How do you know its mastitis?
Milk with flakes, chunks stringy stuff and or blood as well as odd color, such as green should be suspected as infected...you can test with the California Mastitis test ( CMT) to confirm at home as well as send a sample of the milk in for testing to ID the type of bacteria you are dealing with.
Treatment:
Traditionally producers use Today (in milk) or Tomorrow (dry) Mastitis infused antibiotics. 1/2 TUBE PER SIDE..., do not share tubes ..need a fresh tube for each side. to prevent reintroduction of bacteria.
DO NOT SAVE UNUSED PORTION!! REUSING CAN RE-INTRODUCE BACTERIA INTOT HE UDDER.
"ALWAYS wash hands, Udder/teat and all tools used before and after handling the goats. The importance of cleanliness in this procedure to avoid the introduction of dirt and bacteria into the teat. Neosporin antibacterial ointment is excellent for lubricating the cannula for easy insertion. Please pay attention to the proper positioning of the cannula inside the teat. Partial insertion, just beyond the sphincter muscle is correct. Full insertion can disrupt the keratin plug encouraging further bacterial infection."
Before you infuse the teat, the udder half should be thoroughly cleaned and dried and milked out as completely as possible and the milk thrown away. Apply the tip of the cannula just inside the teat opening or at least right up to it before applying the medication. Pinching the teat end with one hand, press the plunger and make sure the meds are going into the teat. Now pinch the teat end shut, and strip the meds up into the teat and up into the udder as far as you can. The treated side should be massaged after treating to work the medication as far up into the udder as possible- holding the tip of the teat closed after application and during massage. You can use Elmers glue to hold medication in the udder until next treatment. Peels off easily or with warm washing.
A good visual resource on how to use the Today or Tomorrow antibiotic can be found at
http://goat-link.com/content/view/122/123/1/2/#.VuM7yIwrLUR
You can also use Penicillin in place of the Today or Tomorrow tubes by drawing a dose up, remove the needle and slip a cannula on the syringe...proceed as you would with Today or Tomorrow...
Some folks advise to do injectable antibiotic such as penicillin while doing the treatment to support moms body...how ever you can feed fresh garlic clove or paste to help.
I would also add a few non traditional ideas
Garlic paste:
This is known as a healing herb. A natural antibiotic. It can penetrate the udder wall and help fight infection. You can also feed this to your goat for added benefit, some of my goats will eat it right off the spoon.
To make the paste simply blend fresh peeled garlic gloves in enough ex. virgin olive oil to make a paste...
Vit C: Vit c helps detox the body. There for this can help mom fight infection by supporting her. I buy organic powder form to mix with water and drench..many goats however enjoy the chewable or gummies. Keep in mind, vit c is taken from corn ..so will be gmo unless its organic...
Moms own milk
Feeding the Does own bad milk back to her will help her body detect the bacteria and build antibodies to help her fight. I would give 30 cc a few times...I prefer to milk the udder out to the cleanest serving.
Some will leave kids on mom to help keep her drained...But I cant see how this can be good for baby...I would pull and bottle feed...you might tape moms teats to prevent baby from nursing so they can stay and bond with mom...Most important is keeping the udder milked out as often as you can...keep her eating and drinking and boost her immune system so it helps in the fight.
Once mom is all better...her kids can again nurse off mom...:) Producer needs to be aware, there is a good chance this doe will freshen with mastitis on each freshening and should take precautions...such as daily garlic : )
Milk with flakes, chunks stringy stuff and or blood as well as odd color, such as green should be suspected as infected...you can test with the California Mastitis test ( CMT) to confirm at home as well as send a sample of the milk in for testing to ID the type of bacteria you are dealing with.
Treatment:
Traditionally producers use Today (in milk) or Tomorrow (dry) Mastitis infused antibiotics. 1/2 TUBE PER SIDE..., do not share tubes ..need a fresh tube for each side. to prevent reintroduction of bacteria.
DO NOT SAVE UNUSED PORTION!! REUSING CAN RE-INTRODUCE BACTERIA INTOT HE UDDER.
"ALWAYS wash hands, Udder/teat and all tools used before and after handling the goats. The importance of cleanliness in this procedure to avoid the introduction of dirt and bacteria into the teat. Neosporin antibacterial ointment is excellent for lubricating the cannula for easy insertion. Please pay attention to the proper positioning of the cannula inside the teat. Partial insertion, just beyond the sphincter muscle is correct. Full insertion can disrupt the keratin plug encouraging further bacterial infection."
Before you infuse the teat, the udder half should be thoroughly cleaned and dried and milked out as completely as possible and the milk thrown away. Apply the tip of the cannula just inside the teat opening or at least right up to it before applying the medication. Pinching the teat end with one hand, press the plunger and make sure the meds are going into the teat. Now pinch the teat end shut, and strip the meds up into the teat and up into the udder as far as you can. The treated side should be massaged after treating to work the medication as far up into the udder as possible- holding the tip of the teat closed after application and during massage. You can use Elmers glue to hold medication in the udder until next treatment. Peels off easily or with warm washing.
A good visual resource on how to use the Today or Tomorrow antibiotic can be found at
http://goat-link.com/content/view/122/123/1/2/#.VuM7yIwrLUR
You can also use Penicillin in place of the Today or Tomorrow tubes by drawing a dose up, remove the needle and slip a cannula on the syringe...proceed as you would with Today or Tomorrow...
Some folks advise to do injectable antibiotic such as penicillin while doing the treatment to support moms body...how ever you can feed fresh garlic clove or paste to help.
I would also add a few non traditional ideas
Garlic paste:
This is known as a healing herb. A natural antibiotic. It can penetrate the udder wall and help fight infection. You can also feed this to your goat for added benefit, some of my goats will eat it right off the spoon.
To make the paste simply blend fresh peeled garlic gloves in enough ex. virgin olive oil to make a paste...
Vit C: Vit c helps detox the body. There for this can help mom fight infection by supporting her. I buy organic powder form to mix with water and drench..many goats however enjoy the chewable or gummies. Keep in mind, vit c is taken from corn ..so will be gmo unless its organic...
Moms own milk
Feeding the Does own bad milk back to her will help her body detect the bacteria and build antibodies to help her fight. I would give 30 cc a few times...I prefer to milk the udder out to the cleanest serving.
Some will leave kids on mom to help keep her drained...But I cant see how this can be good for baby...I would pull and bottle feed...you might tape moms teats to prevent baby from nursing so they can stay and bond with mom...Most important is keeping the udder milked out as often as you can...keep her eating and drinking and boost her immune system so it helps in the fight.
Once mom is all better...her kids can again nurse off mom...:) Producer needs to be aware, there is a good chance this doe will freshen with mastitis on each freshening and should take precautions...such as daily garlic : )