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mikey
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« on: August 02, 2009, 12:37:25 PM »

Prevention of Mastitis
in Dairy Goats

By Nancy Nickel 


Prevention of mastitis (inflammation of the udder which can result in abnormal milk) in dairy goats begins long before a producer of milk even considers it to be a problem. Feeding caprine kids milk, without the benefit of pasteurization, from does who are infected can spread mastitis to doelings months before they are mature enough to breed and develop a functioning mammary system of their own. Allowing kids to nurse dams, or to steal milk from their mother's affected herd mates, presents vectors for transmission that a herdsman may be unaware of in sub-clinical cases-long before the diseased udder becomes acute and is presented for treatment. Spread of infectious bacteria from dam to daughter and laterally by kids nursing multiple milkers is a high consideration in determination of heard health practices. In addition to the spread of mastitis causing bacteria by these methods, examination of milking practices in the parlor causes us at Nickel's Dairy Goats, Clark, Missouri, to be very careful in the procedures and products we use to safeguard the udders of does in our herd.

The teat is designed to be wonderfully effective in prevention of the entry into the udder of bacteria from the environment. It has a small opening in the end, which is supple enough to allow the passage of milk out while closing small enough to prevent dirt from coming in. The skin of the teat remains elastic and smooth under most conditions, presenting a surface that is resistant to bacteria. The waxy plug at the end, and waxy canal lining is somewhat germicidal, so after an hour or so from milking it has reformed an impenetrable barrier to most pathogens. That this is true, and that it creates a system that works well, is evident in the number of mammaries that are milked and the number of days that we milk them in comparison with the few cases of mastitis needing treatment over time.

Preserving the elasticity and smoothness of the teat skin is considered when man-made products are used to prevent chapping and sunburn. Bag Balm is useful and easily applied when needed after milking in times of adverse weather. Cracked and flaking skin on teats and udder harbors bacteria and dirt which may be introduced during the milking process. Prewashing when milking lowers the bacteria gathered from the environment. We like to use a germicidal wash in warm water applied with a single use paper towel. Nolvasan is gentle on the skin and effective against bacterial agents as well. The thought of the udder as a large reservoir which is kept at a perfect temperature to grow bacteria, helps us see that it is essential to prevent contamination.

The waxy surface on teat ends and in the teat canal must be undisturbed if it is to do its job. Nolvasan is an effective cleaning agent that does not disturb the continuity of this barrier. Over the years we have had people tell us that they make their own prewash usually incorporating bleach or iodine as the germicidal. While I have no doubt that these chemical agents are germicidal, I also know that they are caustic to skin and the wax of the teat plug. In the vigorous manner in which bleach and iodine destroy cells they are likely to destroy the doe's natural defenses against environmental bacteria as well. The end result is often a case of mastitis instead of the prevention one is hoping for.

The careful dairy goat manager should draw milk only from clean udders. Likewise, only sanitized udders should be milked. Milk only with clean, sanitized hands. Using single-use paper towels for washing and drying udders prior to milking, minimizes the lateral spread of bacteria in the milk room. The milker not only dips the paper towel into the udder wash to prepare each doe but dips his or her hands as well. Human skin is porous and a good vector of disease if not properly disinfected. Each doe should be dried completely before she is milked by machine or by hand. Milking only until the flow of milk stops is also an important part of udder health.

When the udder is empty, a final massage by hand helps to prevent growth of any bacteria introduced. Over-milking can be a factor in destroying the waxy layer of the teat canal or teat end and create stress on the skin which might allow bacteria to enter. Even when letting a machine do the work the milker must be aware of when the udder is empty. Paying strict attention to the amount of vacuum actually delivered to the inflation is an essential part of machine maintenance for mastitis prevention.

Following milking, an application of uncontaminated teat sealant is suggested. The process of using a teat spray is superior to using a dip cup. It has been found in University study that some teat dips are actually able to grow bacteria and that the dip cup is capable of spreading these bacteria from one doe to the next. The product chosen to spray must have the ability to coat the teat orifice and encourage the teat skin to remain smooth and supple. At Nickel's Dairy Goats, we like to use a spray that contains glycerin for this purpose. Glycerin can seal the teat orifice temporarily until the wax can be recreated and the natural seal formed.

