Mastitis? Or something else? Nigerian Dwarf...

[BarnyardBlast]

I called the vet yesterday but he wasn't able to see her as he was doing farm checks. He called back this morning and said that it sounded like mastitis and told me to come by and pick up an antibiotic injection for her. I asked about a treatment like ToDay as well and he didn't think it would be effective. (He also freely admits that he doesn't know much about goats, so he may be wrong on this point).

Her udder is feeling better every day, but we're still pulling out white lumps/strings. Also, it became bloody on Sunday along with some streams of brown liquid rather than milk. Her temp is 102.5. She's eating well and drinking and quite active.

Questions - should I use something like ToDay? With the antibiotic, should I not use the milk from the other side? I'm using that milk to bottle feed the kids. If there is a withholding time, what is it?

Other questions - the kids are two weeks old today. I have them in my backyard with a small three sided structure for shelter. The shelter is tiny, but they both fit in it. (It's a dog crate). I have hay over it and around it, along with inside of it. They sleep snuggled up in there and run around and play the rest of the time. They are shivering during the day and while feeding. Our temps are about 40 at night and 60-ish during the day. There is no rain (we're in a drought), so they're not wet. Should I put sweaters on them? I've never used anything like that, but they don't have their mother to sleep with, just each other. (I thought each other would be enough, but perhaps I'm wrong?)

Thanks again. She's milking a good deal on the good side and I'm so excited about milking her when she's better.

 

[babsbag]

Don't worry about withdrawal time on the milk if you are giving it to the kids. For your consumption you need to look up the antibiotic and withdrawal time on FARAD.

I would certainly use Today to treat her. Antibiotics given by injection usually don't treat the infection in the udder, it just keeps it from going systemic. But without knowing what the bacteria is it is hard to know which one will work. You can try Today, but there is also Pirsue and Oxymast so hard to know which one she might need. I would start with Today and see how she does. Make sure you are as sterile as possible when you insert the meds, you don't want to introduce something else. Also, you need to keep milking her out so scar tissue doesn't form in the teat. Does the milk smell at all?

It is common for kids to shiver when they eat. Are you giving them the milk warm? I might put sweaters on them at night but 60 during the day is certainly warm enough for them. You can make sweaters out of old sweatshirts or sweatpants, Google has a lot of ideas if you need any.

 

[BarnyardBlast]

The milk doesn't have a bad smell at all. I've been checking it at each milking to see if it had a smell and there's nothing.

I'll start with ToDay and see what happens. I'm guessing I would see dramatic improvement by Thursday if it's working?

Yes, the milk is being given warm. Right now, I'm taking it straight from mama to kids. For the mid-day feedings, we're warming in a microwave (carefully) and giving it to them. I've got a few old sweatshirts around here that would probably work for them. I'll put one on tonight and take it off of them during the day.

Thanks!

 

[babsbag]

I just saw that your kids are nigis so the sweaters would probably be a go at night...little goats compared to my Alpines.

Glad there is no smell, that is encouraging. The Today should have directions for using it on goats, you don't insert it as far. If there are no directions you can Google that too, you don't want to damage the teat canal by going in too far. It isn't hard if the goat stands nicely for you, I was probably more nervous than she was.