# Pimples on teat. Thinking staph...Photos...



## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

I have a FF Alpine that has these pimples on her teat, just four, from what I can see. I've read about the staph dermatitis and thinking this is it. 
I know how bad it can get, and have read stories about it.
What can I do to stop this thing?
I don't want it to get worse, or spread to her other teat or whole udder, and I most definitely do not want her to get mastitis! 
This is what it looked like yesterday morning:


























And this is what it looked like this morning, one of the pimples had popped and the scab is hanging:


































I've always used a chlorehexidine/glycerin/water teat spray for before and after milking. I spray the teats, wait 30 seconds, wipe, milk, and spray after milking. She does not lay down right after. And I've been spraying the inside of her legs also.
So, while milking, I've been wrapping her teat with a strip of paper towel, because the pimples bleed from the pressure of milking. Her teat is not hot, but it is swollen and red a little bit where the pimples are.
Her milk does not look different, but should I dump the milk, or is okay to drink?
Should I continue spraying her with the chlorhexidine? How often? 
What about Neosporin or Desitin, should I use those? What about antibiotics?
Also, should I start wearing gloves, in case it's staph?
Am I doing anything wrong?


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## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

Those are very good photos. I've never seen that. Looking forward to knowing what that is!


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## smithurmonds (Jan 20, 2011)

We had staph dermititis once when we first started. It wasn't like you have pictured- it was just little pimples like acne or hives. Maybe just a difference in severity? I hope someone can provide a definitive answer.

The best advice I've heard regarding the subject of staph is to keep up the does' immunity. I do really think this is the case because despite the icky Southern humidity we've not had it again.


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## Guest (Nov 17, 2012)

It looks more like soremouth sores to me... I have also had staph derm.. and it did not look like this... Hopefully someone else will come on here and state what they think....


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

I hope it's not soremouth! 
We did pull her doeling right at birth, so she never nursed a kid. We don't have any nursing kids right now, so I don't see how her teat could get soremouth....
Our neighbor's kids did have hand foot and mouth disease a couple weeks ago, but they never touched our goat, and I 've always used hand sanitizer with alcohol on my hands before and after milking.
Should I separate her from my other goats?
And do I milk her last?
We have 3 does and 4 doelings, and right now I'm only milking 2 FFs.


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

Oh, and I meant our neighbor's "human" kids had hand, foot, and mouth.


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

I don't think they have to be exposed from mouth to teat. They catch the virus and then it can break out on teats and mouth and even vulva. 
I would definitely milk her last and keep her separate if possible.


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## Guest (Nov 17, 2012)

And use gloves for yourself, humans can get it and it is painful.. sores that take a long time to heal.. I am not saying this is what it is.. but could be.. and its the scabs that drop on the ground that will spread it to some other goats.. 
Research Orf or soremouth in goats... you might find something that helps..


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Without a kid nursing or her having soremoth in her mouth, there is no way it is on her teats.

You can take a scab and scrap with a Q-tip the area under the scape, put it into a vacutainer tube and have your vet send it off to be cultured. Some labs will only take the material if don't by the vet so ask first.

Yes you need to be wearing gloves when you milk, and cleaning the gloves between does. Certainly milk a doe like this last.

Are you copper bolusing? Is your loose mineral a good one? There are injectable minerals that contain Zinc that you can ordered from your vet, I would be using this on this doe. I would also redo her bo-se and perhaps give it to her monthly for awhile. This isn't the time of year for staph dermatitis here, it usually is from dirty bedding from our cool humid winters, treated or not clears up easily when our war weather returns and the barns are cleaned out. Do not start bombarding her with meds until you get a diagnosis back...I would be using 2% chlorhexideen as a spray and nothing added to it. You want to make sure you don't bring on pemphgus, which is sort of like shingles in humans, where the immune response kicks in and starts adding more skin layers before the bottom layers are sloughed. You can try a treatment with dexamethazone, trying to short circuit the body from doing this.

The problem with using zincoxide, like destine is that you can't clean it off, and everything sticks to it....and nesporin is only a petrolum jelly with some antibacterial on it, once again when you put goop like this on your goats skin in our humidity it simply helps more staph grow...because what is the perfect enviornmment for staph...warm and moist, which is exactly what the skin is like under a layer of salve. Good luck with this. Vicki


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

No, I haven't been copper bolusing, I know, I should be. The loose mineral I have is the Sweetlix 16/8 Meat Maker one. 
Ok, no meds and no salves. I'll not add the glycerin to the chlorhex spray.
I've noticed before milking, the bumps look closed up and smooth, maybe dry, like they are healing, but during milking, they always open and bleed and look aggravated (even if I barely squeeze while milking).
Should I stop milking her completely to dry her up? She is most likely pregnant with March kids. She hasn't gone into heat since Oct when I bred her.


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## sherrie (Jul 22, 2008)

What came out of the pimple that was burst? Had a FF nubian last year that some pimples that sorta looked like this. But they were further up on the teat and udder. When those burst they had a clear thick fluid. Didn't test the scab that time, but if I get another one this year, I will.


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

Nothing came out, maybe some clear liquid, like pus? There was what looked like a whitehead dot inside, but I didn't try picking at it to get it out.
What if my vet wanted to give her meds or salve or something after scraping her sore...who should I trust? You all, or a vet? She is a young vet who graduated from A&M, but I don't know how much she knows about goats...


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

It's your choice on who to trust, but I would trust those here first.

And don't give dex to a pregnant doe.


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## funnyfarmtexas.com (Oct 3, 2012)

just my opinion - never once heard of ANY vet whatsoever knowing more about goat husbandry/care than a long time goat keeper. i know for a fact that vets call goat keepers for help.

my daughter's knows someone who is in college in Georgia studying goat care/medical? i told her to have him call me and i will tell him how it really is. LOL - and i know jack doodley compared to most. I just know the school of hard knocks is much more effective than what vets learn about goats.


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## Qadosh Adamah Lamanchas (Nov 2, 2012)

:yeahthat However, when you find a vet who raises goats themself or literally specializes in small ruminants, then you have a gem. Don't let them go!


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

You don't by any chance have lime down in your barn?


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

Nope, no lime. I was looking for some lime at stores, but never found any..


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

A start up dairy purchase a few of my does and called complaining about staph dermatitis on their udders and vulva. I was pretty certain since the does had lived on my place for 3 years, were vaccinated with Lysigin that this was not the case unless it was filthy there (another breeder had been there recently to know it was clean). To clean, as I kept asking more and more questions and asked if he had recently limed his pens. The does didn't have staph dermatitis, they had lime burns. Vicki


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## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

When I had a doe with a stubborn case of dermatitis, it finally went away with desitin. The desitin would dry up somewhat, unlike some other salves and stuff didn't really stick to it. It would also dry up the pimples and did not need to be used daily after the first two days. We had little while pimples. They did not open up really big like the teat sore in your picture. A culture is probably a good idea, among all the other suggestions.


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## Brianna (Jun 10, 2020)

Did you ever get this figured out? I currently have a first freshener with the same issue and its puzzled the vet!


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## Nigerianlover (Jun 25, 2020)

Hey!
About a year ago, I had a Nigerian doe with the same problem. All I did was avoid the pimples as much as possible, wear gloves if you want to (or wash your hands extremely well), and USE BAG BALM. After u milk the doe, smother the pimple(s) with the cream and be generous. It's ok if she tries to lick it off, it won't hurt her Hope that helps!


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