# Goat with Staph



## Liberty Alpines (Nov 14, 2007)

Hello: :help2

I have a goat that has had a case of staph mastitis for almost 6 months. It was confirmed by LSU in the Fall, and I immediately started treating with antibiotics, SQ and up her teat. Nothing seemed to work, and so, after trying many different antiobiotics, as well as MANY different herbal treatments, I stopped. None of the vets I deal with know much about dairy goats, especially with dealing with advanced mastitis. I stopped trying things because I couldn't spend any more money on this goat and nothing was working. She had an abscess, which finally popped and was drained. In the past two weeks or so, I have been noticing two more abscesses developing on the back of her udder. When I milk her out, (which I've been doing every 2 weeks or so) pus liquid comes out. I know I must do _something_ with her as I don't want any of my other goats getting staph. I have been careful to use gloves when messing with her, throwing the pus way out in the woods, etc. but I know my other does can still get it. I am going to have to take her to auction or something if I cannot get her well. I would hate to do this as she was my best milker last year, but I can't ruin the rest of my herd. What I am asking you is: Do you have anything else to suggest before I have to get rid of her once and for all? Any suggestions would be appreciated. She has had these drugs:
ToDay
Tomorrow
Pirsue
Bio-mycin
Penicillin? 
I wanted to try gentamicin, but my vet wouldn't rx it to me.

Thank you! I have learned much from all of you!

Kristin


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

I would either have the udder removed if she is valuable to your bloodline (and this is common) or cull her. First because the staph is now resistant, because likely the amounts of drug or length of time to use the drug was wrong. Vets who don't treat dairy goats have no idea what to use. And like you see now the staph then walls off, burst outside the body, usually when the doe is dry.

You will note that when we talk mastitis we talk in protocoals. Systemic injections for as long as 10 days, meds added to udder infusions, and off the milkstring for weeks, especially if gentamycin is given systemically. Pennicillin on it's own won't do anything for mastitis, and can't be mixed with tetracycline...which does nothing for staph. Naxcel would have been a better choice if he wasn't going to let you use gentamycin. Vicki


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## Sondra (Oct 25, 2007)

Personally I would cull the doe also hope your other goats don't go out in the woods. Burning the residue from the abscess would be a better idea.


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## LMonty (Oct 25, 2007)

Did the report form LSU tell you what kind of staph? Staph aureus is common IIRC. 
The incidences of MRSA -methycillen resistant staph aureus- is way up in the human population. I am wondering if it has spread to animals too, and an udder infection would really make sense. MRSA is resistant to most antibiotics. Funny thing is the sensitivity reports on many of the human MRSA infections Ive seen lately show sensitivity to Bactrim which is cheap and easy to come by. 
Can you get a sensitivity done on the pus? Its gonna cost a few bucks, but it will tell you what antibiotics will work and that has got to be cheaper than shotgunning stuff and having no luck. 

Tea tree oil in concentrations greater than 5% have been shown to kill staph, even MRSA. If I was in the same boat, I would try that on the external abcesses if nothing else seems to work. Maybe mix some 1/2 and 1/2 with a carrier oil like peanut or olive, and just dab it on. Maybe add aalittle DMSo to get it to absorb deep into the tissue? 

Pig gentamycin is available without a prescription. gent doesnt always work on staph though, at least not in the human infections I am familiar with. Is it known to work on mastitis staph? 

I'll apologize for the thread drift in advance, but this situation brings to mind a question I have been wondering about. Does anyone know if there is any reason why dilute DMSO would be unsafe INSIDE an udder? Since it helps carry whatever solution it is in deep into the tissue, I have wondered if it would be a good additive to udder infusions-it might carry the antibiotic into the tissue where the infection is, and give it a better chance of clearing it up. PURELY THEORETICAL, I am NOT suggesting this since I have no idea if theres any danger to it or not. 

I do know someone who tried a homemade infusion with peanut oil, antibiotics, 10% DMSO and 7.5% tea tree oil. I know that the thick, blood streaked vasesline like crud that was in the udder went away in one day and theres still clean appearing milk coming out. Since that mastitis wasnt tested and no C&S was done before or after the treatment, theres no way to tell if it was really helpful or not. And since its only been about 10 days since it was done, there really isnt any way to guarantee that there wasnt any harm done to the udder tissue. 

The normal amount of milk is coming out and there is no clumpy stringy or bloody stuff, no cheesy lumps, or any of the obvious acute mastitis signs. There is a little bit of edema around the teat that persists, but its improved. No way to tell if theres still a subclinical infection without further testing, so no way to evaluate if this might be a possibleoption for resistant mastitis. Although it sounds good, I cant even tell if it was safe yet, and this person got lucky, or if the poor things udder will eventually fall off. 

If I was at the "shoot or ship" stage on an animal, I might consider giving it a try, but I'd have to feel awfully adventurous. I have to admit to being curious if anyone has ever heard of using DMSO like this, and if they know why not if it is contraindicated.


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## homeacremom (Nov 6, 2007)

I'm very interested in this conversation! After I get results back on my doe I have thought about trying a garlic tea tree combo in a coconut oil base before using any antibiotics. If I got results from the natural stuff I would retest before following up with conventional treatments. It seems in the human cases I personally know about the fresh garlic/teatree oil is clearing up staph quickly and completely. 
Funny I was just thinking today about using some DMSO for penetration... but in a topical application.
I must be feeling adventurous. :lol


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## Sondra (Oct 25, 2007)

There are reports of using along with Vit E to disolve scar tissue but tho some have used it as an infusion it is recommend to use it topically 
Personally if I had a goat I was going to put down anyway I would give it a try but would be real hesitant to use it on a good goat that the normal proceedures of gent/ and pirsue would probably save the udder and the goat.


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## homeacremom (Nov 6, 2007)

Yeah, I wouldn't want to try anything other than topical "alternatives" until the case was beyond salvaging with normal drugs. An infusion of the wrong kind could really mess things up... 
Some days I wish I had a herd of brush goats to experiment with. :rofl But then again it wouldn't be a fair comparison to the heavy milking gals.


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