slow filtering milk-bad quarter?

scholtefamily · #1 11/26/10, 08:17 AM

We have a jersey that has one quarter that is difficult to milk out. It seems swollen, almost like it's full, but it's not. She has had bouts of mastitis that we have treated by hand milking her alittle in between milkings and applied a garlic ointment to that quarter several times a day. Her mastitis usually clears up within a day or two. Also, normally when it filters and she has mastitis there are white globs in the filter. Now when we filter it there are no globs, but the milk will not filter. Like it's too thick to go thru the filter. Any suggestions on what could be the problem. Is this quarter ruined for good. We are trying to stay as natural as possible as far as treatment.

Thanks for your advice!

topside1 · #2 11/26/10, 08:27 AM

Hi sorry to hear about the problem. What you have is called invisiable mastitits. It's a extremely high somatic cell count that is clogging your filter...I know all about it, been there and done that...Others more knowledgable than me can give you advice on how to cure the problem....I culled my cow....Topside

linn · #3 11/26/10, 11:18 AM

If I were you, I would talk to a vet. A vet can send a milk sample to the laboratory and find out what is causing this reoccurring mastitis. You can then treat your cow with the correct medication to get rid of it. Otherwise your cow may lose that quarter.

BlackWillowFarm · #4 11/26/10, 12:13 PM

Sounds like you have mastitis in that quarter that won't go away on it's own. If you don't want to treat with an antibiotic, the next best thing would be to milk that quarter out several times a day, like 4-6 times, massaging well each time to soften it as much as possible. If you really want to get serious about it, you should get on a schedule of every three to four hours, day and night until the quarter softens and the milk becomes normal. You should also apply a heating balm, like a liniment or some use lard and cayenne pepper applied to the udder between milkings. There are several products on the market for that.

You should be careful not to touch the uninfected quarters after handling the infected quarter, also pre and post dip each time you milk. When you wash up prior to milking be sure to clean the good quarters first. Be careful not to touch the good quarters after handling the infected one. Hot compresses can also help.

As mentioned, it might be a good idea to have the milk tested to see what pathogen you're dealing with. Then if you choose to go the antibiotic route you'll now exactly what you should use to clear it up.

You may have to treat with antibiotics to save the quarter. Your alternative might be to lose the quarter completely and have a three quartered cow. It's a decision only you can make and a question only you can answer.

I wish you luck which ever way you decide.

springvalley · #5 11/26/10, 02:13 PM

Carla hit the nail on the head on this one, milk her out as much as possible. Don`t be affraid to use an anitibiotic once in a while, it won`t hurt. I am uncertified organic and use them if I have no other choice. The organic system will not allow any anitibiotics, because they can`t regulate the use of them without a way of keeping track of each cow that may use them, so they say no way, no how, but if you have to save her life with them go ahead and use them , but you must get rid of her when she is better. That would be like me telling you, you can`t go to the doctor to get treated for anything, unless it is lifethreatining, thats ok, but you can`t go back home if you do. Anyway do all you can. > Thanks Marc

scholtefamily · #6 11/26/10, 02:40 PM

Thanks for all the great advice, we are ramping up our efforts over here and I'll keep you posted.

scholtefamily · #7 11/29/10, 03:29 PM

Day 3 of milking every 4 hours round the clock and applying various herbal treatments. Her quarter is not hard and hasn't been, she is just hard tomilk out on the one. Last night was the first time the milk filtered within a minute with it only slowing at the end. That has been an improvement along with the milk flowing easier. I did take a sample to the vet today and will have some results by the end of the week.

willow_girl · #8 11/30/10, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Her quarter is not hard and hasn't been, she is just hard tomilk out on the one.

Sounds like she damaged a teat. Just keep stripping out that quarter real good! I'd use some antibiotics, but sometimes cows will clear up without them.

BlackWillowFarm · #9 11/30/10, 08:30 AM

Sounds like you're doing a good job with her. Let us know how your test results come out.

Cyngbaeld · #10 11/30/10, 10:38 AM

Get some dolomite and mix with her grain so she eats plenty of it. It will clear the mastitis and keep it cleared as long as she is getting enough.

I buy dolomite by the 50# bag at a ceramic supply house in Austin. Look in your yellow pages or online for a supplier in your area. Stuff isn't expensive but shipping will get you.

scholtefamily · #11 12/02/10, 05:02 PM

Results are in. They weren't able to grow any bacteria with the sample. The vet is running one more culture that will be back on Monday. He(the vet) thinks that it is staph. We did notice a cut on her.. Is it possible that she has an infection on the cut and it's not mastitis. We did get it(the slow filtering) to go away for 2 milkings and then it came right back. I am working on getting some dolomite. The bentonite clay seems to be helping the most. If I can get a good look at the cut I'll clean it out and apply some salve to that. I just don't know how I'm gonna do that without risking getting my head kicked. Shes' a very nice cow, but there's always that chance.

linn · #12 12/02/10, 06:38 PM

Tie that leg back with just enough tension on the rope that she can't kick you. Have your husband stand on the side where you are to steady the cow in case she starts to fall over.