We make sure we clean all equipment between each milking, using chemicals and soaps specifically designed for the cleaning of dairy equipment. Milk stone build up can provide a place for bacteria to grow. The dairy industry in general based on cow production, has benefited the goat keeper who has the ability to share the research and knowledge accumulated over many years. It is far more economical to make use of this information than it is to risk experimentation and perhaps develop mastitis in even one doe.

Cattle research shows that the younger members of the milking string have come in contact with less bacteria than the older individuals. Therefore, it is beneficial to milk in the same order, youngest to oldest based on number of lactations, every milking. The does should be milked in the same stanchion day after day. We visited a cow dairy in which ten rounds of cows came into a 12-stall parlor. Stanchion number four on the right had four cows with uneven mammaries, the result of bacteria picked up during milking and spread to the cows who used that milker. The infection of only four cows of over a hundred herd mates was due to the fact that the cows did not share equipment within the herd. The uneven cows were then marked and milked last, from that day until culture showed that the mastitis had been cured and bacteria was no longer being shed.

It is important to keep the environment for dairy animals dry and clean. The natural inclination of the goat to remain dry and avoid dirty surroundings is a great aid in achieving this goal. At shows, bed pens deep and always choose pens on the outside rows of the barn. Avoid high traffic areas to prevent does from walking where others may have spilled milk. At home keep lounging areas clean and dry. The use of lime screenings as a base is a good idea. Here in Missouri the quarry sometimes calls this "chat" as well. Lime from this source is not anti-bacterial, in that it will not kill bacteria as Barn Lime or caustic lime can. However lime screenings as a base will not harm skin and is effective in that it does not present a medium where bacteria will grow. Keeping areas around feeders and waterers free of build up or mud is a good step in prevention of bacteria as well.

Natural sunlight disinfects without adding chemicals to the environment. Choosing to pen at shows and at home where the sun can shine on the ground or floor is a very good strategy. Ultraviolet light does kill bacteria and the drying effect of the sun prevents moisture conducive to bacterial growth as well.

When the lactation is over, we always dry treat all does. To dry treat helps to reduce the production of milk. It is done with the hope that the addition of antibiotics into the mammary will be effective against the growth of bacteria during a time when milk is allowed to sit in the udder. Dry treating always twice, a week apart, has proven to be effective for us. However in cases where the doe was difficult to dry off a third treatment might be needed.

In choosing replacement does for any dairy goat herd, take care not to buy into trouble. Personally assess the udders of any prospects for lumps, unevenness, or skin abnormalities.

Milk all new additions last and separately, until convinced they are indeed as healthy as the home team. In purchasing dry stock and kids we are sure to ask how they were raised and what the source of milk and colostrum was. When assessing the risks of exposure to harmful bacteria, keep in mind the possibility that pathogens in the milk fed to kids can live in the forming mammary tissue of that kid and come to life as a full blown case of mastitis when she freshens or even before.

Over the years we have managed a dairy goat herd our goal has been high production as well as longevity in the show ring. While a case of mastitis may not always be life threatening, it would signal the end of usefulness to our breeding program. To ensure the continuity of the genetics in our herd, prevention is not the best choice-it is the only choice, economically as well as for the health of our does.
 

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mikey
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« Reply #1 on: August 02, 2009, 12:38:45 PM »

What to Do About
Mastitis and Uneven Udders
No Time to "Wait and See"

By Nancy Nickel 


Sometimes mastitis just happens. Even though the barn lot is kept dry and the bedding clean, the prewash and post milking spray used effectively, sometimes an individual will exhibit signs of mastitis. It is unfortunate that by the time noticeable signs present themselves, the udder has undergone permanent and damaging changes. In the few cases that we have dealt with at Nickel Farms near Clark, Missouri, we have observed that the doe which has had clinical mastitis never milks to her expected potential and often exhibits changes in the capacity of the effected side. Sometimes knots or lumps in the mammary tissue remain despite modern medicine and a herdsman's best efforts. This too has a direct effect on production from that half. In a show string, these does do not milk down well in addition to being judged at a disadvantage due to the texture or uneven capacity of the halves.

