Mastitis? Red oozing sores on teat!

[fillycate]

I decided to let this FF keep her babies on her. She had twins and a fairly small udder. I noticed that there was more nursing going on one side than the other, but didn't worry that I needed to intervene (my first mistake.) Then I saw that something was wrong. Sores on the teat where it connects to the udder, open like two craters on opposite sides, oozing. Scary! The teat was hard, not soft and elastic. I have since been milking her out twice a day on that side (her protesting, surely in torturous pain!) using bag balm, Fight Bac, warm compresses, and an injection of penicillin.

When I milk her out, up inside the udder at the very top of it, it is somewhat hard and lumpy. The whole bag isn't as elastic as it should be, as the other side is. I don't know if it is congestion, it gets a little better as I persist in milking, but doesn't go away completely. Honestly, I'm not even sure if I am milking her out completely. She is difficult to milk in this state, her bag and teat feel wrong.

I am fairly new to goats (one year) and have never had a case of mastitis before. I don't even know if that is what this is. She is eating. I don't know if she has a fever. What is this, what causes sores like that, and what should I be doing?

[crazygoatgal]

Do you have a "real" goat vet in your area? I am not an expert, but that sounds bad and should probably be seen if there is an infection somewhere. Sorry I cant be of more help.

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

I would milk her out often and I do think that in this instance pennicillin is in order. 3cc per 50 pounds twice a day until she is well healed, under the skin. Spray the are with chlorhexiderm and let her stand for a good 3 mintues before you let her loose. Perhaps you could take her kids off and supervise them nursing 2 or 3 times a day until this heals?

From now on though pennicillin is a fridge item...it is rarely used in goats except to keep secondary infection down when you have a problem like this.....it is used with other meds for some mastitis, and it is used after kidding for metritis, other than that you will never use it.

Also one shot won't ever do anything...you run antibiotics in series just like in us. So a good 24 hours of shots after she is 100% which could be 10 days. So do the shots every 12 hours for at least until you see it looking better, then go to once a day shots, try not to miss any. vicki

[MARYDVM]

Take a look at the kids' mouths for any evidence of crusts or scabs. The sores you describe on the outside of the teat could be spread by orf ("sore mouth") a virus that lambs and kids can spread to the udder of their dam while nursing.

See here; http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/orf_virus/

[fillycate]

I will check the mouths of the kids, though I don't recall seeing anything.

What is chlorhexiderm and what does it do?