[Overplugged]

My Nigerian goat is our main milk source (she kidded last December so no kids to worry about). Today she appears to have a swollen left udder which is tender. It's not horrible, but I know that we have to treat it immediately. Ordering meds requires waiting for Valley Vet to ship, so we're talking about 4 days before any meds not already on hand will arrive.

Here's what we did so far:

Temp was 106 (subtract 1 degree because we're in AZ and it's hotter than blazes out here), so 105

Gave her Banamine Paste
Gave her 5cc of CD Antitoxin
Gave her 3cc of Biomycin
Gave her 1cc of ProBios
Milked her out (ick!)
Massaged her udder with hot compress.

She is eating, and pee seemed normal, didn't happen to see her poop but the poop around the stall seems fine. She lets us touch the udder so it's not too sore yet...the worst she does is move her back leg a bit.

What else can we do until the meds arrive--and would I be better with Today or Tomorrow or MastiClear? I have heard people swear by all three, so I'm at a loss.

Here's what else we have on hand:
Vit B Drench
Selenium
Pen C
Vit C tablets
SMZ/TMP tablets
All sorts of electrolytes

Please help, she's my favorite goat and the only one that doesn't have a mean streak.

 

[teejae]

Have you tried Vitamen C injections? and you can put Applecider Vinegar in a molasses drink or in her feed.What she really needs is anibiotics but then you wont be able to have the milk.I always put Apple cider in the feed mix anyway,my girls love it,teejae

 

[ksalvagno]

I would use the vitamin C tablets. I would also continue the warm compresses. I would also do the B Complex.

 

[nchen7]

vitamin C, and raw garlic would help too. also, i read peppermint oil with the compress/massage helps with clearing up mastitis.

 

[canthavejust1]

I've read that feeding them back some of the milk will help them develop antibodies to fight the infection. I'm sure its not a quick fix tho

 

[happybleats]

Feed her back her milk...I know its weird but works...her body detects the illness and begins making antibodies to kill it off...30 cc is what I gave two times a day for a few days..

everything else you gave and did for her is great...

 

[Overplugged]

Happybleats,

Did you also give her a mastitis treatment like Today or Tomorrow, etc, or did the milk feeding alleviate it fully?

 

[happybleats]

I didnt treat with anything but her milk...what she had was clumpy milk...like cheese clumps...her udder was very hard and lumpy..I did the CMT and it had a weak gel..but this method has been tried and worked for many..I will try to find the article I first read on this...the idea is the goats own body fights against mastisis....any time My goats have any udder issue it is the first thing I do and it clears up by the next day..not to return..I have never had a severe case by treating my girls with thier own milk....I would go ahead and try it...if by the time your meds get there she is not improved..then treat.....Ill find that article for you..

 

[happybleats]

ok..the article I was going to give a link to no longer exists lol...of course...Irene Ramsay is the person who wrote how for many years its the only method they used for Mastisis...and I can not find any supporting info other than my own experiance, and possibly a few onhere who has seen success with giving the doe her own milk.. so as I said before...certainly wont hurt to try and if she is not improving when you get your meds...treat with that...if this did not work I would treat with antibiotics as well..

 

[Overplugged]

Hi Cathy,

Thanks. I only got 5cc of milk out of her today, but I fed it back to her. She looks pathetic and tired and it doesn't help that it's 104 degrees outside.

Temp is down to 104.5 (then I subtract the 1 degree for living in hot hot weather) so with the Banamine she's at a high normal.

Should I keep giving her the Biomycin or switch to Pen C, you think? I see lots of sites that list dosage but not duration for the Biomycin. We gave it to her late last night.

Thanks!

 

[happybleats]

Biomycin is the same medication as LA 200 but without the sting : ) Its 1 cc per 20# for five days...I would keep up for three full five days...
Message that udder well and get as much as that bad milk out as you can...

 

[Overplugged]

She looks miserable. We just did the second tube of Today and she is lethargic and won't get up. I gave her Vit B, Probios, and she's day 2 into the Biomycin.

Her milk is clump free but it's obvious that her udder is very sore. It's no harder than it was yesterday, but seems more painful for her. Temp is normal.

I would send in a culture but I think it's too late, and that would have to be done without a vet, as vets here don't care much about goats. I'm still waiting for my CAE tests from a month ago.

Any ideas, anyone, if I should start something broader spectrum like Pen G? I don't want to pump her up with too many meds.

Going to try peppermint and tea tree oil rub on the outside of the udder now.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[happybleats]

are you keeping the effected side milked out? Are you giving her Vit C? if not I would..large doses might help along with the peppermint and tea tree oil..warm compresses and messages...make sure to use a carrier oil with the ess. oils, like coconut oil or sweet almond oil or anything you have on hand..

 

[Overplugged]

Yes to milking out (you can't milk for 12 hrs after giving a tube of Today), but after that, yes
Yes to Vitamin C (she hates it)
Yes to peppermint and tea tree oil mixed with coconut oil and massaged on udder. It really hurts her to do that--lots of teeth grinding!

I finally called the vet on the pretense of getting the CAE results (not in yet, big surprise); he said to give her 4 cc of Pen G twice a day and he gave me oxytocin for administering 20 mins before we milk, to loosen up the junk inside, for the next 6 milkings.

Just included that info for the future goat owners that have this same problem.

First shot of Pen G hasn't made much of a difference in her yet though.

Thanks for your help.