[Jode]

We have an 8 year old pygmy goat with a phantom pregnancy and very swollen udder. First noticed 3 weeks ago. Vet gave estrumate to try and correct her hormones, anti infllammatory and we gave 5 days antibiotics. We bathed her udder but vet said to avoid expressing so as not to stimulate milk supply.. Her mood improved but not her udder. A week ago the vet returned and gave another dose of estrumate and a different, long acting antibiotic. This time she expressed lots of milk, some of which was lumpy, to relieve the pressure. Gave instructions to stop feeding her pygmy goat feed for two weeks. Udder is still very large and uncomfortable. Does anyone have experience of treating this successfully? We have no Billy onsite and she has kidded once, 5 years ago

[Anke]

If the milk is lumpy, udder hard and hot etc - you will have mastitis there - so continue with the AB's for a while, and yes painkillers (as in anti-inflammatories) are necessary to give at least every other day. While she is filling her udder up, I would try and clear the infected milk, as in strip her out once a day. Once the infection has cleared, I would go to every other day and then reduce slowly. If she is to kid again at some point the mastitis may well return as there is a high chance that you will have residual infection in there.


I would completely withdraw any kind of concentrate, so only hay and water, nothing else. As she is not going to rear a kid she will not need any concentrate all summer, I would just feed her a good daily amount of branches - once she is properly dry and the mastitits has cleared up - along with hay/grass by grazing. She won't need any additional feed.


I would generally question the need for pygmy goat mix in a non-breeding herd, a low protein maintenance mix of shreds and some oats should be perfectly fine.