Mastitis in a cow or cattle is a common disease that occurs mainly in pregnant females or in calving cows. If you decide to breed cows on your farm, then you need to know how to treat at home, what drugs to use and how to protect the animal from such a disease. Cow mastitis is a common udder disease that causes inflammation.
Mastitis in cows
All veterinarians recommend, as a preventive measure, first of all to monitor the level of milk in the cow and to observe the cleanliness and disinfection of the premises. These are the main requirements in the prevention against mastitis. Treatment of mastitis in cows at home can only be carried out until the veterinarian comes to the animal. Self-treatment for such a complex disease is excluded. If the female is treated incorrectly, mastitis can go into an advanced stage, which is even more difficult to cure, therefore, at the first signs of malaise in the animal, you should immediately invite a veterinarian for examination and sampling.
Types and symptoms of mastitis in cows
- Serous mastitis in cows, or postpartum, appears most often after calving, in heifers this kind of disease practically does not occur. Symptoms may include swollen lymph nodes, and the udder is firm and red to the touch. Burenka feels soreness during milking, becomes lethargic and does not let her approach. If left untreated, then the milk yield in a few days of the disease is markedly reduced. If a cow has mastitis, even the color of the milk and its structure may vary, depending on the stage of the disease. Serous mastitis must be treated when the first symptoms appear, otherwise the disease can go into a chronic form, in which it is very difficult to restore the milk yield.
- Catarrhal mastitis. There are many types of mastitis in cows, but the form of catarrhal is characteristic of females who gave birth for the first time. The defeat occurs within a month after the start of decantation. In some cases, the behavior of the female does not change, but changes can be noticed by the reduced fat content of milk. Sometimes flakes and clots can be noticed in the milk of cows with a catarrhal form of the disease. Such a reaction occurs because there are plugs in the milk ducts that periodically exit along with the colostrum. In the udder, such plugs can be felt.
- Fibrous, or fibrinous mastitis. This type of disease is the most dangerous due to active development and appears due to various factors. Fibrous mastitis can raise an animal's temperature up to 40 ° C. Symptoms are similar to those of hemorrhagic mastitis, in which the cow's temperature reaches 40-42 ° C. The udder of the cow is sensitive, in some cases, due to painful sensations, the female can limp. Burenka eventually refuses to eat, becomes passive. Milk yield drops noticeably, and then stops altogether.
- Purulent mastitis is of several types and only a specialist can distinguish between them. Determination and diagnosis takes place by sampling analyzes. The causes of purulent-catarrhal mastitis in cows can be different. There is an ailment due to an infection that attacks the milk channel and alveoli. The body temperature rises, there is no appetite. Colostrum with a purulent form of a lesion smells and tastes unpleasant, purulent clots are present in the milk. An abscess is a type of purulent mastitis. This is due to the fact that various small abscesses covering part of the udder have become inflamed. The udder swells, painful sensations arise. Burenka may limp on the leg on which side of the udder is most affected. The cow's appetite suffers, the animal becomes lethargic, does not allow to touch the udder. Colostrum contains purulent discharge.
- Subclinical, or latent, mastitis. Subclinical mastitis is characterized by the absence of any symptoms. Outwardly hidden mastitis is very difficult to recognize. In this case, this form is detected only from blood tests in a cow or milk bioflora analyzes. What to do after analysis? You need to start treating the disease. If you do not treat this form or do not notice the presence of the disease in time, then another stage may begin in subclinical mastitis, which can go into serous mastitis.
How can mastitis be detected in cows?
Despite any cause of the disease in cows, milk mastitis tests can be done and the presence of the disease can be detected. This test can be performed in the first days after calving. Mastitis milk in cows, such a test, if properly performed, will show immediately. To do this, milk some milk for analysis. This procedure is repeated all the time at least 1 time per month until the end of the lactation period. Many farmers, after taking milk for a sample, to find out whether there is a manifestation of mastitis or not, donate it to a special vet. laboratory. If this is not possible, then you can do the test at home. For diagnostics it is necessary to purchase control plates MKP-1 and MKP-2, 5% solution "Dimastin".
1 ml of milk is decanted into one cell from each udder lobe. 1 ml of Dimastin solution is added to colostrum. The resulting liquid was stirred with a glass rod. After 15 minutes, you need to check how the contents of the cells have changed. The first drops after expression contain bacteria, this option is not considered a deviation from the norm, but only pure milk is needed for analysis. To carry out the analysis correctly, you need to decant the first drops into another container, and for analysis take the milk of a medium stream.
If the liquid has not changed and remains homogeneous, this means that the cow is healthy. Jelly-like clots may indicate a possible disease. If the clots are bulky and noticeable, it is bovine mastitis. Orange does not indicate a deviation, it may be worth repeating the check. Red and crimson tints are pathological.
