Mastitis in a goat: how and what to treat at home, folk methods and antibiotics

Inflammation of the mammary gland in goats is called mastitis. The spread of the disease in the herd causes a decrease in milk yield. Mastitis is caused by a bacterial infection that is transmitted to he althy animals and humans. The disease is successfully treated with antibiotics, and preventive measures and compliance with the rules of detention will help to avoid re-infection.

Description of disease

Mastitis, or breastfeeding, occurs in primiparous goats within 24 hours or 30-45 days after lambing. The disease is unilateral and covers one lobe of the udder, or bilateral, covering both lobes.Under the action of a bacterial infection in the tissues of the udder, swelling occurs, blood circulation is disturbed. It also changes the texture and taste of milk. It becomes bitter, sour, transparent.

Distinguish types of mastitis:

purulent - an acute form of a bacterial infection, accompanied by purulent discharge from the nipples, inflammation on the skin of the udder;
serous - accumulation of fluid in tissues;
catarrhal - inflammation manifests itself in the form of painful redness of the udder;
hemorrhagic - leads to stagnation of blood and bruising.

The disease occurs in chronic and acute form. In a chronic course, external signs do not always appear. In acute mastitis, the udder looks swollen, heavy, and the affected lobe or teats darken.

Pathogens and causes of occurrence

The main reason for the development of mastitis is the penetration of bacteria into the breast tissue. The ways of infection differ: through dirty hands and bedding, open wounds or as a result of thermal exposure. Diseases and beriberi reduce the immunity of goats.

Biological

The causative agents of mastitis are Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus bacteria. Pathogenic microorganisms enter the udder from soiled bedding and dirty hands.

The remains of warm milk on the nipples is a favorable moist environment for the development of bacteria. The incubation period for coccal infection lasts 3-5 days.

Causes of biological mastitis:

rare cleaning of barn, accumulation of excrement on the floor;
dirty goat udder after milking;
chronic diseases in an animal;
lack of vitamins in the diet;
irregular meals.

Also, mastitis is transmitted from a sick animal to a he althy one.

Mechanical

Mastitis develops as a result of damage to the skin of the nipples: scratches, bruises. Goats step on their own udder, if it is voluminous, or damage it in a fight. Bacteria enter the wound and cause inflammation.

The udder is injured in the following cases:

during milking in violation of technique - with stretching the nipples with two fingers, strong pinching of the tips;
during independent walks of the animal - goats jump on the roofs of outbuildings, fences and cling to the udder.

Also, the cause of mechanical mastitis is the accumulation of milk in the udder. To avoid stagnation, massage is done before and after milking. If you start milking without preparing the udder, the milk is not fully expressed.

Thermal

Thermal causes include:

overheating - the animal gets burned if it lies in the sun for a long time;
hypothermia - due to being in a draft, contact of the udder with cold ground, floor, wet bedding.

Cold and heat reduce the defenses of the animal's body, and an inflammatory process begins in damaged tissues.

Signs and symptoms of disease

Mastitis at an early stage is manifested by the following symptoms:

reddening of the udder;
hardening of the gland;
temperature increase.

Symptoms of progressive mastitis:

mammary gland hardening rapidly;
reducing the amount of milk;
temperature rising;
lymph nodes increase.

Mastitis in a lactating goat is also recognized by a decrease in the quality of milk. Signs of a product derived from a goat with a baby:

pink due to ichor;
mucus clots;
turbidity;
translucent;
bitter taste;
appearance of flakes and blood clots in sediment;
quick clotting when boiled.

The consistency and taste of milk change as a result of the vital activity of bacteria. With progressive mastitis, the general condition of the animal worsens. The goat reacts painfully to touching the udder, spreads its legs wide.

Disease types

Four types of mastitis are distinguished according to the speed of the disease and the severity of symptoms.

Subclinical

The initial form is caused by clogging of the nipples with milk clots. With subclinical mastitis, the gland only thickens. Milked milk is bitter, precipitates and turns sour the next day.

Chronic

The initial form of mastitis turns into chronic, which also does not show bright symptoms.

Acute (manifest, infectious, gangrenous)

Mastitis begins or becomes acute when the udder is infected with a bacterial infection. All clinical symptoms appear, milk coagulates and milk yield decreases. Inflammation in tissues leads to gangrene and sepsis. Without treatment, acute mastitis leads to the death of the animal.

Imaginary

The form of the disease occurs without bacterial infection and inflammation. The udder swells, the mammary glands coarsen. Expressing milk is difficult. But hidden mastitis differs from the other three forms in that there is no sediment and impurities in the milk.

Diagnostic Methods

How catarrhal mastitis is diagnosed:

visually inspect the udder - asymmetry and redness indicate glandular enlargement and inflammation;
measure body temperature - the acute form is accompanied by its increase;
palpate the affected areas - with swelling, enlarged lymph nodes and a restless reaction of the goat to touching the udder, a bacterial infection is suspected.

For laboratory research, express milk, take blood. Based on the result of the analysis, the type of pathogenic bacteria is identified and an antibiotic is prescribed that will help in a particular case.

You can determine mastitis without a veterinarian using the Masttest-AF liquid product, which is sold at a veterinary pharmacy. How research is done:

put a few drops of milk into a sterile dish from one part of the udder, and then from the other;
add the same amount to the milk and observe the color change.