The difficulty of dealing with these individuals in a dairy situation becomes even more acute when considering that they may at any time become actively mastitic again, shedding high somatic cells which can contribute to the entire bulk tank being sold at a lesser price. It is difficult at best to tell if these herd members are likely to contribute to the spread of pathogens throughout the herd. They are possibly endangering not only the milk check, but any future herd replacements as well. It has been established throughout the cattle dairy industry that herds who follow the practice of feeding raw milk containing bacteria from infected females experience as much as an 80% increase in mastitis among the first fresheners when they come into milk. Lateral transmission of bacterial pathogens on the hands of the milker or milking equipment is another concern as sub-clinical mastitis is as likely to become a source of infection to other animals as is an acute case.

Methods of detecting sub-clinical mastitis in dairy goats are not well defined or developed. Because goats secrete milk in a different manner than cows, the use of detection plans serving cattle dairies are not effective for use by goat herdsmen. The strip cup, which shows clots of milk, will warn you of a problem, but by the time this abnormal milk is discovered, damage has already occurred in the mammary system.

Chemical solutions that are used to combine with a small sample of milk likewise will not provide a definitive reading when used with goat milk—until the udder is harboring enough bacteria to cause lasting damage.

Somatic cell counts will be high when the milk from active cases is examined at the DHIA lab. This has its drawbacks as well in that the milk test is usually performed on a sporadic and intermittent basis and at a monthly interval. To cloud the diagnostic situation, it is important to note that there are many other causes for high somatic cell counts in dairy goats. To list a few, one might wish to consider if she has just come fresh, or is drying off and lessening in production. Some families of does will shed high somatic cell counts when they are in estrus or coming into estrus.

Being aware and alert to potential difficulties is the best preventative tool when dealing with mastitis. At each and every milking, our milkers are well advised to handle the udder, examine the flow and consistency of milk, and evaluate the texture after the flow of milk has stopped. We know that there are low selenium levels in feeds from our area, so we offer minerals to provide adequate balance. Zinc is another added component to our free choice mineral offering. Both zinc and selenium work to promote healthy skin and general well-being at the cellular level. Helping the does maintain optimum health is the most important factor. There are well known herds who booster their does with E. coli vaccines and vaccines against the staph bacteria that is most common to cattle dairies. When these organisms are likely to be potential troublemakers, this is a very inexpensive precaution.

Don Langly, an old friend and experienced goat keeper, once told me, "When you are dealing with possible mastitis you must act quickly. If you are inclined to ‘wait and see' then don't waste that time, ‘dig the hole' while you are waiting."

We have kept this in mind whenever we have had a doe with a potential problem. Isolation of both the doe and her milk is the first step. Drawing a sterile sample of milk from the suspect side is next. This need not be sent to the lab for diagnostics immediately, but is kept in the refrigerator. Sometimes this proves to have been unneeded, but better safe than sorry. When the alarm of a hot udder, or decrease in volume of milk produced proves to be the precursor of mastitis, treatment with what might be the best-guess medication will not destroy accurate results of the growth of culture made from the milk you have saved initially.

We consider that this first case could very well be the first of a full-blown mastitis epidemic and our sterile culture added to others in the near future could provide valuable data in assessing general herd health and in trouble shooting the underlying causes.

It is difficult to effectively introduce antibiotics into a mammary system. The udder is rather effectively walled off from most systemic drugs. To complicate the story, the udder is a perfect medium for the growth and culturing of bacteria. Most of our old favorite antibiotics are ineffective against the pathogens, in addition to the fact that they do not arrive in the udder in effective strength to do any good.

We have in the past been very successful using Naxcel and Erythromycin to save two does from mastitis. Both of these drugs are staples of our medicine cabinet at home and on the road. They are never administered without the consultation of our veterinarian and only under his guidance. (He prefers Naxcel to Exanel for this use, indicating that the antibiotic is the same, but the carriers are different. Naxcel is better able to penetrate the mammary system via the blood stream than Exanel.)

