut;
• other events of this kind.

If symptoms of udder edema are found, the animal must be taken to the veterinarian. Self-treatment is not worth it. The main method of therapy is dietary modification.

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