# Subclinical Staph Mastitis help needed



## firecattx (Nov 18, 2010)

My doe has a tentative diagnosis of subclinical staph mastitis based on her completely lopsided udder. It will take some time to send in a sample and hear back. She has had this since freshening about 10 weeks ago. We didn't think it was mastitis since she showed no symptoms, we thought she was self-sucking. Anyway, what can I do while I wait for the lab report? Do I dry her up? She is still giving 8 cups on the good side of her udder, is it okay to keep and drink that milk? Any advice is appreciated!


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## todog (Dec 10, 2011)

using the milk is up to you but my vet advised me to pasturize it for consumption. he also advised me not to dry her up till after the lab report came back. since the sides are completely separate i milked the good side and used it and then milked the bad side and threw it out. just be sure you dont contaminate the good side with your hands or equiptment or dip. sorry for the problems your haveing its never a cake walk with goats but more like a rollacoaster.


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## AlaynaMay (May 12, 2012)

Hi there! I am currently helping a friend whose cow has this, so have been doing a lot of research on it. According to Pat Coleby (an excellent Australian author of several books on natural animal care), dolomite and Vitamin C will clear it up. The dolomite (calcium and magnesium) strengthen the udder and bring it back into balance, and the vitamin C strengthens the goat and helps her get over the infection. I have had GREAT results with Vit. C clearing up infection. I used powdered ascorbic acid (we buy ours from Vitacost). Just dissolve it in water, and squirt it down the goat's throat a couple times a day. Give her a lot- it's hard to overdose and small amounts probably won't do enough. I personally have taken large amounts (8,000-16,000 mmgs.) at one time with no ill effects, and have used it in large doses on my animals. We have seen some very good results, and no bad ones. About a tablespoon per day should do it, and the same of dolomite or cal/mag (make sure it's the right ratio). And like I said, it's hard to overdose on Vitamin C. I gave my buck 10,000 mmgs per day to clear up a nasty foot infection. (Side note: He loved carrots, so I would hollow one out and put in the C then fed it to him. It was sure easier than fighting to get it down his throat. ) Also, vitamin C and echinacea/goldenseal cleared up a persistent case of mastitis in our GP dog a few weeks ago.

In her book, Natural Goat Care, Pat Coleby mentioned an instance of subclinical mastitis (staph) where the goat had been unmilkable for 3 years, but cleared up completely and was back to normal after 4 weeks of this treatment. (She had bought the goat with the mastitis, it didn't get it on her farm.)

Hope this is helpful for you!
Alayna


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

Alayna- You can use chewable vitamin C and almost all goats love it! So, you don't have to force it on them!


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Or the crystals. They love that, too. I just sprinkle on the milkstand grain.

You really do want to send in a sample, though. If you can't send it in right away, take a sample, freeze it for future testing, then treat with Today and see if that helps. That way, the Today may work, but if it doesn't, you still have a clean sample to send in for testing.


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## AlaynaMay (May 12, 2012)

I've used the chewables before, and they loved them but it's just a lot more expensive, so I have to use the plain powder. I never heard of the crystals...
Our friend with the cow gave her Today and it didn't help, but maybe it would work for you. Something else you could try is hydrogen peroxide teat infusions, sometimes that helps.


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## Rose (Oct 26, 2007)

The purpose of having the test is to find out what germ is causing the problem. Two things could have happened with failed "Today" treatments.

1. That antibiotic in Today was not an antibiotic that the specific germ causing the problem was vulnerable to.

2. The person who administered the infusion was not SCRUPULOUSLY clean doing the infusion.


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## AlaynaMay (May 12, 2012)

Possibly Today has been used so much that the bacteria are immune to it. This lady is the most scrupulously clean dairy person I know... Bleaches everything (stanchion mats included) daily, washes udder with soapy water, AND does iodine teat dips, etc.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Cleanliness is only one tiny part of it, nutritional deficiency, animals that have good immunity to parasites those are keys. The itis diseases, lamanitis (founder), mastitis, enteritis from cocci, pneumonia, are always caused by us....too much carbohydrates, unclean facilities with to many goats, not enough fresh air and bringing in diseased stock and not using quarantine, and udder health. Soapy water is super drying, it forms cracks along the orifice, on your hands and on their teats....all of these areas trap staph, nobody can have a staph free environment, especially in the south, it's on your clothes and in their bedding....one overfull udder leaking milk, you have staph. I so do not agree about not treating this, and it takes more than just an infusion to cure it. I would never allow a doe to dry up with mastitis untreated. Vicki


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## firecattx (Nov 18, 2010)

We have called LSU for 4 straight days now and can't get anyone to answer. In the meantime, I have the following questions:

1. I have read that goat serum concentrate can be used sub-Q as well as an infusion to help with mastitis. Does anyone have experience with using it for this purpose?
2. Stupid Question :blush Does goat serum concentrate have a certain milk withdrawal period?
3. The side of the udder that has subclinical mastitis is only producing a squirt of milk (literally). How can we get a sample if there isn't any milk?


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

I do not recommend goat serum concentrate at all. It is actually a blood product and there is no guarantee they have collected their products from healthy, CAE- animals.
A squirt or two of milk is really all that you will need. If necessary go out several times and squirt some into your specimen tube. I aim for 3ccs to send off and that has been plenty.


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

Cultures of any sort only take like a drop of stuff. If they are doing it in the way I'm thinking, the loop they use is tiny. Really, you don't want that much stuff when streaking out a plate, because it would be more difficult to isolate organisms if they were really thick.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Thank you for coming to the forum before putting something crazy up your goats udder. In the olden days when I was new they used Shakley Basic H and/or Tide...yes detergent. Why? I have no idea they would even make their does drink it in their water. Please don't use any of the hocus pocus stuff yuppie goat catalogs in them...a very good rule of thumb is if it is not sold for cattle, don't bother, no cattleman is going to put fluff up their goat teats or can afford it. 

I have no idea why they are not answering, I don't use anyone else anymore to even tell you who to call to use someone else. Perhaps Scott Horner at Prairie View Texas A&M.


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