One success story involves a lovely LaMancha yearling who we were showing and had high hopes for. She was perfect in every way when we loaded her into the trailer and set out for a show five hours away. As we unloaded the does to pen in the show barn, we noticed a slight unevenness in her udder. Upon closer examination the right side of the mammary was warmer than the left and had a slightly firmer texture. We penned her in our trailer and began her on a treatment of Naxcell immediately. Throughout the afternoon and night we milked her out every two hours taking all antiseptic care to wash hands and dispose of the infected milk. By the second day she was no longer producing milk out of that side, but a serous fluid quite red with blood. She had stopped eating and was running a temperature of 106°F. No other members of our show string exhibited signs of ill health, but the yearlings we were carrying, who had lived in the same barn with her, were not shown out of respect for the other exhibitors in those classes.

Our doe seemed to be through the worst of the acute stage by the time we arrived home Sunday night. We continued to milk her every three or four hours. Monday morning we added infusions of Ceftiofur hydrochloride at each milking which was suggested by our vet as a compliment to the Naxcel. This little doe lived! Which according to our vet is not usually the outcome of "hot" cases. By the end of the first week she was once again starting to produce a fluid that looked like pink milk. Gradually it became more normal in color and the flow increased.

My hopes of ever seeing that lovely mammary even and productive were very slim, but Bruce was determined that she would not be a loss to us and to the breeding program. Both her sire and dam were animals that we had judged to be cornerstones of our breeding program and she was the first doe to be born to them. Conformation and the promise shown early in that lactation indicated we were indeed headed in the right direction. Bruce kept milking her several times a day, and never with the rest of the milking string. Gradually the udder tissue came back to life, and as her udder matured the side that had been sick began to grow as well. We did culture the milk prior to adding her to the herd once again. With a clean bill of health, it took until August for this doe to be even enough once again to compete at shows, and by September she was able to win a large class at a regional fair. Never has a blue ribbon been viewed as such a triumph!

When she was dried off she was dry-treated three times. All seemed to be rather uneventful. Milk production this lactation was not what we had envisioned for her when she first freshened, but even with the heart of her lactation in such difficulty, she did milk enough in 305 days to make her star on both butterfat and fluid pounds.

She bred back readily, which is not always the case with does that have had mastitis. At the advice of Dr. Marion at the University of Missouri Vet School we marked her breeding date and expected kidding date on two calendars. His plan for her was to start her on Naxcel 10 days before she kidded the following spring. It was his theory that the Naxcell would be taken up into the udder as the milk secreting tissues came to life for the second lactation. He was correct. She freshened with an even udder totally devoid of scar tissue and proceeded to milk her way to a Top Ten lactation. I believe it was aggressive and immediate treatment that allowed her to be the exception to the rule.

Sometimes udders that have gone uneven from sub clinical causes in a less dramatic manner than our little yearlings can be brought back in following lactations by the prudent use of Naxcell before kidding. Our second success was such a case of sub-clinical mastitis of a nature that we were never able to determine. The culture and sensitivity done by the lab was muddled and inconclusive. We treated her with a variety of drugs without any visual success or increase in production from the light side. When she was dried off we dry treated her and followed the plan to use Naxcell on her 10 days prior to kidding. She freshened with a slightly uneven udder that did not seem to be responding to the increase in size one sees when a doe comes into production. Our vet suggested we give her Erythromycin in addition to Naxcel for five more days. This was a stiff treatment of systemic antibiotics, making us fear we would destroy the microbials in her rumen. Probiotics and "rough hay" were added to her diet and grain ration was reduced to a minimum. This doe did not milk well that year. Most likely the low protein ration and reduction of rumen flora from the antibiotics did not allow her the nutrition she needed to start an excellent lactation. Does milk at a deficit of calories and protein both during the first 90 days fresh. To save the evenness of the udder we were willing to make this sacrifice. She did milk her full 305 days and the next year, came into milk with a lovely, show quality mammary system making the 3,000 pounds plus as we had hoped she would do.

In situations where does with the potential to pass mastitis to herd mates are allowed to run and be milked with the herd, neither tests, nor cultures will safeguard herd health. The best mastitis care is vigilance and cleanliness with reliance on proven udder wash and post milking sprays. Isolation of suspect carriers will go a long way toward keeping the environment clean of pathogens and allow for observation as well as treatment. To know the animals and observe them all critically on a twice daily basis, we feel is our most valuable contribution to herd health. Thanks to Don Langly, we know there is no time to "wait and see."
 
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