It is extremely important to determine the presence of the disease: it will depend on how to treat the cows. You can conduct the test yourself, but even after receiving the results, you should consult with your veterinarian to confirm them. It is necessary to invite a specialist to his farm to collect tests from a burenka and at the same time ask the veterinarian to examine other animals.
Treatment of mastitis in cows
Veterinarians prescribe anti-mastitis antibiotics to help medication quickly. Serous mastitis can be treated, for example, by injecting 0.25% novocaine intravenously. Such an injection is done in isotonic sodium chloride solution in a dosage calculated based on the weight of the cow and the stage of the disease. Such treatment can only be carried out taking into account the recommendations of the veterinarian or under his supervision. Heparin or ichthyol ointment also gives a positive result. You can use camphor mastitis ointment (camphor) or Vishnevsky ointment.
Such means rub the udder of the animal to relieve inflammation and pain. Drugs such as oxytocin or amoxicillin may be prescribed to clean the udder. It is possible to cure the inflammation of acute mastitis with the drugs Penersin and Masticid. Such medicines are used mainly for the treatment of acute mastitis in advanced and even chronic form. The drugs are injected into the udder through a sterile catheter for 4-5 days. Usually, already on the 5th day after treatment, the milk of a cow is suitable for consumption.
Acute mastitis in cows. Experience in complex therapy. Acute mastitis in cows.
TREATMENT OF MASTITIS IN COW: Anti-inflammatory Needed!
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As a medicine for mastitis in a purulent form, a solution of Rivanol, potassium, streptocide or ichthyol is used. Funds are poured into the udder up to 3 times a day. Treatment for any mastitis in cows should be recorded and, if new symptoms are detected, continued until the disease has completely resolved. With a purulent form, bicillin is also prescribed, it is administered intramuscularly. Injections and syringes are checked for sterility before medication is administered. Veterinarians also prescribe nitox intramuscularly.
Medicines in combination with proper nutrition
If the case is neglected and the cow has a form of acute mastitis, then there is a special novocaine blockade. Be sure to consult about the use of any medications, since some are suitable for Burenka, while others are not.
Against mastitis in cows, it is necessary to select not only the right treatment, but also adequate therapy, to provide proper care during treatment. It is imperative to adjust the diet, it is best to replace juicy food with dry, fiber-rich food at least for the period of treatment until recovery.
It is also recommended to limit drinking. Water should be given, of course, but not in abundant quantities. Many studies have shown their effectiveness on specially formulated vaccines. As a prevention of this disease, you can put vaccines against different mastitis. At home, some farmers inject Mastivak, but only as directed by the veterinarian and in his presence.
How to treat a cow with folk methods for mastitis
Modern society rarely treats burenka folk remedies, but sometimes forgotten methods can be effective, especially at the initial stage. If the cow has a weak form of mastitis and such an illness manifests itself at an early stage, you can try to improve the condition of the individual. An inflamed udder can be washed with warm and clean water with added salt or rinsed with nettle broth. Any ways are good if the cow feels good, does not limp and allows touching the udder. Another effective remedy for mastitis is udder massage.
After the milking process is completed, the compacted areas of the udder are massaged, as if imitating clay modeling. With fibrinous mastitis, clay applications are performed, so the disease goes away better. The clay solution is mixed with the leaves of yarrow, nettle and plantain. All these herbs have an antibacterial effect. All recipes can be slightly edited and instead of 3 herbs, take at least one. To cure cows, many farmers even read a special conspiracy.
Recommendations for the care and keeping of animals
After calving and before it is necessary to completely disinfect the room. Some farmers even rub the floor with iodine to decontaminate the place for calving and further breeding. Launching a cow, when she only has milk, should be done with clean hands and warm. If it is cool in the pens, animals can catch colds and develop udder inflammation. If milking machines are installed on the farm, they must be sterile, as any infection through the milk can enter the udder. In which case, if a dirty milk machine becomes noticeable, it must first be washed, and then put into production.
Together with antibiotics, you should ask the veterinarian to prescribe probiotics, since after serious medication, dysbiosis may begin. Before each milking, as a preventive measure, you need to make it a rule to wash your hands with antibacterial soap. Before milking, the udders should be washed with warm water to remove any dirt.
After calving at start-up, the calf is first allowed to go to the female so that the calf first drinks colostrum, and only after it milk. If you do not follow these simple requirements, the cow will stagnate milk, which can provoke inflammation of the udder. The diet of lactating females should include foods and feeding to activate immunity.
At the slightest suspicion of the occurrence of the disease, it is necessary to act, otherwise there is a risk of getting mastitis in the cows, resulting in irreparable damage to the farm. At the same time, it is important not to forget that getting rid of the ailment with folk remedies is not as effective as the antibiotics prescribed by the veterinarian.