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COLLECTION: GOAT HANDBOOK
ORIGIN: United States
DATE INCLUDED: June 1992
Extension Goat Handbook
This material was contributed from
collections at the National Agricultural Library.
However, users should direct all inquires about the
contents to authors or originating agencies.
DDOCN 000000061
NO G-7
MASTITIS
S. B. Guss; Pennsylvania State U., University Park
D. L. Ace; Pennsylvania State U., University Park
Health and Disease Management
1 Aspects of Dairy Goat Mastitis Mastitis may be defined
as inflammation of the mammary gland caused by specific
disease producing microorganisms. Mastitis in dairy
goats, like mastitis in dairy cows, is a disease of
considerable economic importance. As in dairy cows,
infection is usually spread from infected to non-infected
susceptible animals during the milking process.
2 Some aspects of dairy goat mastitis
closely resemble mastitis in dairy cows; others resemble
the disease in sheep. Subclinical mastitis may be
defined as mammary gland infection as revealed by
laboratory examination of milk samples. Clinical mastitis
is characterized by signs of inflammation: swelling,
pain, fever temperature and abnormal milk secretion.
Clinical cases may be acute, where animals clearly
show all the characteristic signs of inflammation
and chronic, where the infection remains in a more
or less quiescent state with recurrent mild to severe
attacks.
3 The most common organism involved
in dairy goat mammary disease is Staphylococcus epidermitis
which is commonly found on the skin of human hands
and the udder skin of goats. This organism produces
progressive chronic mastitis very similar to Streptococcus
agalactiae infection in dairy cows. Recurrent attacks
where the udder is feverish and painful; the quantity
of milk secreted is curtailed and the somatic cell
count is greatly elevated (see Diagnosis) depending
upon the frequency and severity of attacks.
4 Staphylococcus aureus is also an
important organism involved in dairy goat mastitis.
It is found in both non-clinical and acute mastitis
cases. Acute or peracute attacks are quite similar
to blue bag, the common form recognized in sheep.
5 Clinical acute cases result when
infected udders are injured and they are characterized
by severe inflammation which may rapidly become gangrenous,
with fever, intoxication and gross changes in milk
secretion. The milk secretion of a clinical mastitis
flare-up in a gland or the whole udder may become
yellow, thick and greatly reduced in quantity.
6 In peracute cases, gangrene quickly
develops, often within a few hours and the affected
animal may die unless the entire gangrenous gland
is surgically removed.
7 Streptococcus agalactiae infection
is often reported as a cause of dairy goat mastitis.
It and other streptococci are not nearly as prevalent
or economically important as they are in dairy cows.
8 Corynebacterium pyogenes mastitis
in dairy goats is characterized by the presence of
firm round abscesses in the milk producing tissue.
The disease is usually progressive; advanced cases
of the disease reveal multiple abscess formation with
nearly complete destruction of milk secreting tissue.
9 Mycoplasma mastitis is rare in
dairy goats. It may be found in animals suffering
from systemic mycoplasma infection. This form of mastitis
is not rare in countries where contagious caprine
pleuropneumonia occurs in goats, but other mycoplasma
infections have been suspect in severe cases of arthritis
and pleuropneumonia in the United States.
10 Diagnosis Subclinical mastitis
in goats may be identified as it is in dairy cattle;
by laboratory culture and examination of carefully
collected milk samples. However, the common pathogen
in goats is usually not considered pathogenic in cows.
Laboratories which commonly culture cow milk for mastitis
may report goat milk samples infected with Staphylococcus
epidermitis as negative. That organism is not coagulase
positive or hemolytic on blood agar plate culture.
11 Staphylococcus aureus is readily
identified by laboratory culture of milk samples.
Corynebacterium pyogenes may not be detected by laboratory
examination if udder lesions are few and well isolated
by abscess formation.
12 The California Mastitis Test (CMT)
and Somatic Cell Counts (SCC) of milk are useful monitoring
tools to detect the presence of mastitis in the mammary
glands of dairy goats.
13 The California Mastitis Test is
a simple rapid means for detecting mammary gland infection
and irritation. It has had wide acceptance and use
by veterinarians and dairymen in routine mastitis
prevention and control programs. There is widespread
belief that a higher CMT is normal for goats than
for cows. Until that argument is definitely settled,
a CMT of 1 or higher should be cause for concern in
goats.
