Small-ScaleDairy Farming Manual |
Volume 5 |
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MASTITIS Husbandry Unit 10.5: Technical Notes Note: Numbers
in brackets refer to illustrations in the Extension Materials.
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page 109
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What should you know about Mastitis? (5-16)
1 Mastitis is an inflammation
of the mammary
glands and may be:
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How can you know if your cow has mastitis?
(17-24)
2 You should know:
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Why do your cows get Mastitis? (25-27)
3 If your cow's teats are not healthy and clean, bacteria may enter and cause Mastitis. |
How can you treat and prevent mastitis? (38-64)
4 You should:
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The cost of mastitis (5-9) In many dairy countries mastitis may be the most costly disease of the dairy industry. Most dairy farmers see the obvious costs: - Fees for veterinary treatment and drugs; - Lost production from acutely affected udders; - Withdrawal time for milk and meat due to antibiotic residues after treatment. There are also hidden costs. - Cows with subclinical mastitis may have low milk production. Low milk production from subclinical mastitis usually costs more than the treatment of acute mastitis. - Milk from cows with mastitis is lower in quality than milk from cows with normal glands: - the cell count is higher;
This means less payment from the dairy. Mastitis in buffalo Generally mastitis is regarded
to be of low economic importance where most types of buffalo are raised
for draught power. In lactating herds, however, the disease is of
tremendous importance.
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5 Mastitis costs you money.
You must pay for veterinary fees and medicines.
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6 You get less money from the collection centre if your milk is low quality (from an udder with mastitis). |
7 If your milk contains antibiotics from mastitis treatment, the centre will reject your milk and pay you no money. |
8 Any kind of mastitis leads to lower milk production and therefore you get less money. |
Definition
of mastitis (9-12)
The different stages of mastitis are: Acute mastitis
(10-12)
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What is mastitis?
9 Inflammation of the mammary glands. The udder consists of 4 glands.
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What are the types of mastitis?
Acute Mastitis
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11 The udder is:
- hot - swollen - hard - painful. |
12 Milk in the strip cup is
abnormal:
- watery and thin - flecks and clots - yellow or brownish colour.
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Chronic mastitis (13-16) Chronic, subclinical mastitis ("hidden" mastitis) General condition: udder and milk are not visibly changed. Only laboratory or cow side tests, for example CMT, show mastitis. Chronic, mild mastitis The udder may be slightly swollen and hard and the appearance of milk slightly abnormal. Paddle tests/ laboratory tests will confirm diagnosis. Chronic, indurative mastitis The glands with mastitis cannot produce milk and gland tissue is replaced by hard, sometimes nodular, connective tissue. Clinical examination is sufficient to establish diagnosis. The milk producing ability of the gland will not return to normal. Table 1 summarises key points in acute and clinical mastitis. Remember that these categories of mastitis are not separate but all part of one disease: Mastitis. The Strip Test (17-20) You can do the strip test by stripping a few streams of milk onto the floor of the milking parlour or onto the boot: clean immediately afterwards. For hygienic reasons, it is better to use the strip cup. Perform the strip test before each milking for the following reasons: - It helps
to detect clinical mastitis;
Clean and sanitize the strip cup
between each milking
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page 115
Table 1:
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page 116
Chronic Mastitis
13 The cow shows satisfactory general condition. But you know your cow has mastitis if you check your milk carefully. |
14 There are 3 types
of chronic mastitis.
Chronic hidden mastitis Your cow and milk appear satisfactory.
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Chronic Mild Nastitis
15 Your cow appears satisfactory. But: - the glands are slightly hard, swollen, painful - the milk is slightly abnormal,watery, discoloured. |
Chronic Mastitis with Gland Shrinkage
16 Without treatment, scar tissue replaces gland tissue. The gland becomes hard, shrinks and cannot produce milk any more.
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The Strip Test (17-20) You can do the strip test by stripping a few streams of milk onto the floor of the milking parlour or onto the boot: clean immediately afterwards. For hygienic reasons, it is better to use the strip cup. Perform the strip test before each milking for the following reasons: - It helps
to detect clinical mastitis;
Clean and sanitize the strip cup
between each milking.
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page 118
Cow
17 Check for fever and low food intake. Udder Check if glands are swollen, hard, red, hot, painful. |
Strip Test
18 Before each milking: - milk a few streams of milk into the strip cup (a small black container) from one teat only |
19
- spread the milk on the plate of the strip cup - check carefully. |
20 Clean the strip cup
and then check milk from the next teat.
