The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: Loki on December 08, 2018, 05:09:47 pm
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Hi,
Hoping someone can help. I have a Saanen female who we think is almost 8 years (came to us from RSPCA 3.5 yrs ago). Never been bred by me but has had two phantom pregnancies. First time, udder stripped out by vet and a jag to bring her into season. Year later, same thing. However, this time vet stripped her out and was surprised at the fact that she was still lactating. Long story short, SEVERE mastitis which didn’t respond to treatment, huge sore udder. So, on Dec 2nd, vet cut off end of udder. Released a huge amount of gunk but a week on it still coming. She’s very sore and it very distressing to see. She’s on Betamox and metacam and the milk still seems to be coming.
I can’t find any info. relevant to drying up a goat that hasn’t actually had a kid in at least four years. A friend recommended giving bicarbonate of soda to help dry up one of my mares but would this work for goats?
Vet is back from holiday on Monday so I plan a chat but in the meantime, any advice/experience would be welcome.
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Out of interest, what treatment was it that she didn’t respond to?
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I have no idea really, but what is she being fed on? Only hay if you want to dry her up, no concentrates whatsoever. No warm water to drink.
The vet cut off the end of the udder?????
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I know of a male goat that had a mastectomy for severe mastitis.
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Hi, she started on Betamox then Alamycin. Back on Betamox. Never been fed concentrates (except when she’s occasionally managed to raid the chicken pellets) Never been milked by me just these phantom pregnancies which caused lactation.
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Is your vets a proper large animal vet, or more small animal?
I have very limited experience but when my sheep have had Mastitis and I had a phone consult with my vets I said I had Alamycin and could I use that and my vet replied that it was not strong enough to deal with Mastitis and he gave me a totally different antibiotic? and also Obenin (I think) that you inject through the teat into the udder.
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Hi there,
Sorry to hear about your goat! I don't know how you feel about herbal remedies but I have found a method that has worked really well for me with my goats- garlic and ginger fed once a day,( I give mine powdered but I'm sure whichever way you can get her to eat it would be fine), and once a day bath the udder in dock leaves covered with boiling water; like a dock leaf tea. Let it cool but wash her udder with it while it is still warm, and using a cloth to really massage it in anywhere you feel hard lumps in her bag helps even more. If she'll eat the dock leaves when you've finished making the tea it shouldn't hurt her either. Sounds crazy I know! I've heard of a lot of people fasting goats that have mastitis but I've always fed the nanny reduced hay and the remedies above and it's cleared them up fine!
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Vet should have prescribed teat antibiotic tubes to be administered twice daily after stripping out. I’d move vets ASAP
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Vet should have prescribed teat antibiotic tubes to be administered twice daily after stripping out. I’d move vets ASAP
I agree entirely. It isn't just a case of Alamycin not being strong enough, but a normal injection just does not get through to the udder. For mastitis there are specific tubes of antibiotic which have a very thin nozzle and this is inserted up the teat canal (NOT injected) so that it is in direct contact with the infection inside the udder.
I agree with Sbom - if your vet was ignorant of such a basic treatment of mastitis, then I should certainly find another.
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Vet should have prescribed teat antibiotic tubes to be administered twice daily after stripping out. I’d move vets ASAP
I agree entirely. It isn't just a case of Alamycin not being strong enough, but a normal injection just does not get through to the udder. For mastitis there are specific tubes of antibiotic which have a very thin nozzle and this is inserted up the teat canal (NOT injected) so that it is in direct contact with the infection inside the udder.
I agree with Sbom - if your vet was ignorant of such a basic treatment of mastitis, then I should certainly find another.
Actually using cow tubes on goats is not straightforward, as the size of the orifice in a goat's udder is often too small and it needs an experienced vet or goatkeeper to insert them. My vet doesn't do it, and I use a strong antibiotic like Noroclav. The vet should have however taken a milk sample and get it analysed for the bacteria strain in order to be able to prescribe the right AB's.
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There are smaller tubes than cow ones. I've used them on a goat but can't remember what animal they were design for.