Yellow-orange color of the sample indicates the absence of pathogenic organisms. Light green, dark blue color of milk means mastitis. The method is suitable for diagnosing the disease at the initial stage after lambing.

Rules for the treatment of mastitis

During treatment, reduce the proportion of succulent feed in the diet to reduce milk production and stress on the udder. To combat mastitis, veterinary and folk methods of treatment are used.

Medication

Acute form of mastitis should be treated with antibiotics. Medicines should be prescribed by a veterinarian based on the results of a bacteriological analysis of milk.

The drugs used and an approximate treatment regimen are shown in the following table:

DescriptionScheme of application"Ceftriaxone"Broad antibiotic action in powder, sold in glass bottles of 1 gram.Dilute the contents of one bottle in two milliliters of lidocaine and sodium chloride. Inject once a day.DoreenVeterinary drug includes antibiotics doxycycline and rifampicin. Release form - powder.300 milligrams diluted in water for injection, following the instructions in the instructions for the drug.Give an injection once a day at the same time. intramensional administration, suitable for the treatment of all forms of mastitis.Inject 3-5 times with a break of 12 hours between injections.

Drug name


"Nitox 2000"	Veterinary drug with the active ingredient oxytetracycline, contains magnesium. Calculated by the weight of the animal. Auxiliary remedy for the treatment of acute and subclinical mastitis.	Measure the dose at the rate of 1 milliliter per 10 kilograms of body weight and inject every 2-3 days.
"Multimast"	Complex preparation includes antibiotics neomycin, tetracycline and penicillin. It is used to treat acute mastitis. It is introduced into the udder after milking.	The doctor determines the dosage and frequency of administration. At the initial stage, a single application is sufficient. With progressive mastitis, 2-3 injections are required.Indicated for imaginary mastitis and for prophylaxis at startup.

In combination with antibiotics, special ointments will help cure mastitis:

"Pikhtorin" - an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agent designed to treat skin lesions of animals, contains turpentine, petroleum jelly, precipitated chalk and fir essential oil;
"Intrasan" - liniment for the treatment of all types of diseases.

Subclinical mastitis treated with homeopathic remedies:

"Mastometrin" - ampoule drug against inflammation;
"Travmatin" - solution for injection, indicated for injuries of the udder.

In addition to the main treatment, you can make injections with chlorophyllipt. One milliliter of the herbal preparation is diluted in ten milliliters of a 25% novocaine solution and injected into the nipple after milking.After 4 hours, the goat is milked again. Chlorophyllipt is injected twice a day for five days. Mastitis is easier to prevent than to treat. To permanently eliminate the risk of disease, it is necessary to introduce Mastiet Forte before launching goats.

The drug is also used to treat subclinical and acute forms of mastitis, in combination with other drugs.

Folk methods and recipes

Cure a goat from mastitis will help ointments from the first-aid kit:

ichthyol - helps cleanse wounds in the purulent form of the disease;
Vishnevsky's liniment - accelerates healing;
baby cream - softens rough skin.

Instead of cosmetic, they prepare homemade cream from goat fat and wax. For the treatment of mastitis at home, they resort to folk recipes.

Calendula will help relieve inflammation:

mix flowers with vaseline in a ratio of 1:5;
apply 3 times daily.

Dill has a diuretic effect, helps purify the blood. In ten liters of boiling water, 4 tablespoons of seeds are brewed. The goat should drink the entire volume during the day. The course of treatment is 7-12 days. Dill can be replaced with half-fall grass or lingonberry leaves.

Experienced farmers with mastitis in goats are advised to adhere to the following rules:

massage the udder lightly;
after milking, smear clean nipples with cream.

The goat's udder should be washed with warm water, wiped dry, and then applied cream. Active massage is harmful during the treatment period, as the bacteria from the focus spread throughout the udder. The skin of the nipple lubricated with cream glides in the hands.As a result, the tissue is pinched, torn, and the inflammation worsens.

Rules for the care of recovered goats

After an illness, goats have reduced immunity, so animals need to be protected from drafts and provided with vitamin nutrition.

How to protect a recovered goat from a recurrence of mastitis:

carry out a general cleaning in the barn - change the bedding, ventilate, insulate the walls so that the animal is clean and warm;
to drink fresh clean water at room temperature - wash and refill drinkers every five hours;
include more green fodder and root crops in your diet - during the recovery period, give fresh hay, carrots, cabbage, pears and apples every day.

To restore immunity and water-s alt balance, it is useful for goats to give fortified feed and s alt.

Prevention measures

Reduce the risk of mastitis by doing the following:

compliance with milking technique - start and end with a massage, express milk with three fingers, completely empty the udder and wipe off milk residues;
limiting walking time in winter, in wet weather - humidity and drafts reduce the immunity of the animal;
timely start before lambing - stop milking a goat 2 months before birth.

At the first sign or suspicion of mastitis, a veterinarian should be consulted.

Can I drink the milk of a sick goat

During the period of treatment for mastitis, milk production decreases, and sometimes stops.It is possible to milk a goat again after the next birth. In order not to pour out the milk expressed during an illness, goat breeders find a use for it: they boil it and give it to animals to drink, add it to cosmetics. The milk of a sick first-cat goat is never given to goats.

According to the recommendation of veterinarians, mastitis milk should not be eaten, as it contains bacterial waste products and causes poisoning in humans and animals.

For feeding the milk of a goat with mastitis is also not good. Young animals are retarded, suffer from indigestion and often pick up infections due to low immunity.