I just returned from a workawhirlwind and one of my does has a problem. She is seemingly constricted in one teat. It comes out but only with a lot of force applied, she has no stringiness nor clotting to the milk, no off scent nor color, her temp is fine, she is eating pretty well, but seems to be more interested in alfalfa than in grain. Any ideas? I have never had mastitis before, and from the pain aspect this may be that, but the teat doesn't feel warm either. Thanks all!

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@yahoo.com), April 20, 2002

Answers

This may sound dumb...But look at the end of the teat and see if there in an obstruction. Sometimes there is a plug that doesn't come out easily, and once you get it out (flick it out with your fingernail), milking is easy again. Of course it will hurt her to be milked if the plug is there constricting the flow of milk.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), April 21, 2002.

There is nothing visible at the orifice at all. I really have no idea what the trouble is. Subclinical Staph? A swelling inside the teat? I'm really stymied.

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@yahoo.com), April 22, 2002.

You could have the milk cultured to see if it's mastitis. Did you try scraping the end of the teat gently with your fingernail? With the doe here that was just like this last year, the plug was dark colored, I think.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), April 22, 2002.

I guess I will take a sample to the vet. I did the dishsoap culture and it did thicken a little bit, but not gelatin like, then it became runny again after an hour or so. I scratched the end of the teat, and massaged the entire udder, and I used hot soapy water-usually I use baby wipes for cleaning the udders. I don't know. Thanks, Rebekah!!!

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@yahoo.com), April 23, 2002.

Doreen, our friend in Bryan had a doe come up with what is called a spider in her teat. In the cattle industry they would ram one of those teat cannulas into it, to reopen the orifice, then insert a medicated cannula that would stay in the hole between milkings so it would heal open. So no damage is done to the orifice during milking, another type of cannula is used to milk the udder out, it is inserted, goes past the sphycther (sp) and the milk pours out withour "milking" the teat. It feels like a vericose vein. She is going to have the surgery now that she is dry, which is a much better idea than going through all of the above :) Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), April 23, 2002.

Funny. I was thinking about talking to a piercer I know about enlargements!! Will be talking to my vet tomorrow, he was out with a herd all day to day so I couldn't do anything. I really don't want to have any more surgeries this year. ---sigh.

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@yahoo.com), April 23, 2002.

Doreen, yours or theirs. Me, my self and I??? I'm fine. Mastiis now days is causd by over milking.

-- Dennis Enyart (westwoodcaprine@yahoo.com), April 26, 2002.

Not for me, Dennis- I like small guage stuff :). There are these things that they use to stretch out ears with, and I think they call them grommets, and Vicki's post, and the force with which I had o squeeze the teat, made me think of them. Glad you are doing okay!!!

The vet said that I should just massage it very well when I milk and the obstruction will come out. I did actually feel a plug kind of thing in tthe end of her teat, but it is inside. He said it could take some time to break it down. Thanks folks!!!

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@yahoo.com), April 27, 2002.