Prevention and treatment of mastitis in goats

Often, mastitis in goats begins without obvious symptoms, but as it progresses, it quickly becomes acute. Inflammation, swelling, and pain increase as bacteria enter the mammary gland, causing the lactating goat to drive off the young and kick the owner when milking.

Mastitis refers to inflammation of the udder. It is important to detect the problem in time. If the goat's mammary glands suddenly harden and swell, redness appears around the nipple, take the temperature with a rectal thermometer: a temperature of 40.5 degrees and above, accompanied by a rapid pulse, indicates mastitis, as well as watery yellowish MILK , which quickly separates and folds when removed a few drops.

The normal temperature range for goats is 38 to 39 plus or minus half a degree. A temperature higher indicates an infection.

There are several causes of mastitis in goats.

Physical injury, including bruising of mammary tissue as a result of feeding goats with a tendency to butt heads.

Viruses that infect the mammary gland, creating the so-called "hard udder". Viral mastitis leads to a significant decrease in milk production and a dense, infected udder with loose skin from swelling.

Bacteria Streptococcus sp., Staphylococcus sp., Pasteurella sp., coliforms E. Coli.

Only laboratory analysis can confirm which bacteria cause mastitis. However, hygienic housing conditions and milking practices, as well as proper housing and care of animals, contribute greatly to the prevention of bacterial mastitis.

Mycoplasma infections, primarily M. mycoides (large colonies) and M. putrefaciens, sometimes cause serious outbreaks of mastitis in goats. The latter pathogen also causes septicemia, polyarthritis, pneumonia and encephalitis, severe illness and mortality in kids.

Gram-negative organisms cause intermittent infections, which can be severe but usually resolve on their own. Trueperella (formerly Arcanobacterium) pyogenes sometimes causes multiple nodular abscesses.

Mastitis in goats can be clinical, which is easily diagnosed based on obvious symptoms such as clots or whey in the milk and swollen, hot udders, and subclinical, which requires a specific veterinary test.

In subclinical mastitis, there is no swelling or noticeable change in the milk, which is why it is so difficult to detect. The most reliable test for diagnosis is microbiological culture, which allows to determine the cause of the infection from only one milk sample.

The treatment protocol will be based on a microbiological culture of the milk.

Possible methods include treatment during the dry period. At this time, subclinical mastitis can be cured and the number of somatic cells can be controlled. Usually used inside the udder infusion of a two percent solution of chlorhexidine twice a day for five to ten days.

There are no approved antibiotics available for goats to treat mastitis, so if necessary, antibiotic therapy should be administered under the supervision of a veterinarian.

In some cases, corticosteroids are also prescribed. They can reduce breast swelling, especially if intervened at an early stage, before the disease has begun to progress. Ointments that are used to treat mastitis in cows can also be applied to goats, since the organisms that infect the udder of female goats are similar to those in cows.

Hoof hygiene must be monitored as foot rot is often associated with mastitis.

Goats should be dehorned to prevent accidents and injuries.

Practice good milking hygiene and be sure to check the udder before milking for signs of swelling.