# Oh great, not mastitis! Help for my soon-to-kid FF.



## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

I have a bad feeling my soon-to-kid FF has mastitis.
She is due this Saturday, she is a yearling.
Last night, Bay was acting fine, ate all her food, udder developing evenly.
Then this morning, noticed she was off standing byherself, thoughtshe was going into labor. But no, her ligs are firm, no discharge, except her udder!
I attached somephotos, one side is a lot biggerthan the otherside. The bigger sideis a littlewarm maybe? But not hot, very firm at the baseof the teat. Udder is less firm at the top. She is acting like it is painful when I sofly press on the firm part.
Her temp is 104.7. She ate maybe half her grain this am, no alfalfa. Acting a little listless. 
She is also walking a littlle slow, tender udderprobably.

I know I will have to send in milk samples, but need help with that. This will be my first time sending in milk sample, dont want to mess up.
I live in central Texas.
Have a friend who has some sterile test tubes I can use, she has 10ml and 7ml, which size should I use, and how many?
Should I go ahead and call LSU today, if I send the samples tomorrow?
Next day air, right?


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

Oops, trying to attach photos through a tablet, here's one.


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

Another...


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

Another..


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

Also, is her foreudder enlarged also? It is not like that on her left side.
If this is mastitis, does that mean it will be hard to treat it because it happened so fast overnight? Or maybe bacteria was already harboring in her udder and just now showed itself?..
Will this affect her unborn kids? She is due this Saturday, 100%sure about date. Should we induce? I do have some frozen 1st day colostrum I took from my 5 year old doe this year.
She is CAE negative, just got the herd tested maybe a few months ago through Biotracking.


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

Call LSU right away and talk to someone to help you through the process since you haven't done this before. They're helpful. I don't think you can send it in after Wednesday because of the timeframe for mailing it. 
Of course, it LOOKS like mastitis and with her feeling bad and the fever, you can be pretty sure it is. 
Yes, her fore udder is inflamed also. Poor girl. It is good you have colostrum for the babies. I certainly wouldn't let them drink her milk yet. If you have the meds to induce that would be a good idea. Not sure what else to do with a doe who hasn't kidded yet. Hopefully someone with experience with heavy bred does with mastitis will chime in.


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

Called LSU, will be sending in samples tomorrow.
Will be going to town today, what meds should I get from vet, or even OTC meds, and how much? I don't want to treat her before I get the results and sensitivity test back, unless you all think I should.
I will be taking several samples for me to keep incase I need them , before treating ...
Is it oxytocin I should use to induce her? 
What about banamine to keep scar tissue and pain at bay?


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

I don't know right off how much but I know it is lute to induce labor. Probably no need for dex which is used to help mature the kids' lungs if they will be early, which they won't be early. Just make sure you are CERTAIN on the date and there was no chance someone snuck in and bred your doe after.
Go ahead and collect the samples Then I would give her bo-se if she hasn't had any lately, b-complex, and lots of vitamin C.
Usually the drugs used to treat mastitis are naxcel injections and pirsue for intramammary infusions. Also banamine for the fever and inflammation. If you can go ahead and get these from your vet, I would start her on them. Just make sure you get a sensitivity and if the bacteria is resistant to those drugs, then get the appropriate ones. I haven't had an experience where naxcel and pirsue wouldn't work, though. (Keep in mind I have only had to treat mastitis four or five times).


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

Oh, after re-reading your original post I see you are certain on the date, so that is good.


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

Lutalyse 2 cc IM will induce them 36 hours later. It certainly sounds like she has mastitis. Banamine would be good, and the other things Michelle mentioned. If you get the supportive therapy going, I think you can probably wait until the culture comes back to treat her, but I'm not sure, since she is pretty sick? See what the banamine does for her, I guess and if it doesn't get her feeling good enough to eat, you might need to start on treatments right away. Would others here milk this doe? It seems like it would be a good idea, since she's almost due anyway, and to get that yucky stuff out of there, but on the other hand, you might not want to start depleting her calcium reserves right before she kids.


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

Okay, I got some Banamine and Naxcel from the vet. They didn't carry Pirsue :/ but she gave me Today instead. Will this work fine? I also got some Lute to induce her. 
I collected samples from her, and tried to milk out the swollen side all the way, very hard to milk, since her teat is like two finger size...
Milk from bad side was kinda clear, not yellow, maybe whitish?, and looked like there were particles in it, maybe stringy or curdled? Milk from good side looked like normal colostrum, thick and yellow, no particles.
Can I give her Banamine and vitamins before I induce her?
Then, should I wait till results come in to give her Naxcel and Today? Or wait till after she kids after the Lute?