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California Mastitis Test (CMT) (21-23) You can use CMT to detect subclinical mastitis in the barn. You can also use it for a rough bulk-milk test. CMT measures the number of somatic cells present in the milk and a CMT-score is normally used as follows: CMT Score Somatic Cells (cells/millilitre)
0
100,000
There are other tests similar to CMT which can be used in a similar way, such as the Whiteside Test or the Wisconsin Mastitis Test (WMT). Remember that CMT and similar tests give a useful, but rough indication of somatic cells present, and only laboratory cell counts give exact figures. The age of the cow, stage of lactation,
teat or udder injury, stress, or other disease also affect the somatic
cell count.
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page 120
California Mastitis Test
21 Milk a few streams of milk from each teat into a different hole in the paddle. |
22 Add 2 ml of reagent to the foremilk
in each hole.
Move the paddle gently. |
23 Easy flow with no gel shows
no mastitis.
Slow flow with some gel shows possible mastitis. Stringy or lumpy milk shows certain mastitis. |
Laboratory Tests
24 The tests show the number
of cells and bacteria present in the milk.
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Agents causing mastitis (25-27) Infection with bacteria or fungi is the usual cause of mastitis. The normal route of infection is through the teat canal and then through the mammary gland. Mastitis may also be part of general disease and affect other organs. The most common bacteria to cause mastitis are Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, and other Streptococcus bacteria. Coliform bacteria, Pseudomonas and Corynebacterium pyogenes may also cause mastitis. Streptococcus agalactiae needs to be in the cow udder to survive. Therefore, it is not difficult to eradicate if you treat all cows in the herd. The other bacteria mentioned above
can survive in the surroundings - in the barn, on milking tools, on hands
etc. This means that general hygiene is an important part of mastitis
control.
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page 122
25 In healthy teats,
few bacteria enter because:
- the skin protects against bacteria - the teat opening is tight - a waxy substance seals the opening. |
26 If the teat is unhealthy, has a lesion,
or is very dirty:
- many bacteria can enter |
27
- the cow's system cannot protect it from the bacteria - they increase in number and spread to other parts of the gland - the cow gets mastitis. Cows can also get mastitis because other diseases such as metritis, pneumonia, digestive problems or low nutrition, make them weak. |
page 123
Treatment of mastitis (28-31) Treat mastitis as soon as you diagnose it. Infusion of an antibiotic preparation into the teat canal is the normal treatment. In acute cases, systemic treatment may be necessary. Note:
You can buy a wide range of antibiotics prepared especially for udder infusion. - Before infusion, clean, dry and disinfect (e.g. with alcohol) the teat. - When infusing the udder,
do not push the cannula of the syringe too far into the teat canal.
This may damage the canal and cause further bacterial infection.
Partial introduction (3-4 mm) into the teat opening gives much better treatment
results.
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page 124
28 In any case of mastitis, call the veterinarian. |
29 He may take a sample of milk for testing |
30
- inject antibiotics into the teat |
31
- sometimes also inject antibiotics into the muscle or blood stream if the cow shows poor general condition.
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Drug residues (32-35) Some people are allergic to even small amounts of antibiotics in their food. They may even suffer an anaphylactic shock and resulting death from eating food with an antibiotic content: Penicillin especially has caused this kind of allergic reaction. Because of this danger, you must observe withdrawal times for antibiotics strictly. Discard milk from all 4 quarters from treated cows, even if you only infused one quarter. Antibiotics deposited by the intramuscular or intravenous route, as food additive or deposited in the uterus, will also leave residues in both milk and meat. In short, you must discard milk
and not send animals for slaughter for a number of days after any antibiotic
treatment, whether you infused through the teat canal or by other means.
The length of withdrawal time is normally subject to the official regulations
of each country.
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32 After antibiotic treatment:
- do not send your milk to the collecting centre for some days - ask your veterinarian when you can send your milk |
33
- do not send your animal for slaughtering for some days - consult your veterinarian about the length of time. |
34 Some people may become sick after taking milk or meat which contains antibiotics. |
35 Many countries have laws against delivering
milk or meat which contain antibiotics.
You could be held responsible!
