# Blisters on Udder?



## KozaGirl (Jan 27, 2011)

This picture was taken when my doe was 2 weeks freshened, with twins. Are these blisters normal? Most of them on the rear of her udder have "popped" but she still has a few on the underside and a couple up in front of her teats. We thought at first maybe it was just irritation from kidding, all the mucous, blood, hay, etc...
But now that we are going on 4 weeks, I am starting to wonder..
What say ye, experienced dairy goaters??
:lol


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## Rockinddtoggs (Jun 24, 2010)

I'm not going to be much help but as curious what others say as a couple of my newly fresh does have them as well.


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

Could be a staph infection. What I've found helpful: spray the entire udder and teats pre-milking with chlorhexidine, diluted according to what it says on the bottle. Dip teats afterwards as usual. Make sure her bedding or wherever she likes to lie down is clean and dry. Vaccinate with Lysigin (that's for staph mastitis, but will help with this, too). Milk her last if you have more than one goat so as not to spread it, and wear gloves (because you can toss them and it won't be on your hands afterwards, to prevent spreading and also because you can get it, too). Be clean, clean, clean!


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

Oh, and she probably won't like the being sprayed very much at first, particularly if it's cold, but she will get used to it.


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## dragonlair (Mar 24, 2009)

To me it looks like Staph too. I have an older Alpine doe who gets it when she freshens each year.


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## Guest (Mar 8, 2011)

Looks like staph, I had a doe that was vaccinated and cleaned very well with chlorhedine (spelling) and it would not clear up....Old goat guy at a show told me to put kopertox on it.. the copper stuff for hooves.. I did and it was gone overnight..


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## KozaGirl (Jan 27, 2011)

Fortunately, she's the only doe I am milking right now, so no chance of spreading to others...
What about Goat Pox? I have read about that in my Storey's book...
They are whitish blisters that just fill up with water.


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## Ozark Lady (Mar 21, 2010)

We had something that looked like that. About the same time, my children broke out with Chicken Pox.
So, I kind of thought the two were related.
Seems when one cleared so did the other, my children and the goats.
But it only lasted 10 days? not a month for sure!
Once they popped, we applied triple antibiotic to prevent infection, and we were careful about hand washing, before and after milking.
Cleanliness, and we just had to let it run its course in our case.
Oddly, it never spread on the goats, remained on the udders.
My children were covered, so I took them to the doctor, he said Chicken Pox.
We later discovered other neighbor children had it first, so my children caught it, and spread it to the goats.


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

Not Goat Pox. There is no Goat Pox in the US. www.cfsph.iastate.edu/Factsheets/pdfs/sheep_and_goat_pox.pdf


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Nope it is just staph, and it's a simple coincidence that your goats had Chicken Pox at the same time the goat had staph. They start as small fluid filled blisters that if left along, which you should do nothing more to them than spray with chlorhexideen, they pop and leave these flattened out circles that go away eventually. It's the reason I intially started using Lysigin. We rarely get staph dermatitis anymore in the milkers over the winter and wet spring.

Using Kopertox is smart to, it's copper...so think also about bolusing if that works. V


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## KozaGirl (Jan 27, 2011)

Thanks for the link!! Interesting!!
So, is this fairly normal? Should I beat myself up for doing something wrong? I am overly clean with my animals, and I wash her entire udder twice per day, as well as use Udder Butter, etc to keep her teats nice and soft...


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

You really should nix the udder butter, first because it's just petroleum based, second because it makes a barrier between the butter and the skin that is perfect for growing staph...warm and moist. Chlorhexideen is perfect to use, it has a lotiony feel to it but is an excellent product. If you have to use something to make the udder pretty, use a very light oil, and then really the tinest of amounts or use a towel to get most of it off.


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## peregrine (Dec 9, 2008)

I had a staph situation when I used dilute bleach as a pre-milk wipe, because it irritated her skin, caused dryness which opened her to staph. I now only use chlorhexidine pre-milk and then a homemade chlorhexidine spray dip for after. Also I do lysigin and haven't had a problem since. I also do not use gloves when I milk, but I wash my hands with chlorhexidine soap and a scrub brush especially around the nails prior to milking. I love nolvasan...


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Using bleach is just 1/4 cup to 1 gallon of water, and you can't use it as a prewash, it doesn't clean...bleach only disinfects clean. So wash the udder and teats with anything that cleans, then post dipping is about the teats only, which were cleaned before you milked. V


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## KozaGirl (Jan 27, 2011)

Can staph decrease milk production? We're just about to 7 lbs a day, but still waiting for that 8 lbs we were promised..although I brought this up before.. she is only going on 4 weeks freshened, and moved the day after she freshened...


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## prairie nights (Jan 16, 2009)

Diana, 

staph is an infection and while it is common, it is NOT normal. There are different kinds, some are only on the skin (dermatitis), some are inside the udder effecting milk.

I would not be using or selling milk from a doe with staph , even if it was just dermatitis since I did not have the milk tested. I would give this doe Lysigin and vaccinate all does from here on. Works like a charm. The protocol Vicki described how to keep it clean before it heals. Staph is not just rash, it can get very nasty.