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

Banamine can slow down contractions, but I'm thinking it'd probably be okay to give now, before you induce, then not give until after she kids and passes placenta. It only stays in the system about 24 hours I think, so giving now I wouldn't think would hurt her labor too much...just don't give additional until after kidding. The others, I wouldn't treat with anything if she feels okay, until you get the results back, to keep from causing antibiotic resistance...but maybe would if she doesn't feel good, 'cus her life is more important than preventing resistant bugs, and it probably would hopefully work. Any other vets around there that might carry Pirsue? I know that Vicki puts other meds into the today tube with the antibiotics that are in there, so maybe she knows what might work good until you get the culture back.


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

the reason I suggested going ahead and milking was the disaster I had one year. i could tell that the doe probably was getting mastitis but I was scared to start milking her two weeks before kidding. Well, during the 24 hours before she kidded she developed raging mastitis. Very ill, fever, chunky milk AND it was the middle of a snowstorm where I couldn't get out to get her meds. I think it would be better to go ahead and start milking her than to endure that. The thing to watch for would be low calcium. Just milking her every few hours will really help her feel better and flush that bacteria out. Not completely of course. She will still need antibiotics to get well.
You can go ahead and give banamine and naxcel and the lute.


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## Ashley (Oct 25, 2007)

Yes I would give antibiotics now, I wouldn't wait. Sorry, what a pain to deal with.


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

The vet mixed up the Naxcel for me, she gave me the small bottle, I think the 1 gram bottle.
How much should I dose Bay? She weighs 145 lbs. IM in the leg or...?


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## Laverne (Apr 4, 2010)

I don't know how long it will take to get bacteria results back, but I would hop on treating this udder now, taking a sample to send in, then milking out that side and infusing Tomorrow, doing this in the morining, then milk out at mid day then milk out at night, infusing again with Tomorrow. Only treat that one side and use the colostrum from the other if you need it. I would use the Tomorrow a full tube twice a day for 4 days in a row. That will be 8 tubes of Tomorrow. Then move to the recommended infusion, after lab results, if that is really needed. Massage each time, give vitamin C, E, BO-SE. I have no idea about inducing the kids, but I'd be ready with calcium sub Q if she is off feed. My doe had this, an acute case and after 3 days she was nearly back to normal, eating and that side way down. I even applied mint tea, half n' half with dmso on the udder. I really worked at it. There was a hard mass for months that eventually melted away to soft tissue and I gave vitamin C till this was all gone, two teaspoons a day. That side is still producing well now for 4 years non stop on an extended lactation.


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

Laverne, is that vitamin c , as in one 500mg tablet for humans, crushed up to make 2 teaspoons?


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## Laverne (Apr 4, 2010)

I would give 6 grams twice a day. 12- 500mg. tablets is 6 grams and I'd give this morning and night for 5 days, then go to 3 grams or six of those tablets once a day till all so called scar tissue is soft in the udder. Feed stores should carry Tomorrow if the vet didn't give you 8 tubes for the one side. Tomorrow has about 35% more medication in it and it worked well for my doe so that's just what I recommend since it was a tip here at DGI. With all the antibiotics injected I'd mix the C in yogurt for a carrier in a dosing syringe.


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## goatkid (Oct 26, 2007)

Golden Delta Alpines said:


> The vet mixed up the Naxcel for me, she gave me the small bottle, I think the 1 gram bottle.
> How much should I dose Bay? She weighs 145 lbs. IM in the leg or...?


I think the dose for Naxcel is the same as for Excenel 1 cc per 50# so you would give her 3cc SQ.


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

Tomorrow? Was told it has a long milk withdrawal time? Today is what you would normally use for during lactation, Tomorrow for dry treatment (I know she is technically "dry", but about to come in to milk).


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## lonestrchic23 (Jan 7, 2011)

I used Tomorrow on one of my does this year shortly after she freshened..... Like Lavern stated, it has more meds in it than the Today and I was pretty aggressive with it... Twice a day infusions for 5 days. Doe cleared up, perfectly soft udder, you'd never know she ever had a problem....

Not a clue what the withdraw time is, but I'm milking enough does that I just feed her milk to bottle kids (started adding it to lambar milk 3 days after her last infusion) and use milk from another doe for the house


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

I didn't know that about Tomorrow vs Today. Good to know.


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## Laverne (Apr 4, 2010)

It looks like the Tomorrow is 72 hours for milk withdrawal http://www.wammocks.com/Tomorrow-Dry-Cow-Mastitis-Treatment-1-Syringe-726287149811.htm

I would also add zinc to the does regime, 50 mg. a day for a week then 20 mg. daily. Check eyelid color against the FAMACHA chart. She may have a worm overload pre kidding. Something has brought her immune system down.