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Clean milk utensils (38-39) Contaminated milk is sometimes delivered to the dairy, even with recommended clean milking procedures. Milking utensils that are not sufficiently clean may cause this. You must: - thoroughly clean and disinfect
milk cans, buckets and other
This place should never be a corner of the cow barn - even the cleanest cow barn houses lots of bacteria that will contaminate milking utensils - and later on the milk. Storing of utensils in a clean,
well ventilated place, after proper cleaning, is an essential point to
remember, if good quality milk is to be delivered to the dairy plant.
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Hygiene
Before milking 36 Always wash dirty buffalo after wallowing and your dairy cows if they get dirty. |
37 Clean anywhere your animals are likely to lay down. |
Always:
38 Clean your hands thoroughly before
milking.
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39 If you use a milking machine;
- clean and disinfect it thoroughly after each milking - make sure it works correctly.
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Teat dipping (40-42, 47) Farmers often neglect teat dipping. They think that udder cleaning before milking is sufficient. However, even the cleanest milking
procedure cannot avoid bacteria on the teat after milking. You must
dip the teat to make sure that these bacteria do not invade the teat canal
and cause mastitis. You can only control mastitis in the herd if
you also use teat dipping on every cow after every milking.
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40 Milk 2 or 3 streams of
foremilk
from
each quarter into a strip cup:
- examine carefully.
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After wallowing
41 Wash the teats in clean (or sanitised) running water. |
42 Dry the teats and udder with a disposable
paper towel or clean, dry cloth.
Use only one cloth per cow. If you cannot use only one cloth per cow, use only clean hands. |
page 131
During milking
43 Plan the
order
in
which you milk your cows.
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44 Secondly, milk cows with suspected mastitis. |
45 Finally milk cows with mastitis. |
46 Make sure
milking
is complete, especially when you do not let your calf suckle.
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Dry cow treatment (50) Many experiments have shown that the best time to treat subclinical mastitis is in the beginning of the dry period - that is: following the last milking. The reasons for recommending dry cow therapy are many. - The cure rate of dry cow therapy
is higher than the cure rate from treatment during lactation.
Some veterinarians advise treating all quarters of all cows at drying off. The advantage is that all infected glands are treated and testing for subclinical mastitis is not necessary. You can buy long acting antibiotic
preparations, made for intramammary dry cow treatment. Never use
these for treatment during lactation.
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After milking
47 Dip the teats in disinfectant
solution, for example:
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Early detection
48 Look out for changes in milk, udder and general condition of your cow. |
Early treatment |
50 Treat all cows with visible
mastitis (udder change) as soon as possible.
Treat cows with hidden mastitis at drying off
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Culling
51 Cull cows:
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Checking
52 Check new animals for mastitis before mixing them with your old animals. |
Housing
53 Protect your cow from wounds.
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54 Take away manure and dirt and clean
the barn:
- mastitis bacteria breed in dirty places.
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Records (58) It is important to follow the occurrence of mastitis, not only for each cow, but also for the herd as a whole. Keep records, giving information on: - Identity of infected cows;
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55 Keep floors dry and provide bedding. |
56 Keep flies out e.g. with netting:
- flies carry mastitis bacteria. |
57 Avoid:
- untrimmed hooves - slippery floors. Your cow may damage her udder and get mastitis. |
Records
58 Keep records of mastitis and treatment: - this can help you find problem cows.
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Preventing mastitis in buffalo (59-62) The higher susceptibility of milking buffaloes to mastitis could be due to one of the following reasons. - The buffaloes predilection for
water and muddy places.
This observation is relevant in periurban herds where most of the milk must be sold rather than fed to calves. The calves when unable to feed cause injury due to biting, pulling and hitting the udder. - While taking out for grazing,
wallowing and driving the animals are made to run. The large pendulous
udder is liable to injury and infection.
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59 Buffaloes like to wallow
in water and muddy places.
This makes infection easier - wash them before milking. |
60 Milk your buffalo with your thumb up not down. |
61 If your calves suckle, wean
them
early.
Biting, pulling and hitting the udder causes damage which can lead to mastitis. |
62 Your buffalo's udder and
teats may be large.
Treat them gently and do not drive them with sticks or make them run.
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Important:
Injury or damage to your cow's udder leads to mastitis. Protect your cow from injury and damage. |
63 Your cow has
high-risk
periods
for mastitis:
Early lactation Just after calving discharge from the uterus contains bacteria which can cause mastitis: - keep your cow and box very clean. |
Beginning and end of dry period
64 - dip teats 2 times a day for the first week after drying off. |
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page 142