Blood in milk...how common is this?

[RockyToggRanch]

I didn't know if I should post here or in birthing..raising.

My doe kidded a buckling 2 weeks ago then 4 days later dead twins a month premature.

Her milk has looked and smelled fine until 2 days ago when I first spotted some small,red clots on the filter. I've been milking her to feed 2 orphans, not for our use yet.

After filtering, I cool in the fridge in a glass pitcher and then add to a gallon jug. I rotate the jugs so I'm not pouring more into one that I'm using. Today when I went to pour it into the jug, I noticed that blood had settled to the bottom of the glass pitcher. Just enough to make a pink tint at the bottom.

I read somewhere that it's not unusual to see blood in a new milker. This is her 2nd freshening 2 yrs apart. What could cause this? Is it safe to feed the kids? What should I do?

 

[Ranch Girl]

If the does gets stressed out she will have blood in her bag. That happened to us once. She got really stressed out and we started milking her and instead of milk we got blood. Wait to milk her a little bit. She may just be stressed out.

 

[RockyToggRanch]

How long should I wait? The 2 orphans depend on her milk for a 50/50 mix with replacer. Is the milk I have safe to feed them?

I have recently allowed the orphans in with her and her kid. They seem to get along fine though. I don't know what could be stressing her...

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Are you milking too roughly or too high on the teat (actually grabbing part of the udder)? That can sometimes cause it.

 

[RockyToggRanch]

Geeze, I hope not. I don't think so. She has really long teats. I'm new to milking, but she's been fine for 2 weeks. Her kid is pretty rough with her. I only milk out 3-4 cups, twice a day. Just enough to mix 50% with replacer. Her udder is still large when I stop. Could it be that she needs more removed?

I use teat dip from TSC and udder wash.

 

[Roll farms]

Sometimes they will have a blood vessel burst and cause a little blood for a milking or two...anything past that and I'd worry about a more serious internal injury or mastitis.

As far as the milk / replacer mix, you can use pastuerized / homogenized whole milk in place of the goat milk in a pinch...

(I don't even use replacer anymore, just use cow milk if needed to make the goat milk go further.)

 

[RockyToggRanch]

If it's a blood vessel burst, would there be blood in both sides? What should I watch for as far as something more serious? and then what should I do or when to call the vet?

 

[aggieterpkatie]

If it's a blood vessel burst, would there be blood in both sides? What should I watch for as far as something more serious? and then what should I do or when to call the vet?

You want to look out for a hot or hard udder or a fever, changes in behavior, clumpy milk, more blood, etc.

 

[RockyToggRanch]

Her udder is full and firm. Not hot, but warm. She has a good appetite and doesn't act any different. There was no sign of blood this morning. Would it help to give her probios?

Perhaps I should take a sample to my vet?

 

[Roll farms]

It wouldn't hurt to take a sample in, just to be sure.

If the vessel broke up in the udder itself, then it could produce blood in both sides, theoretically...but usually I see it in just one side.

Is it going through the filter ok?
(Usually clumpy stuff in the filter is the first sign here, quickly followed by a hot udder.)

The 3 does I've had w/ mastitis over the years never went off feed / acted sick...that I noticed, anyway...but I started treatement pretty fast...I read somewhere that the udder can be like a seperate 'island'...
it can be sick while the doe itself is fine.
I've also heard of does who went down when their udders got bad enough and the infection goes systemic.

Keep in mind though there are a bazillion different pathogens that can cause mastitis and it can manifest itself in a bazillion different ways.

A friend of mine's been treating her best doe for a YEAR for mastitis. Finally gave up and went to the vet...it was / is a staph infection and it went on so long she's going to be 'chronic' now...it will come and go as stress / hormones change her system and will have to be treated ea. time.