I wouldn't be afraid to do 5 days like Crystal said. You don't want even a milimeter patch of the infection left.


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

I just don't understand why you would use tomorrow instead of today. They have the same exact antibiotic in them, but with a different carrier. Today is meant to be used while the goat is in milk, and tomorrow is meant for when they are dry. My friend just told me she used Tomorrow in a doe, and her milk had that carrier in it (she could see it in the milk) for 50 days, milking once a day..


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## Laverne (Apr 4, 2010)

With the Tomorrow's extra meds and a goats higher metabolism than a cow it make sense to me and it worked on my doe, but Today would no doubt be fine, but I think more doses than the manufacturer says for cows is needed for goats and probably why Today or Tomorrow supposedly doesn't work with only 2 tubes, infusing 12 hours apart, as recommended on the label for Today. 

The antibiotic is a different form but the carrier is a vegetable oil and it does leave an oil residue but the meds have transported out of it by the end of 72 hours or they wouldn't approve that length of withdrawal.


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## cindy (Sep 16, 2008)

I had to treat a doe this year for mastitis. The vet had me do 8 days of Spectramast or Pirsue along with Nuflor on day 1 and day 3. She did really well. Good luck with your doe. Her udder sure looks painful.


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

Okay, I have been giving Bay Banamine and Naxcel every day, and Tomorrow am and pm, after milking her out. I have also been milking out her bad side midday.
How long should I give her the two meds? 
Is there anything else I can mix the vitamin c with to squirt down her throat?
Also, last night while I was giving her the Tomorrow and massaging it in, there was sqishing and gurgling sounds coming from the udder, like there were air bubbles or something in there. Is that normal?

Her udder has gotten a lot better, foreudder is hardly inflamed, base of teat and floor of udder are not as firm or tight anymore. I have to press on the udder to feel the firmness. Would that be the scar tissue? 
She is not acting as sick and is walking normally, sometimes she doesn't finish all her food, but I think because she is looking for her kid, I had to pull him. Still keeping an eye out for low calcium signs...
She kidded perfectly fine Thursday afternoon with a single buckling.


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

Also, about how long until I should get the results back from LSU?


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

Glad she kidded fine. You should get the results after two or three days. I think the culture itself takes 48 hours. I have always done the treatment for mastitis with three treatments, twelve hours apart, because that is what I was told, but not really sure. The meds are tested for cattle and the recommended doses are based on cattle.


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

Ooops, I meant how long should I give her the banamine and naxcel?


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

Oh, sorry. Her fever is gone, right? I would only do about three days of the Banamine. 
Will your goat eat the human chewable Vit C? Some of my girls love it and eat it right out of my hand. You could mix vit c powder with juice or water if you want a liquid to squirt with a syringe.
About the air in her udder...sometimes it will get in there when you infuse the meds. I don't worry about it. It will milk out over time


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## Laverne (Apr 4, 2010)

It sounds like the Today or Tomorrow is working. I mix vitamin C in instant vanilla pudding to use with the dosing syringe, add some E and zinc also which complements the C. On my doe after I finished the 8 Tomorrow infusions there was a mass of very firm tissue left in the udder. I kept up the massaging and C till this completely softened. This took several months but it was a fairly large mass. You may not encounter this with your doe. The today or Tomorrow has some air in it and will make the sounds you hear, it is harmless.


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

Okay, I just got the results back. They said no growth at all in both sides! How can that be? It sure looked like mastitis. Could I have cleaned her orifice too much before collecting the samples? 

Her udder is healing up nicely. No fever, no heat, hardly any inflammation. Only noticeable after milking out, bad side is a tad bigger, maybe from milking more often than the other side? 
I can feel a firm mass, I guess, on her bad side. It is slowly going down. Bay also is eating and acting fine.

Any chance I can show her the end of the month? I'm not sure how the firm part in her bad side will affect that...


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

Cleaning her teat really well would not affect the culture. So if there was no growth,that's good. There sure was inflammation though! I would keep on with the Vitamin C and maybe some Vitamin E to help her tissues heal without scarring. I would also do a follow up culture after a week or so just to make sure the original culture was accurate.


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

Wonder if she might have cleared it on her own? I had a doe do that last year. Had chunks, blood, etc., while I was gone. A few days later, I got a culture done and it was negative.


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

Any chance I can enter her in a show the end of the month? Not sure if the judge would notice the small lumpy part, it's near the base of her teat...


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