# Doe won't dry up - and it's been YEARS!



## valsey (Jan 31, 2010)

I have a couple of toggenbergs who are really just pets. I have very little experience milking goats and it wasn't my intention to be a producer (the seller sold her to me bred, unbeknownst to me). My doe kidded in 2006 and had gangrene mastitis in 2008 - she recovered, lost the teat and is fine. I haven't milked her since she kidded. The donkey however may have been getting milk (may have cause the mastitis...?) Her remaining teat had been huge for a really long time - years - I honestly thought that it was just blown, but one day it was just suddenly 'deflated', so there must be milk in the teat and udder. The teat is still deflated but her udder is full and hard. Not hot, but I am fearful of mastitis again. Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought it was best to leave it alone and not milk her so she will dry up....but for years and years? Surely she has milk and is not drying up, but can't be producing milk or she would have exploded by now. Vets around here are little help. Can anyone advise me what to do? Can the milk in her udder cause her harm? She is not grained except for ¾ cup daily in the winter only.


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