FF no milk let down on one side

[horseymama2]

My first freshener Poppy is having an udder issue. One teat is not filling with milk, it hasn't gotten larger like the other teat. I can get a tiny bit of milk from it, but at this point.not much. The kids are both nursing from the other side. She has way more milk than they need at this point, but I worried she could develop mastitis on the bad side. I massaged it, tried to milk it, and got both kids to try to suckle it. Any other suggestions? Thanks everyone.

 

[Southern by choice]

@babsbag

 

[babsbag]

Right back at you @Southern by choice

Seriously though, have you owned Poppy since she was a baby? Sometimes goats can have a precocious udder and get mastitis even if they have never been bred. The mastitis can cause scar tissue in the teat canal which will prevent you from getting milk out of her, but it doesn't prevent the making of milk in the udder. Is her udder full on both sides?

The only other things I can think of is that perhaps she has sub clinical mastitis already and there are clumps blocking the orifice. Or perhaps she has a defect of some kind. I have two does that raise twins with 1/2 an udder. It can be done.

 

[Goat Whisperer]

Does she have milk in that half of the udder? Or does that half look deflated? Can you post a pic? When you try to get the milk out, is it difficult to expel or does she simply not have any milk in that side?

Try taping the teat, just in case the kids are nursing that side while you aren't looking

If she truly isn't producing on that side, I would send what milk you can get, out for a mastitis culture. Some goats can have a blind udder (or half udder).

 

[horseymama2]

Ok, so sorry if this is TMI, but I breast fed both my children, and I look at these problems through that lens. I believe she has a blocked milk duct. I can get a little bit out, a thin stream for a couple of squirts, massage and get another couple of thin squirts...The other side has a good stream, but even with the kids favoring that side, it is full to bursting all the time. Her milk came in fast and huge, and she became engorged to the point that it was hard for the babies to latch. I milked her out a couple of times to ease the tightness so they could latch. Fast forward a couple of days and now she is engorged and that side is not flowing right. I did hot compresses and milked it some again this morning. It was better, but still not like it should be. I will try to do this twice this evening. Can I treat her with antibiotics and keep her in milk/feeding her babies if she starts to get mastitis. I had it while breast feeding and I was able to keep nursing my baby while taking oral antibiotics. Thanks for your help everyone! I will get a picture when I get home.

 

[horseymama2]

Poppy's udder was so much better this afternoon that I forgot to get a picture. I was able to get a good stream and multiple squirts from the problem side between pauses to massage her udder. It was also a lot softer. The teat was bigger and was filling with milk this afternoon. I milked her at 4 and again at 7. I will keep milking her a few times a day for a while until Things level out.

 

[Southern by choice]

 

[horseymama2]

So here is a pick of her udder before I milked her this morning. Such a cute little udder. The problem is or was the left.

 

[Southern by choice]

Glad things started flowing!