Why or how do cows get mastitis?

[Azriel]

I'm looking at a Jersey cow that just freshened the first part of this month. She had mastitis but is OK now and milking on all 4 quarters. She has her calf on her and is also being hand milked. So if I get her, what are her chances of getting mastitis again, and how do I prevent it.

 

[Year of the Rooster]

Mastitis occurs when the teats come into contact with a dirty surface where the bacteria reside. The main thing is to be very clean when dealing with her udder and teats and to keep her living arrangements clean as well. Disinfecting before and after milking is important to keep bacteria populations in check. It's difficult to say whether or not she will contract it again because it depends on the bacteria that caused it in the first place. Two species of bacteria commonly cause mastitis, Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli. And both express different clinical signs, so it's hard to say. The best thing to do is be clean. Wash your hands, wash any equipment that will come into contact with the teats, and disinfect the teats.

 

[Azriel]

Thanks, that helps. So why don't beef cows get mastitis.

 

[WildRoseBeef]

Thanks, that helps. So why don't beef cows get mastitis.

They do, it's just that they have a much less chance of getting mastitis because they don't have such big, baggy udders like dairy cows do, which are more at risk of getting stepped on, bruised or have any other injury done to them. However, beef cows are at risk of getting mastitis at weaning time because their udders are so full of milk, making them more susceptible to injury. Cows with large teats are at greater risk of getting mastitis than those with small, teats, and older cows with larger udders are at greater risk of getting mastitis than young cows with smaller udders.

You can find some more info here: http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/faq8106

 

[Azriel]

Thanks

 

[jhm47]

I'd like to add this: Milking a cow before she freshens is an invitation to mastitis. Cows naturally develop a waxy plug in their teats after they are dried off or their calf is weaned. This plug protects the udder from the bacteria that causes mastitis. When people are anxious to see if a cow has milk, they often massage the teats till this plug comes out, thereby allowing these bacteria to enter. Since a calf is not born yet and sucking, the bacteria have lots of time to migrate into the udder. When a calf is born, they must suck hard enough to pull this plug out, and then they are able to access the milk. Bacteria are always trying to make their way into the teat canal, but since calves suck quite often, the bacteria are pulled out many times a day. In contrast, dairy cows are usually milked 2X or 3X a day, and this allows more time for these bacteria to migrate further up into the udder. This is another reason that beef cows have less trouble than dairy cows.