Callieslamb · #13 12/02/10, 07:20 PM

If possible - work from the side away from the injured teat. then if she kicks - she kicks the leg that's not closest to you. You might not be able to reach well enough or see that way - one drawback. My Dad taught me to always touch the cow on the far side first.

scholtefamily · #14 12/08/10, 08:29 PM

Well, I don't know what to say. We have been applying ointment to the cut(which is small). Did a mastitis test and it was negative. All quarters are filtering slow. Vet came out today to check her over. He did another mastitis test which also came up negative. Can't seem to figure it out. The other cows milk goes thru the filter just fine, hers is slow almost to stopping and it leaves a thick layer or yellow with some globs on the filter. It would probably take 20 + minutes for it to all filter (about 1 1/2 gal). I've never actually waited this long, I dump it out before then. The vet said they did find bacteria in one of the two cultures that I gave them(both from the same cow). The first vet said they found nothing. They are going to analyze the milk more and find out exactly what bacteria and then we can go from there. I'm about ready to give up, but I do love this cow.

springvalley · #15 12/08/10, 09:34 PM

Do you guys have any minced garlic on hand ? Give her a tablespoon of it on her feed night and morning, and get some Vit. C and give her about 10 to 15,000 mg. of that a day. And are you useing a menthol ointment on her udder? Have you tried milking her out more often? Keep me updated, > Thanks Marc

scholtefamily · #16 12/09/10, 12:46 AM

We went to milking her out every 4 hours round the clock for a week. We have since stopped that. We are using a menthol ointment on her udder. We've been giving her vit C, although not as much as you suggest. I do have garlic After 1 week of ramping up our efforts and getting little to no results, we are weary. She had one night that it filtered with no problem. That was 4 days ago. If the CMT came back negative wouldn't that mean that she doesn't have mastitis? Perhaps she has an infection somewhere else?

willow_girl · #17 12/09/10, 07:43 AM

Thick milk with chunks in it sure sounds like mastitis to me. I'd be using an antibiotic on the teat you know has issues. Strip out the others, and if you see any chunks, treat those, too.

This has been going on for 2 weeks now -- had you used an antibiotic at the outset, she probably would be cleared up by now and going back in the tank!

Sorry if that sounds harsh, but a lot of times people will come on here looking for any "cure" for mastitis that doesn't involve the demon antibiotics. And they'll waste a lot of time on woo-woo stuff while the cow has to endure the discomfort. It isn't rocket science, folks, it's mastitis! Commercial dairies deal with it all the time, and the vast majority of cows who get it are treated go on to have good productive lives. And no, antibiotics won't cure EVERY case, EVERY time, but generally speaking they'll deliver a lot better results than herbs and lotions and potions.

If you have 1,000 cows, maybe you can forgo treatment for awhile, and see if it clears up on its own. If the cow loses a teat, or you lose the cow altogether, it's no big deal -- you still have 999 more. But if your herd is small, one teat (or one cow) represents a much more significant investment.

My personal philosophy, when it comes to animal husbandry, is to make a decision at the outset whether to treat or cull. If it's to treat, throw everything at it that you can: the best science, the best supportive care. If the animal doesn't respond, you may need to reevaluate and cull ... but oftentimes a full-out effort will produce good results. But halfhearted attempts and half-measures rarely work out well, in my experience.

BlackWillowFarm · #18 12/09/10, 07:49 AM

IMHO it's time for antibiotics.

topside1 · #19 12/09/10, 07:59 AM

I mention in post #2 that this is your problem. Reading below you will find that the CMT kit is the most satisfactory test in cow side use. Simply meaning it not perfect....Many older cows get passed from owner to owner because this problem is so hard to discover by a potential buyer. Ask me how I know? Topside

Test for invisible mastitis Milk that is watery, thick or ropy means an active case of mastitis has progressed far enough to be recognizable. This is clinical mastitis.
However, such clinical cases make up only about 20 percent of the mastitis in dairy herds. Infected quarters usually produce normal appearing milk. Infections may continue for weeks before you notice abnormal milk or soreness of the udder. Researchers have made many attempts to devise a test for this "invisible" mastitis. So far, the CMT is the most satisfactory test for cowside use. Abnormal milk and infection The animal body defends itself against injury and infection. When infection occurs, white blood cells, or leukocytes, gather to engulf bacteria and stop the spread of infection. If an injury is sterile, few leukocytes are present; but if infection sets in, the white blood cells congregate in great numbers.
High leukocyte counts in milk strongly indicate mastitis-causing bacteria are present. The CMT reagent, when added to milk, reacts with a part of the leukocytes, forming a gel. The greater the mastitis infection, the more leukocytes present and the more gel-like substance that forms. Table 1 shows how the leukocyte count in milk influences the appearance of the test and affects the CMT score.

scholtefamily · #20 12/09/10, 08:34 AM

We are going to put her on antibiotics. That was the plan after the vet came out yesterday. Sorry, I didn't make that clear. However. I don't want to willy nilly put her on an antibiotic that won't work and then we have to try another one and then another. THey are going to find our what bacteria it is and get it the first time. I should have an answer today or tomorrow of which to use. I appreciate your responses.