# Blocked Teat? Severe Congestion?



## BlueHeronFarm (Oct 26, 2007)

We have a doe in pre-labor now. She can't milk on her left side. Not sure what to do

Back story:Last year was a FF with a MASSIVE udder, pre-kidding. We did not know it was Ok to milk her out early and, long story short, the most overfilled side got mastitis shortly after freshening. We treated and went on. Only a couple months later, we had problems with blockage of her teat - mobile scar tissue, we assumed. It would clog up and the machine couldn't handle it. We could move it around, and get some milk out by hand, but decided to dry her of early, treat with Tomorrow and hope for a better year this year.

Throughout her gestation we have been checking her udder and it has been soft and pliable and we have not felt any scar tissue.

Last night, she filled up and is now about ready to kid. We decided to milk her down a little last night to prevent a replay from last year and give her a little comfort. Her left half was hard at the bottom and the teat is completely blocked. We were unable to get even a drop out on that side. 

No fever, so we don't think it's mastitis again -we think scar tissue or congested udder?

We have been applying heat and massaging this morning. We just put on some Vapo Rub (don't have peppermint ol) - are considering the topical dmso rub.

Any other thoughts or ideas? She has not kidded yet, but is in the birthing stall - probably an hour or so away from kidding. 

Any ideas, suggestions appreciated. Also - how often would we rub in the topicals? Thx.

Lisa


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## MiddleRiver (Oct 30, 2007)

I haven't delt with mastitis myself yet, so can't tell you about that...haven't had but only 2 congested udders i've delt with myself that cleared up right away as they weren't that bad, but did a lot of reading on it, so here is my 2 cents :+)

How does her udder feel texture-wise ? If you push your finger into the area you belive may be congested, does it leave an indent ? If it is just a congested udder, is it the whole side or just part of it ? If thats what it is, I would continue with the warm compress/massages, and I would also give her dex...I think it's 3cc once a day. If it's really severe ( and after she kids ) I also read you can give her 1/4 cc oxytocin at each milking.

If there is just scar tissue in her teat blocking it i'm not sure what you can do, i would call my vet and/or ask the people on here :+) I think there is a hollow tube ( a canula[sp] maybe ? ) thing you can stick up the teat to keep it open, and the vet may be able to remove the damage, but i don't know for sure if the vet can do that, and assume the canula is not a good long term solution.

Good luck!


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## BlueHeronFarm (Oct 26, 2007)

Vet said he would not recommend going in if there is not any milk in the cistern/teat. That is where we are. :*(

It is hard at the bottom - we can feel blockage - like a flattened golf ball in size.


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## Sondra (Oct 25, 2007)

I would not use Vicks in this cold spell but massage the teat kinda rubbing with you thumb and figure to loosen up the blockage. Some where on here so a left had side search abt insterting something up the oriface I would use some dmso and mix dex and a mint in it and rub with that. use gloves unless you want to eat and smell like garlic all day and also you don't really want dex in your system.


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## Sondra (Oct 25, 2007)

keep in mind I don't recommend a chop stick 
http://dairygoatinfo.com/index.php/topic,4596.msg48068.html#msg48068


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## MiddleRiver (Oct 30, 2007)

I agree with Sondra and your vet :+)

In this case if it's edema ( is that what it feels like - meaty kinda ? ) at the bottom and the teat then I would think the edema is not allowing the milk to flow down into the teat - is this how it feels ? 

Or are you saying that there is a blockage ( and not just the meaty feeling of edema ) you feel actually blocking the milk from flowing into the teat ? If this is the case, then I would wonder about it being scar tissue or I think I've heard of glands in the udder being swollen, or cysts ? 

If it's the not the scar tissue, then I would wonder ( and hope ) if the dex may still help the swelling go down both in the "blockage" and in the irritated tissue around it, and that the oxy would help her let down/secrete the milk out easier ?

Has she kidded yet ? I know the few cases I've delt with edema a couple were horses ( and the same for my recent goat case ) where they had it before foaling ( and kidding ) and after that it started to loosen up and was normal by 2-3 days, like their milk coming in the rest of the way and the other hormones worked it out - hopefully your case is that easy. Otherwise the other goat edema I've had did require warm compress/massage/dex and took oh, 2-3 weeks to be normal. I haven't tried the oxy before for it as thats something I just saw.

I'm not sure what to do if you have scarring blocking it. 

Hopefully one of the more experienced ones on here will see this and chime in with more/better information and suggestions, I'm interested in seeing what they have to say, sounds like something i'd like to know for the future as well :+)

I hope it's and easy fix for you!


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Hind site and all but did you test to find out what kind of mastitis you dealt with. The worse thing to do is to dry up a doe with a problem because the dry period just lets it set in and agressively cause damage. IF this is scar tissue than there is nothing you can do, if this is congestion or edema than yes DMSO mixed with Dex and massaged into a very clean udder with gloved hands does work very well. You have such a small window of opportunity to get the colostrum out of the udder before it's congested in there and even if you could open up a blind teat without the edma, will simply dry up the half as she absorbs the liquid out of the colostrum and it becomes the karatin that seals the teat when they are dry.

Dry cowing does like this with Pirsue etc...(and it depends upon what mastitis this is) and giving them super short dry periods is really the only way to deal with this kind of problem if you do indeed get the half milking. Vicki


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## BlueHeronFarm (Oct 26, 2007)

We did not test her milk last year.  We did test our other mastitis case (had two last year) and it was one of the "normal" kinds. We didn't test Naomi b/c the Today worked really well, really quickly on her. We did treat her with Tomorrow when we dried her off. Just as a precaution.

She just kidded out triplets and we got a good amount of colostrum from her good 1/2 - still nothing from the bad 1/2. But the congestion is WAY down. There must still be some sort of blockage, though. Nothing out yet. We will give her a little rest and try again in an hour.

Will that side just dry up and reabsorb if we can't get it working? Sigh. Anyone want/need a nurse goat if we can't?

Vicki- this is one of Jade's daughters. She is a heavy milker. Even milking one side, she might make an Ok family goat. I just don't know.


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## BlueHeronFarm (Oct 26, 2007)

Ok - further consult with husband - he does not thinkit is scar tissue. He thinks it is calcium "spiders"? Same as last year. But so far we can't get the blockage to clear.

We have Oxytocin - we may give her a shot to see if it helps the milk come all the way down? But my feeling is that there is an obstruction.


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## stoneyheightsfarm (Jan 19, 2008)

A relative to a goat I used to own has one side go blind...I think it has since cleared up and is working again b/c it was mastitis and got treated, but don't quote me on that. Anyhow, the other side wound up producing double and she fed her kids just fine. So yes, she may make someone a great milker even if you can't get this cleared.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Calcium is little and sometimes not so little stones. Scar tissue feels like cardboard under the skin. It clogs all the milk 'tubes' that carry milk to the teat and can make it feel like a knotted mass. Today is just rarely, on it's own, sufficient to give you 100% which is what we are all looking for. vicki


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