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## Island Creek Farm (Jun 16, 2010)

Can Lysigin be given whenever? I don't think mine were ever vaccinated with it, I really would like to use it just in case, but they are going on their second freshening. Is it given yearly, or am I too late?


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Diana, who promised you 8 pounds? When I sell milkers I do tell folks how much she gives, I weigh milk each Monday, but I also write it out on contract that with the stress of the move they should be VERY happy if she milks 1/2 that, and if you freshen her on your own property next year you will love her! I haven't had too many complaints on the amount of milk my does milk even in new homes, but some does simply stress, don't milk as well on the new feed or are picked on moving into a new home by the other does. Vicki


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## Ozark Lady (Mar 21, 2010)

I looked it up. It might not be a coincidence after all:

The most common complication of chickenpox is secondary bacterial infection of the chickenpox lesions. The bacteria most likely to cause infection are Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes. The bacteria most commonly cause infections such as impetigo, furunculosis, cellulitis, erysipelas, and lymphadenitis. These infections are superficial, but there is a risk of the bacteria invading the bloodstream and causing bacteremia. People who develop bacteremia are at risk of developing bacterial pneumonia, meningitis, arthritis, osteomyelitis, sepsis, shock, and death. Chickenpox lesions that are secondarily infected should be treated with antibiotics. 

It is highly possible that my children had developed some staph in their lesions and transmitted these to the goats. But, kids and goats both healed up well, and with no further complications.


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## KozaGirl (Jan 27, 2011)

Vicki McGaugh Tx Nubians said:


> Diana, who promised you 8 pounds? When I sell milkers I do tell folks how much she gives, I weigh milk each Monday, but I also write it out on contract that with the stress of the move they should be VERY happy if she milks 1/2 that, and if you freshen her on your own property next year you will love her! I haven't had too many complaints on the amount of milk my does milk even in new homes, but some does simply stress, don't milk as well on the new feed or are picked on moving into a new home by the other does. Vicki


Vicki~ The lady we bought her from said she was an average 8 pounder a day... but I had brought this up before about me being paranoid, impatient, etc... I think mostly I am just nervous, with her being new for us, and this is all still new to us anyway...
You had mentioned before that I should give her at least 2 months to even speculate on her... after a move AND kidding all within 2 days... I'm sure like you said that next year on our place I will be happy with what she is giving. Considering I am getting 7 lbs a day right now, and I was only getting a quart a day with my last milker.... hahah!! I shouldn't be complaining!!!
And her milk is SOOO SWEET TOO!!!!


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## Goat Town (Nov 20, 2010)

You can use Lysign and J-5 any time. Neither has a milk withdrawl time. I vaccinate all of my does monthly with both because I've had cases of mastitis.


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## MayLOC (Oct 26, 2007)

Diana,
really I think if you just bought this doe 4 weeks ago and she was moved onto your place the day after she kidded and she is now milking 7 pounds, that she should very easily meet and most very likely exceed your goal of 8 lbs. at her next freshening, but most likely even this year as she hasn't even reached her peak time yet.

Not sure of your situation, but there are lots of other factors also. Like if you had other goats that she is having to adjust to on top of a new home and new owners/feed/routine/housing. If you bought her with a friend and she isn't in with anybody new, then that will make a big difference on her stress level or lack there of and thus her milk output for this year. Just think of how you can keep her happy and content and fed and she will make milk.

Next milking season you can critique her output. But personally I would be satisfied with how she is doing, even for a swiss breed I would be satisfied.


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

Yeah, seven pounds isn't too shabby! In my mind, the big girls should make at least a gallon to be keepers, but for new purchases or FF's, well, sometimes they bloom later.


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## dawnwinddg (Aug 29, 2010)

Staph is icky, but it can be dealt with (as several others have explained). We had a doe with staph in the 90s, and my mom insisted on milking and treating her, so that the kids (us) didn't get it. We didn't have the vaccines then. 
Particularly if she has an infection, she's doing just fine producing 7 lbs of milk. Give her time.


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## Nat (Apr 26, 2018)

NubianSoaps.com said:


> Nope it is just staph, and it's a simple coincidence that your goats had Chicken Pox at the same time the goat had staph. They start as small fluid filled blisters that if left along, which you should do nothing more to them than spray with chlorhexideen, they pop and leave these flattened out circles that go away eventually. It's the reason I intially started using Lysigin. We rarely get staph dermatitis anymore in the milkers over the winter and wet spring.
> 
> Using Kopertox is smart to, it's copper...so think also about bolusing if that works. V


So glad to find this site. The picture is exactly what my alpine doe's udder looks like. 4 wks after kidding twins. I put coal tar shampoo on and they are drying up, but have spread. Where can i get Lysigivd vaccine? We don't have a vet here. 
BTW: goat pox is in the US. I caught it from a Heifer Project goat back in 1992.


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## Nat (Apr 26, 2018)

Can/should i vaccinate the kids too?


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## punchiepal (Aug 4, 2010)

https://www.dairygoatinfo.com/threads/breeding-pre-breeding-pre-kidding-management-vicki.16566/
Here is a reference to what and when


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## Nat (Apr 26, 2018)

Thank-you.


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