Author Topic: Swollen ewe udder - mastitis? (Read 1025 times)

Eeyore-77 · « **on:** October 01, 2022, 06:16:30 pm »

Hi I saw a ewe with a swollen left udder this evening.
Lambs were split from ewes two weeks ago, so had thought this would be gone by now. They’ve been put in a small paddock with some quite poor grass in it, no lick or cake.
Udder was the same temp as the other side and I milked it down till they were the same size.
First yellow cottage cheese came out then some thick runny milk with the odd bit of cottage cheese, then at the end there was a little bit of blood coming out too, but not heaps. The udder felt like it had hard “cables” inside it.
I’ve penned her up with a few others for company, and I’m going to give them some hay and water for a few other days and milk it down each day till it’s dry.
Anything else I should do? I’ve not got any medication for this, and she seems normal (aloof, obnoxious etc) otherwise.
Thanks

shep53 · « **Reply #1 on:** October 01, 2022, 06:27:04 pm »

Since you have no medication then phone your vet Monday morning might give you a dry cow tube , friendly dairy farmer ? maybe injection ?

Eeyore-77 · « **Reply #2 on:** October 01, 2022, 06:39:42 pm »

Thanks Shep,
What kind of meds should she get?
Thanks.

Anke · « **Reply #3 on:** October 01, 2022, 07:16:00 pm »

Yes a dry cow tube (anti biotic cream straight into the udder/teat) would be what I would do as well. You can get one from the vets, they should have no problem prescribing one under the cascade system. Failing that it would be a course of injectable AB's, most likely over 5 days or so, one injection a day. Again vet would advise on which one best.

Eeyore-77 · « **Reply #4 on:** October 01, 2022, 07:37:18 pm »

Thank you. I’ll get in touch with the vet and ask for this.
Should I keep milking her off. Nd massaging the udder?
Do they normally recover alright if caught early enough?

shep53 · « **Reply #5 on:** October 01, 2022, 07:57:47 pm »

Keep going until you speak to your vet ,if a tube in the udder then it needs to stay in to work , because you got in early then the quarter should be fine but maybe not 100%

Eeyore-77 · « **Reply #6 on:** October 01, 2022, 08:12:11 pm »

Thanks Shep.

twizzel · « **Reply #7 on:** October 02, 2022, 06:14:43 am »

Don’t forget anti inflammatory from the vet too. I’d not breed from her again, her udder will be damaged and she could potentially infect other ewes at lambing

I had a ewe I thought I caught really early this year, she kept milking on that side and was generally ok. Turned her over yesterday and udder is lumpy. Pulling her out today as the rams are going in.

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #8 on:** October 02, 2022, 07:47:49 pm »

Cows recover from mastitis well but sheep rarely milk well after. You'll often find a ewe looking and her udder feeling okay at pre-tupping checks, but failing to feed her lambs the year after, or managing if it's a single but not if she has twins. I now, with regret, cull every time and also try to not breed from that line, we have noticed that propensity to mastitis runs in families.

Eeyore-77 · « **Reply #9 on:** October 03, 2022, 07:56:46 pm »

Hi
I got antibiotics and anti inflammatory from the vet yesterday morning (open at 9am on a Sunday!!). Gave her shots yesterday of both and another dose of both due tomorrow. Then antibiotics on Thursday.
The vet said a tube could work too, but I’ve never fitted one and have never seen it done so just went with the injections, vet said it should be a similar outcome.
Stripped it down again yesterday although it was much reduced in swelling from Saturday evening, and just some thin liquid with a wee bit of blood in and the odd fleck of cottage cheese. Stripped it down tonight and the “cables” have all gone, and the there was just a little swelling on the tear with a hard feeling pad the size of a pack of playing cards inside the udder that was a fraction of the size of yesterday. Massaged it for about 20-30 minutes both days after discussing with the wife as I’ve never had this myself so she’s the expert. There was no difference in size between the udders when I left her, although you could just see there was a lump in the left one still though.
And I rubbed it all down with sudocream to help prevent me causing any infection from being too rough.
And she got an apple afterwards for being good.

Anke · « **Reply #10 on:** October 03, 2022, 08:16:32 pm »

If she is still a young ewe and everything else is alright, I would breed from her again, but make sure you scan and have another ewe with a single only (if she scans for twins) available to foster on.

Religiously culling for isolated incidence of mastitis is (IMO) not necessary in the smaller flock, esp if this is late mastitis on weaning and not soon after lambing. Suddenly removing the lambs while there is still some grass available just shows that this ewe is probably a good milky one and wasn't ready to wean her lamb(s) just yet. I always remove the males (even when wethered) and leave the females on their dams to wean naturally.