14 Somatic Cell Counts are a more
accurate measure of udder health. Healthy dairy goat
herds can be expected to produce milk with a somatic
cell count under 500,000. The presence of mastitis
infection in dairy goat herds is reflected in bulk
tank milk samples with a CMT of 1 or higher and a
somatic cell count exceeding 1,000,000 cells per milliliter.
15 Regular use of the CMT or SCC
can give both the owner and the milk consumer confidence
that the milk is produced by healthy animals.
16 Prevention and Treatment Tender
loving care may be the most important basic requirement
for mastitis prevention and treatment. Dairy goats
are very sensitive, intelligent animals. When the
person milking the goat likes the animals and handles
them gently, quietly and patiently, goats willingly
and eagerly participate in the milking procedure.
With ideal milking management, goats show abundant
evidence of affection for the person doing the milking
job, letting their milk down for maximum ease and
speed of milking.
17 Modern milking machine equipment,
if properly cleaned and used, will milk goats rapidly
without injury when used by trained operators who
like the animals.
18 Rough hand milking which pulls
on the teats and excessively strips after milk-out
can be stressful and injurious as bad machine milking.
Good hand milking requires full hand milking and no
tug and pull on the teats.
19 Both hand and machine milking
require good milking preparation - clean dry teats
and clean dry hands and/or teat cup inflations. Rough
handling, irregular milking times, overmilking or
inadequate preparation for milking all take their
toll in providing stress and injury. These directly
affect mastitis resistance and susceptibility.
20 Mastitis in dairy goats, like
mastitis in dairy cows, is rarely an important disease
in herds where animals are thoroughly prepared for
milking by massaging and washing udders. The use of
a bactericidal solution to cleanse the udder and teats
also stimulates good milk let-down. Dry the udder
and teats with an individual paper towel before milking
begins. With hand milking, it is very important that
milkers' hands be thoroughly washed and dried before
milking.
21 Milking machine teat cups should
not be attached to the goat until udder and teats
are thoroughly washed and massaged, cleaned and dried.
Hand or machine milking which is hurtful or excessive
beyond normal let-down contributes to teat end injury
and the spread of mastitis from goat to goat in the
milking procedure.
22 Teat Dipping This procedure has
been found useful for preventing spread of mastitis
from infected to susceptible glands in dairy cow herds.
It is equally effective and useful in dairy goats.
However, some teat dipping solutions tolerated by
dairy cow teats may be too irritant for dairy goats.
Teat dipping solutions should not be used for dairy
goats if they produce drying or irritation of the
skin of the teats.
23 Dry Treatment Dry cow mastitis
treatment udder infusion formulations are recommended
for goats which have had evidence of mastitis infection
before drying off and they may be at least as effective
in preventing mastitis attack during the dry period.
A single dry cow quarter udder infusion dose is recommended
for each udder half in the goat.
24 Systemic Treatment In severe acute
attacks of mastitis, systemic administration of antibiotics
by intravenous or other parenteral means is indicated.
Frequent udder massage with gentle hand milking may
be helpful to relieve pressure in the affected gland
to aid recovery. Strict attention should be paid to
milk witholding instructions on the label of the product
used. When mastitis cases are treated by a veterinarian,
be sure that you follow milk witholding instructions
given.
25 Summary Mastitis in dairy goats
is usually the result of defective milking management
which gives the organisms responsible the opportunity
to spread and produce disease.
26 Adequate sanitary preparation
for milking which results in clean dry udders, clean
dry milkers' hands or milking equipment are fundamental
requirements for mastitis prevention.
27 Regular use of the California
Mastitis Test and/or Somatic Cell Counts can successfully
monitor the progress of mastitis control and the health
status of udders in the herd.
28 Antibiotic udder treatments available
are excellent for treatment of infected mammary glands,
but success with their use is determined by the level
of milking management and sanitation used in milking
the herd. Of course, milk from treated does must be
withheld from human consumption according to label
instructions; nor can meat of treated goats go to
butcher before usually 30 days.
MASTITIS
COLLECTION;GOAT HANDBOOK
ORIGIN;United States
DATE_INCLUDED;June 1992
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