Back from vacation

TRAILRIDER · #1 10/08/13, 10:01 AM

I went away for 5 days. That's about as long as I dare with all the animals that depend on me here. My wonderful neighbors came down three times to learn about the feeding, milking, water and hay and also the indoor pet and poultry routines. They did a great job and I didn't even lose one chicken!
However it's so hard to leave goats in milk. My best doe, Dolly was off her feed when I got home. She had eaten some bad hay, my fault completely. It was the bottom of a round bale where it had been on the ground. I shouldn't assume everyone automatically knows not to feed bad hay

Anyway, when I got home she was eating hay and a little off. Gave her and my buck who was the same some probiotic and no grain, just clean hay and water until they came around. They were both fine after a couple of days.
My doe milks about a gallon a day and has been eating grain again and doing well. Now this morning she is getting mastitis! She is prone to getting mastitis and had it this spring after having triplets. She NEVER dries up completely and will milk through. So here we go with the Biomycin every other day again, hot compresses, frequent milking and teat infusion. Poor Dolly! I hate to see her go through this. I'm sure it's just all the stress, changes in milking routine and people, changes in feeding, hay etc.
Her milk has not changed, no clumping. She doesn't have heat in her udder yet. Just the hardness, lumpiness and tenderness during milking. I've seen it before

Backfourty,MI. · #2 10/08/13, 12:20 PM

Glad you got away for a few days. Hubby & I never go anywhere together because of the animals but if I found someone I trusted to care for animals we were talking maybe a long weekend away would be nice.

So glad you caught Dolly early & nhopefully she'll clear up in no time.

LomahAcres · #3 10/08/13, 06:16 PM

I am curious - have you ever tried the J-vac vaccine? I started using it about 2 years ago when I heard from some it could even out udders made uneven by mastitis - even though the vac. is for healthy does against e. coli. I have one doe that always freshens with a hard udder, and when I gave her the vac. she softened right up within 24 hours. I have also used it a few times in between on does at the first signs of mastitis and about half the time it takes care of the mastitis by itself. This drug is still new to me, but something I am keeping in my cupboard.

TRAILRIDER · #4 10/09/13, 12:58 PM

LomahAcres, is "J vac" the actual name? I haven't heard of it. I am going to give the lysigin vaccine this month to all my does as well as their copper, BoSe and wormings. We will be breeding the girls around the end of the month if all is well.
My doe is 50% better today already. I will wait til this evening to use the teat infusion (Today) if she really needs it. She hates that process so much I only do it as a last resort.

LomahAcres · #5 10/09/13, 02:43 PM

Here it is - I get it from jeffers

http://www.jefferspet.com/j-vac-e-co.../LIV/cp/16474/

It is made for e-coli type mastitis, but I used it for staph mastitis. I also have used lysigin, but have still had does get staph mastitis even after having the vaccine.

TRAILRIDER · #6 10/10/13, 10:19 AM

That's very interesting, especially since you said "e-coli type mastitis".
When first got home and the two goats were off their feed, they had yellow/tan diarrhea with bits of grain in it, along with no appetite. They also smelled "sour or off" just in body odor (not from a poopy butt.) And my very first thought was, this is what happens to cows kept in stressful confinement conditions. The ecoli that's usually under control in their system goes wild and they get diarrhea. Then the problem spreads. So I was a bit concerned. And now she has mastitis. Odd?

Anyway the Biomycin and today infusion seem to be doing the trick. I will check out the J vac too.