Subclinical mastitis in cows: how to identify and treat at home

Mastitis occupies a leading place among the diseases of dairy cattle in modern animal husbandry. The number of diseased animals in some cases can reach up to a third of the total number of dairy animals. The damage from mastitis is expressed in a sharp decrease in milk yield and in the inability to use milk from sick cows. Consider the causes of subclinical mastitis in cows, its symptoms, methods of diagnosis and treatment.

What is hidden mastitis?

Mastitis in cows can manifest itself in different forms, one of which is subclinical mastitis. Its peculiarity is that it is difficult to determine this form of the disease by symptoms, since they are practically absent.It is possible to diagnose subclinical mastitis only according to the results of the tests, since the inflammation of the udder goes unnoticed, the milk has a normal composition and appearance.

However, if mastitis in this form is not detected in time, after a while it will turn into a clinical form. Subclinical mastitis has been found to be 2-10 times more common than clinical mastitis.

Causes of the disease

Inflammation of the udder is of a bacterial nature, but no single pathogen causing this or that form of mastitis has been identified. Bacteria enter the mammary gland through the nipple or from the body - with blood and lymph. However, even in the presence of bacteria, the disease develops only with a decrease in the immune function of the whole organism or udder tissues. The weakening of immunity occurs due to keeping cows in a cold, poorly ventilated and insufficiently lit room with drafts, on a damp, long-lying litter, with limited physical activity.

Mastitis can develop at the site of a bruise or wound on the udder, which the animal can receive during walking or transportation. Danger can lie in wait for cows in the stall - the bacteria are in the litter, often dirty and wet. Unsanitary animal conditions and lack of disinfection are among the main causes of mastitis, as well as hypothermia of the udder on a cold floor or in a draft.

Poor condition of the milking machine and errors in the milking process can lead to disease: if the machine is not set correctly, this will lead to injury to the udder lobes or milk shortage. The non-sterility of any part of the milking machine and especially the liner that comes into direct contact with the teats is a common cause of mastitis in cattle.

Mastitis in cows can develop due to endometritis - inflammation of the uterine lining, which animals get sick after calving.In this case, inflammation passes from the uterus to the udder, and mastitis develops. Swelling of the udder due to succulent feed can also cause inflammation of this organ.

Subclinical mastitis, if not detected in time and not cured, goes to the next stage - clinical mastitis, which can already be determined by external signs.

Symptoms of disease

Subclinical mastitis occurs with no clinical symptoms, only during the study pathogenic microflora is detected, physical and chemical properties of milk change (lactose content decreases, acidity shifts to the alkaline side, the number of somatic cells increases sharply).

How to identify hidden mastitis in a cow at home

Accurate diagnosis can be made in the laboratory by the content of somatic cells in milk and reaction with special reagents. Mastitis is determined by changes in the density and color of milk. At home, subclinical mastitis can be determined by the method of settling - pour milk milked from suspicious parts of the udder into a small container, put them in the refrigerator for 15-18 hours, keep at a temperature of 5-10 ˚С. Then you need to examine the milk, if it is white or with a bluish tint, there is no sediment in the container - the cow is he althy, if there is sediment in the container, there are flakes in the cream, this may indicate mastitis.

How to treat the disease

First of all, a sick cow must be separated from the rest of the herd and placed separately from the others. The stall should be dry, warm, ventilated, light. The animal is put on a diet, reducing the amount of food to reduce the secretion of milk. If the udder is swollen, reduce the volume of water.

For the treatment of cows from mastitis, antibiotics are used ("Penicillin", "Erythromycin" and others, depending on the type of pathogen), special medicines for mastitis and other drugs in the complex to maintain the body, warming compresses, heating with lamps, light udder massage. Therapy should be started as soon as the disease is diagnosed.

If the cow was milked with a milking machine, then you need to switch to more gentle manual milking. It is impossible to drink milked milk until the cow has recovered due to the presence of antibiotics in it. After the end of the course of treatment, it is necessary to withstand a few more days, as indicated in the instructions for the drug, so that it can be excreted from the animal's body. Due to the unsuitability of milk for consumption during the treatment period of a cow for a calf, you need to pick up milk from another animal.

The frequency of milking a sick cow should be increased, this is necessary so that bacteria are removed from the udder along with milk, swelling decreases.

Folk remedies

Folk treatments are effective only at the very beginning of the development of the disease. A popular method of treating subclinical mastitis in cattle at home is applications from a mixture of clay with a decoction of medicinal herbs: plantain, nettle, yarrow. The mixture is applied to the udder at night, the clay relieves swelling and reduces pain, the herbs act as antiseptics.

Applications can be made from warm paraffin, cabbage leaves, grated carrots, potato starch mixed with butter, baked onions, lard mixed with calendula flowers. All products should be warm, not hot, strong heating activates the reproduction of bacteria and worsens the condition of the cow.

In addition to applications, garlic tincture is used, which is injected through the nipple canal 2 times a day, 15 ml at a time.

Prevention measures

First of all, it is a clean bedding, a warm, dry, bright room with good ventilation. Proper feeding and compliance with milking rules. Regular inspection of the udder of the animal, if any diseases are detected, treatment should be carried out. Particular attention should be paid to whether there is swelling of the udder, which is a predisposing factor for the development of mastitis.

With untimely detection and treatment, subclinical mastitis easily turns into clinical, the consequence of which can be atrophy of the udder lobes. The danger of this form of the disease is that without the presence of characteristic signs it is difficult to identify the disease, meanwhile, at this time, there are bacteria in the milk from such cows, and it is unsuitable for consumption.

Raw milk can cause disease in humans, and if used as a raw material, it reduces the quality of dairy products. Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment are important in the prevention of subclinical mastitis.