Mastitis

[Sharyl]

I took her temperature last night and it was 105.3. I am calling the vet out. My husband is irritated that I am spending so much on the goats, but I cannot risk her health. I hope whatever the vet gives her doesn't dry up her milk, as that is how I make money off the goats, making my husband happy, but if it does, it does. I am pretty sure I won't be able to use the milk while she is on antibiotics, but I would rather her get better... that and I am not using it while she has mastitis, anyways, so not really any difference.

 

[Southern by choice]

Yikes. Good you are having the vet.
It should not dry up the milk.
Regardless of what hubby thinks, you own an animal you are responsible for the health and well being of that animal.
Good for you taking care of her.

 

[Wehner Homestead]

As someone that has had mastitis, I’m glad you called the vet. I breastfed my three kiddos and had plugged milk ducts but I always managed to get them unplugged. The mastitis was beyond uncomfortable and I began running a fever and having infection symptoms. I had to have an antibiotic to clear it up.

I really hope this helps and gets her some relief and gives you peace of mind!

 

[Sharyl]

Ugh. The vet I use is closed until May 22. I called the dogs vet to see if they take goats and they can see her on Saturday. But they asked me if my dairy goat was spayed. Not sure that is a good sign. I am going to call my horse vet on my lunch and see if he can come out. Sure frustrated that you cannot get mastitis meds over the counter, anymore. Ugh

 

[Wehner Homestead]

Keep trying! Don’t give up!!

 

[Sharyl]

My Equine vet can't come out, he is on his way out of town. My friend recommended another large animal vet so I left him a message. Hopefully I can get him out tonight or tomorrow.
Thanks for all your help and support! I feel so bad for her. I am getting more and more clumps out of her when I am milking her and the two lumps are getting smaller but with the fever, last night, I just don't feel right keeping the homeopathic way going. You can tell it hurts her when I am milking her and I don't want to hurt her anymore if I can help it.
I have been doing warm compresses, peppermint oil massage on her udder, vitamin c tablets and milking her until she freaks out and starts trying to kick me... usually after I start getting a lot of the congealed milk out of her... my husband came out and kept her still so I could get more out of her but I just feel like I am putting her in pain and I hate that. I sat with her head in my hands while she was giving birth, she goes for walks with me, and when I sit in the pen, she comes over and lays her head in my lap. I love her so much. She's my girl and I really hate this.

 

[Wehner Homestead]

So sorry that it’s so difficult to get her seen!

 

[Latestarter]

Sorry... I hope you can get it under control. Sorry also that you live in CA and have to deal with the idiocy.

 

[babsbag]

Isn't CA just wonderful? It annoys me SO MUCH !!!!!!!!!! Before you start on antibiotics you can take a red top tube and get a clean catch of milk and store it in the refrigerator so you can send it in to the lab if you need to. If you send it in ask for a sensitivity test you can find out what antibiotic to give her. I just went down this road with two goats and I ended up giving them away. They had Staphylococcus Aureus which is likely to come back every time they freshen. Since I have a brand new dairy I couldn't risk keeping them on the milk line.

It is important that you continue to milk her so that no scar tissue forms in the streak canal which will prevent you from getting milk out. A few years ago another doe had mastitis and I didn't milk her out long enough and now I can't get milk from that half but it still makes milk and makes her very uncomfortable.

Good luck and I hope you find someone to help her. Do you have any friends in NV or OR?

 

[Sharyl]

I got her in to our dog's vet. That was interesting! lol. They weighed her and she is 175 pounds! I did not think she would weigh that much! The vet assistant had me take her outside to the grass to wait for the vet. He came out and was shocked... said he thought I was bringing in a mini goat, not a full sized. He took some milk and went in and tested it and looked under the microscope at it. He said that it was really chunky (I knew that) and had a lot of puss in it. He wanted to know why it took me so long to get her in. I told him that I had called 4 different vets to get her an appointment with one who specialized in goats and cattle but couldn't get her in, called my equine vet, couldn't get her in so finally called him. He gave her a shot of antibiotics and sent home five more to give her once a day. I am milking her twice a day (unfortunately I work so can't do it more than that... my job is a 45 minute drive from my house) and still doing the warm compresses and the peppermint oil massage on her udder. She really likes that part so I am continuing it. This morning's milk didn't have any chunks in it so it feels like we are heading in the right direction.
My vet gave me an interesting tidbit of information... he said that Federally the laws have changed for antibiotics... that he cannot issue at all without a case by case approval from the USDA. I don't understand that. He is a Doctor, he should be able to prescribe what is needed to keep the animal healthy. I think I am not going to understand the world at all soon. Things are changing and I am not sure for the better.