ARGH! Toxic Mastitis

[mangus580]

So we noticed late yesterday afternoon, that Fiona wasnt acting her normal self. We had first attributed it to postpartum antics (on Tuesday) but when she didnt do her grain dance and eat her grain yesterday afternoon, concern set in.

I called our vet, and he came out at 9 this morning. Diagnosis is Toxic Mastitis. Let me tell you I feel horrible guilty about not keeping her stall pristine

He gave her a round of stuff - antibiotics, electrolytes, probiotics, tubed water into her, and something else slipping my mind at the moment.

Him & his student stripped milk from her while they were here, we did it again about 12:30, and I just came in from doing it again now. Hoping we can get more frequent strips in, but so far, we havent been able to.

She does seem to be picking up a little, and has started nibbling on her hay, and is interested in her grain again. So with any luck, she will pull though this.

The really tough part is, now I think the calf has to be bottle fed. Fiona wont let her nurse. Even on the 2 front(good) quarters.


We are open to any tips, pointers, help, etc!!

 

[Cricket]

Did you mean for the calf? I use milk replacer with coccidiosis meds in it. Start off with 4 oz milk replacer to one qt water and after she drinks that, give her another qt of just warm water. If she downs the bottle with no trouble, the next feeding mix the 4 oz powder with a full bottle (2qts water). Do that for like 3 days, and then start increasing the powder a very little at a time, backing off if she seems to be getting looser stools. If she got colostrum, you're going to be in better shape to start with. I also put in 1/4 cup at least of plain yogurt every bottle, but I believe the probios is better--the farm vet said to give both, the probios has tons more good stuff, but the yogurt gives it a place to thrive. Around 10 days, start feeding calf starter (grain), again I get the kind with coccidiant in it. (not usually one for meds you may not need, but . . . ). I don't feed milk that has antibiotics in it to any critters, as I think it's not good for the good bacteria in their system, but may be wrong. I also stay away from the mastitis milk for them for the most part, although have pasteurized suspected cases milk and fed to pigs. I don't think I'd feed the milk even from Fiona's good quarters with the toxic mastitis--did you ask your vet?

Good luck and let us know how it goes. I'm so sorry about Fiona--that's nasty stuff. Unless you live your life standing behind them with a shovel, you're going to have poop on the floor and they are going to lay in it--don't beat yourself up about it.

 

[BeanJeepin]

I think we were more asking what we should be doing for Fiona, not the calf.

Update - Fiona seems to be improving. Grain dance is back as is her normal daily routine of begging from the neighbors and harassing the goats. She isn't up to full eating yet (picking at hay) but is maybe getting there. Getting plenty of water. The milking - the back two quadrants were infected, front two were not. We were milking the good quadrants and bottling the calf - vet said it was fine. Milking the back infected ones onto the ground. The one back quarter looks better now - milky liquid, less chunks. The other looks infected still. We gave pain relief last night and tonight and are using ToDAY in the affected quarters (in addition to the systemic antibiotic the vet gave sub q). Milking out the infected ones as often as we can, cleaning well, applying bag balm, and making sure to dip the teats well.


Josey, the calf, latched onto an uninfected teat this morning, snubbing the offered bottle halfway through it to seek out the teat. We've observed her nursing off that one teat multiple times today, so didn't bottle tonight. I will offer again in the morning and see what she does. She is energetic and very healthy looking.

 

[jhm47]

If the calf is sucking on an uninfected teat, I would not bottle feed it at all. The cow will adjust her milk supply as needed. Keep on stripping the infected quarters till they are free from infection. The calf may begin to use all the quarters as it grows. Don't worry about the antibiotics---you need to be aggressive in order to save the cow. I have lost several cows from mastitis over my many years of raising cattle. Good luck!

 

[BeanJeepin]

Update -

The one infected quarter is definitely clearing well. There's still some small-ish chunks but the fluid is milky - I am assuming tomorrow the chunks will be all but gone. The second infected quarter I am concerned about. Still very chunky with pus as liquid, no milky liquid. The ToDAY says just two doses - would it hurt to dose it again tonight overnight as a third dose?

She is still not super interested in eating hay, but is going at grain well. I wish she'd eat hay with the same reckless abandon and I'd breathe easier.

The calf, I am actually here looking up scours and what calf poop should look like. She has what I'd consider to be normal nursed newborn human poop (she's had no milk replacer - mama's milk and about a quart of store bought whole milk when Mama kicked over the bucket one night and now she's on the teat nursing from mom again). Her tail is a bit dirty/poopy though, I'm not sure how much of that is normal and how much of that is a problem.

 

[mangus580]

Knock on wood....

I think we are in the clear. Fiona is happily eating again. Josey is happily nursing on the front teats (prefers the front left). 1 of the infected teats is totally clear now, the other is almost there.

I sure hope we dont have to go through THAT again!

 

[Queen Mum]

Sounds like things are going very well. Good for you for sticking to her regimen...

 

[mangus580]

For those of you who may have been wondering... Fiona pulled through her ordeal quite well. One quarter has a very limited production, but the other 3 seem to be doing ok. Josey (the calf) tends to primarily nurse off the front 2, although I have seen her use the one good rear.

We got lucky, thats all I can say!

 

[alsea1]

wonderful