# Heavy in milk doe, injured, painful bag



## Sweetened (May 10, 2014)

I picked up a nice boer X dairy from a sale today.  Before purchasing her I went over her for lumps, bumps, mumps and other umps, checked teeth touched udders and so on.  She is a HEAVY milker which is why I picked her up.  However, I mistook her moving away and a slight kick (which my girls give when they aren't tied) as just being annoyed and stressed from the sale when I checked her over.  Her bag is very tender, it's chapped and scratched.  One teat had what appeared to be a surface scab that's acually a gouge of flesh out.  The wounds are clear, lean and not pussy or infected, her milk is clear and not mastitic, in fact, it's very beautiful milk!  My problem is it was an absolute painful escapade to milk her (for her and I) and I'm not quite sure how to treat this going forward.  She MUST be milked, likely twice a day.

I have put oregano oil into vaseline and gave her udder a good, gentle rub, and made sure to put a drop of oregano onto the teat which is the one thing that seemed not to hurt her.  My very limited supply of conventional medicine consists of nothing more than Oxytetracycline which is NOT indicated for goats.  Is it used for them off lable?  Would it help in this situation?  Any advice would be great.  I'd like to not have to do one of those dry up injections where you fill them with antibiotics and stop milking, but I will if that's the best option for her, I just need to know.


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## alsea1 (May 10, 2014)

Sounds about like you have done what you can.
As far as giving meds I would hold off just yet.
You may need to get creative as far as milking goes.
Make milking hobbles and just be persistent.  After all she does not really know you yet.
I find that as long as my goat has her head stuffed in a feed bucket we are good.
Good luck.


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## Sweetened (May 10, 2014)

Hobbles went badly, Hah!  I have to lean over top of her and wrap an arm under between her leg and udder and milk over the top with the other one.  She still bounces around but doesn't kick.  I just want to get her healed up so she's not hurting anymore!  I feel so awful that her first experiences with us are going to be painful.


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## alsea1 (May 11, 2014)

That sounds pretty tricky. Hopefully she gets to where you can milk in an easier position.
It may be that she has never been milked before.


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## alsea1 (May 11, 2014)

Maybe you can try simple desensitizing with her.
As soon as she quits jumping/kicking remove your hand. Over and over.
Also, try singing to her while you milk.  It may distract her a bit.
Also, put medium size rocks in the feed tub. This may take her mind off you. Having to work the rocks around to get at the feed will keep her a bit busier.
You need to keep at it though because an engorged injured udder will be more painful to her in the long run.
Can someone help hold her steady for you while you milk.


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## Sweetened (May 11, 2014)

What a gong show it was this morning, she ended up throwing herself onto the ground at which point I pinned her and milked her on her side.  She tried to bite dh, I feel so awful for her -- wonder if this will have ruined any chances of making a good milker out of her.  Food be damned, she fought and had zero interest.

Udder from the rear, full




Side view of the REALLY painful teat with, essentially, the hole in it.  Looks like it should have been stitched.




A better picture taken after she had kicked over the pale and thrown herself down.




The other teat which she is very sensitive on.  Maybe bruised?


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## Sweetened (May 11, 2014)

I should add, that wound was puss scabbed this morning.


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## purplequeenvt (May 11, 2014)

You should scrub her udder down with iodine or betadine. Warm soapy water at the very least. 

Is it possible that she had kids on her prior to the sale? Her injury looks very similar to what happens to our sheep when their lambs bite the teats too hard. 

I wouldn't give her antibiotics unless she really needs them. Cleaning her udder 2-3x a day should do the trick. 

Do you have any goat kids that would nurse off her? That would get her emptied out and give you time to get her fixed up before working on training her as a milk goat. 

I've found (with sheep and goats) that it is helpful with an uncooperative animal to put them in the stanchion and have some else hold one rear leg up. That keeps them off balance and gives you room to work.


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## alsea1 (May 11, 2014)

Dang. Sounds like she is really adamant about it.
I wonder if a vet would give you some stuff that would numb her teats up bit while you work at it.
Poor girl. Good luck.
Try what purple suggested.


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## Queen Mum (May 20, 2014)

First of all, hobble that girl.   Put a soft rope with a loop on it on one ankle and secure it to the leg of the milk stand so it holds the ankle out and back.  Then put one on the other side the same way.  Then put another one on each ankle so it holds the leg forward and in.  The loop should tighten when she pulls her foot in any direction.  

HAVE SOMEONE HOLD THE LEG FIRMLY ON THE EFFECTED SIDE WHILE YOU WORK ON THE WOUND.

Buy a box of NEXCARE waterproof bandages, the kind with no telfa pad in them.
Soak the teat with betadine and water.  (Hold a very warm washcloth on the teat) Then wash it with a sloppy wet cloth and dry it.
Once the teat is nice and clean and very dry, shave the udder around the teat.  
Put a dab of neosporin on the very center of the nexcare bandage, but use very little.  
Trim off any hanging skin from teat.
VERY CAREFULLY wrap the nexcare bandage firmly and smoothly on the teat so there are no wrinkles.

NOW,  wash and shave the other teat the same way.

Strip milk this little mama completely, while your assistant holds the goat and feeds her.  DON'T worry about spilled milk.

Use hot cloths to massage her udder and relax her drop reflexes until she is empty.  She will have hard spots.  Massage those.

Then milk her twice a day hobbled until she learns to cooperate.  AND MILK FROM BEHIND!  It is easier.  

ORDER A BOTTLE of Tincture of Benzoin online.  It makes bandaids stick.


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## Sweetened (Jun 16, 2014)

I got Edna all dried up; traumatizing her was destroying our relationship and trust.  However there is still a little trouble.  Her bag and stomach not far from the bag is quite scaly, flaky and chapped, it does not seem painful.  She has a tendency to rub her stomach on a lowlying branch.  I am thinking mites or dermatitis?  Can I treat her with Ivomec? I have some injectable cattle noromectin on hand.  The other goats do not have any symptoms as they are all together now.

Thoughts?


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## Queen Mum (Jun 19, 2014)

Ivermectin and some Kelp.  She could need iodine and kelp is a very good source of iodine.  Also, change her bedding and put down some hydrated lime.


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## Sweetened (Jun 22, 2014)

Interesting.  Whats the purpose of the lime?


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## alsea1 (Jun 22, 2014)

It eliminates ammonia build up and dries out the stall.


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## Sweetened (Jun 22, 2014)

Thanks.


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