More issues - torn udder. . . ugh

[Creamers]

Okay, the doe that had the horrific kidding earlier. . .

She has somehow torn her udder or the pressue made it rip - it is a somewhat small rip but there is no way to milk her and let is heal - - - or even restrain her and make her allow milking and on the other side - she WILL NOT let down -

We've only gotten about a cup total out all day just trying to make her comfortable after what she has been through. . .

my question is. . .can I just leave her be and expect her to dry off?

Will this ruin her udder?

Her dam's udder was ruined after mastitis and then the fact she would NOT dry offer after 6 months of us milking just the one side - production dropped, the mastitis side dried off - and the one side was only giving about 2 cups a milking, so we dried to dry her off, and 6 months later, that side never dried off. . . and her udder is a wreck.

This doe, her kid, has a nice udder - I hate to ruin it. . .but I hate to keep trying to milk her with the torn side, the traumatic kidding and her not letting down from the pain of it all . . .

What to do, what to do? ? ?

[PrettyPaisley]

I have no idea but I am so very sorry for all this.

[motdaugrnds]

I can only tell you what I would do if such a thing had occurred to one of my does.

I would bottle feed her kids, keeping them away from her at all times.

Since you said the tear was small, I would go ahead and put the health of her udder "before" the healing of that small tear and milk her out. After each milking, I would put triple anti-biotic on the tear and "tape" it up with surgical tape to keep it clean. Yes, each and every time! As soon as I could I would start tapering back on the milk I get from her, slowly drying her up. (Udders repair themselves each year; so I would simply be more concerned about keeping her udder healthy this year; not concerned with using her milk.)

[pygmybabies]

Poor thing, I hope she gets better

[Pony]

Originally Posted by motdaugrnds

I can only tell you what I would do if such a thing had occurred to one of my does.

I would bottle feed her kids, keeping them away from her at all times.

Since you said the tear was small, I would go ahead and put the health of her udder "before" the healing of that small tear and milk her out. After each milking, I would put triple anti-biotic on the tear and "tape" it up with surgical tape to keep it clean. Yes, each and every time! As soon as I could I would start tapering back on the milk I get from her, slowly drying her up. (Udders repair themselves each year; so I would simply be more concerned about keeping her udder healthy this year; not concerned with using her milk.)

Creamers, this sounds like a plan. I think I'd follow the same course of action.

[SherrieC]

If it's not leaking milk bad, then you can also clean the wound and super glue it if it warrents it. then just do as suggested. I've never had a torn udder but I've dealt with ripped Teats 3-4 times and I milked glued treated taped. they were bad enough I had to use Cannules. All of them healed up.

[Kshobbit]

Your vet can stitch up the tear if it is that serious. Antibiotics would be needed to prevent infection since it is an opening into the udder. Good luck

[chamoisee]

Had you been milking her all along before it ripped? Leaving colostrum in the udder can make it turn all hard and engorged.

I would use hot compresses, lots of bag balm, milk her several times a day until the congestion is gone. The tear will heal, but having a stretched out udder isn't going to allow for much healing.

[pookshollow]

What about using teat dilators? Any feed store should have them. Just put them up inside the teat and the milk should flow without any handling. Worth a try.

[thaiblue12]

I have done crazy glue for a small hole in my doe's udder. Stupid neighbor horses came here to steal my hay, yet again! They chased some of my goats into his barbed wire fence So she had a hole in her bag and it leaked milk. I dried it off well and crazy glued it, it worked. If it is a big tear you might want to have a vet look at it.

[Creamers]

Her kids died in utero, so no kids to worry about. . .
The placement of the teat makes wrapping, tapping or anything had - it starts below and go up to the place the teat joins the udder. . . but it has been open longer than I think my vet would stitch it. . .

I might get pics in a bit

[farmerjohn]

I would continue milking as much as possible. But no heat as heat will draw the milk to the udder and make things worse. No heat no cold. Just repair the tear as best as possible with the super glue and with tape. You might try the spray on bandage also. I have not used the spray on bandage for allot of things yet, thank goodness, but what I have used it for on my goats has worked well and has kept the dirt out and the infection out for several days time before ahving to redo. Even doing as pookshollow says with the teat dilators is a good idea. Put antibiotics salve on the udder and if none available use vasoline. It has healed more tears, chapped skin and lips and soothed sores for many a year. Bag balm is just as good also. If you need to work on her and she will not let you then you may have to put her to the milk stand and tie her back legs down to milk and work. She has a short memory and will soon forget. Put on some soothing music in the barn and surround with good smells. Your being calm will calm the goats. And they do well with music playing. A soothing music not hip hop.

Then use some banamine for the pain and discomfort. I have even used ambosol if I had nothing else around if it was a topical wound I was tending. Works great on many animals and fowl. I would get the milk out to the very last drop and if needed then milk even 3-4 times a day just to keep the pressure off. Or maybe your vet would give you something to relax her and /or to make her a little drowsey. Good Luck

[Creamers]

She seems to feel semi normal. . . but the teat looks much worse -
the one - has more tears than I realized - I need to take photos . . .
they are crusty and almost black - likely from the cold and the swelling in the teats. . .we did milk her totally out!

[SherrieC]

If it has been cold enough where you are, since she is a First fresher she may have frost bite on her teats, because of the swelling tissue's that first fresheners tend to have they are succeptable to frost bite. If you are dealing with that those teats are about to get messier. I had one get frost bite 2 years ago, gross! In that case just keep on washing her good, milking and apply tri antibiodic, it will heal. You may want to use cannules if you have them, when/if the tissue starts sloughing off

[Creamers]

The black areas much have been bruising or something - tonight . . . they aren't black. . .just dark red. . .and a mess. I am going to get pics - just keep forgetting the camera.