Udder problem/Mastitis?

[mammawof3]

Milked yesterday-no sign of anything wrong-steady stream ect.-this morning,one side was fine-the other side would not milk-the teat felt like it was "crunchy" tissue inside-would only drip oldish looking blood-couldn't find any lumps-doe is NOT acting ill at all-with NO experience, my mind jumps too "gangrene mastits"-(the crunchy part)-but -over night???--have penicillian and LA 200--would either help anything?--i gave her 3 vit.E-2 vit. B-and will get vit.C-(vit.B for healing-vitE and C help too "dissolve" scar tissue)---it is possible that she just got bruised bad yesterday or something??-but-that does not explain the lack of being able too express any milk--or the crunchy texture...

[TennesseeMama23]

I would just really squeeze to get that milk (clump/plug) out. I wouldn't think it was mastitis yet. Go get you a CMT (California mastitis test), they are nice to have around anyway. My local Co-op carries it. I wouldn't start antibiotics yet, warm compresses/rubbing might help loosen it, it needs to come out. Once you get it out it should be fine, just keep an eye out for hardness and redness and heat.

[Jennifer L.]

I would say gangrenous mastitis. It happens VERY VERY fast. The "crunchy" noise you hear is gas produced by the bacteria that is being squished around in the tissue. You will see by tonight or tomorrow morning whether the udder tissue is dying off or not, and if it is, and the teat is dead already, take a knife or razor blade and split it so the udder half can drain as much as it can. The toxin produced by the bacteria is what you need to get rid of, and the more you can, the better. Shoot her as full of antibiotics as you can---if it's gangrenous you are fighting for the doe's life.

I have just had two cows with this. The first one I lost after her two rear quarters blew out and she looked like she might be improving. The other cow is hanging in there and I'm hoping she makes it. The one cow, just fresh and one of my best milkers, went from perfect to falling apart in less than 24 hours.

I hope this isn't what you've got and it's a badly bruised udder, but if you hear crunchy, it's not good. Hope it works out ok.

Jennifer