How to treat mastitis in a cow: causes, treatment, prevention

Mastitis is a very common disease of cows. For farmers, this is a big problem, because milk becomes unusable.

This article focuses on this disease and how to treat mastitis in a cow.

General description of the disease

This disease occurs in cows at the time of carrying a calf or during lactation. This disease is very dangerous for cows and proceeds hard physically.

The animal constantly feels a pain, there is a fever. The offspring of such a cow usually brings a weak, and most often calves die.

There are several reasons that cause this disease:

• violations of animal health standards;
• poor hygiene during milking;
• injuries and damage to the udder;
• hypothermia or burns;
• if the calving was heavy;
• effects after insect bites;
• hit of staphylococcus or Escherichia coli;
• accumulation in the body of drugs.

Types of mastitis

Mastitis in cows is of different types, therefore, the treatment is also different.

Subclinical

This form of mastitis is dangerous because all symptoms of the disease are absent, but the infection is actively developing at this time. This form is also called hidden mastitis. It is possible to identify the disease only by constantly checking the flora of the excreted milk. If not detected in time, then this form will go to the clinical.

Serous

This type of mastitis occurs after calving an animal. Udder hardens, swells and blushes. During milking, the animal behaves restlessly. The volume of milk becomes smaller, and it loses fat. It is necessary to treat this form immediately, until it turns into chronic.

Catarrhal

Young individuals are most susceptible to this form of the disease. Manifests such a disease after calving. A seal appears in the udder, and after a few days it can be felt at the tips of the milkings. Milk quality is getting worse, but the cow is calm with this form of mastitis.Milk loses fat and lumps appear in it.

Fibrous

This type is considered the most dangerous. The temperature of the animal rises, part of the udder is compacted and sore. From the nipples can stand out ichor. Udine significantly reduced, and after a few days lactation stops. Milk formation is very difficult to recover after such a disease.

Purulent

The condition of the animal is deteriorating. The cow refuses food, breath and pulse become frequent. From the nipples stands out pus. In the part of the udder that is affected, gangrenous tissue damage occurs. A cow after this form of mastitis lactation may stop if you do not start treatment in time.

Hemorrhagic

The hemorrhagic form of the disease is a consequence of serous or catarrhal. Milk contains blood and flakes. In cows, the entire udder is affected, the nipples swell and swell, the lymph nodes are enlarged. The animal loses its appetite, the temperature rises, breathing quickens.

Main symptoms and diagnosis of the disease

To diagnose mastitis, you need to take cow's milk for analysis. This procedure must be carried out every month. Diagnostics can be carried out in the laboratory or at home. To do this, you must purchase milk-control plates (MKP-1 and MKP-2) and 5% solution of dimastine.

1 ml of milk from each nipple is decanted into the cells and 1 ml of dimastine is added. Over the course of 15 minutes, the content should change color and texture.

From these results, conclusions can be drawn:

• negative result - liquid homogeneous and orange color;
• positive result - the liquid coagulated into a clot and turned crimson.

Treatment of mastitis in cows

For the treatment of this disease there are many ways and drugs. With such a disease affects not only the udder, and the animal as a whole. Therefore, it is best to apply a complex therapy that will restore the mammary gland and the body of the cow.

Basic principles

The basic principles of complex therapy:

• start the disease can not. Treat immediately after the occurrence of mastitis;
• follow a rational mode of feeding and milking;
• regardless of the form of mastitis, you must try to completely exempt the mammary gland from the pathological secretion;
• in the initial stages it is advisable not to use antimicrobial agents and antibiotics;
• if the disease is severe, it is imperative to introduce heart and tonic;
• sick animals must be milked by hand every 4 hours;
• from the diet to exclude succulent feed and fully translate into hay and food containing fiber;
• if there is no pain in the udder, it should be lightly massaged 2 times a day;
• there should be no drafts, and the litter should always be dry;
• You can strengthen the body with vitamins;
• use only disposable syringes and catheters;
• it is impossible to warm up the udder, because microorganisms multiply in such favorable conditions;
• All used ointments, compresses should be at room temperature.

Drugs for treatment

Antibiotics give a good effect in the treatment of mastitis.But after using them, milk should not be consumed for a month.

For serious forms of the disease, Novocain is injected into the animal by intravenous injection of 0.25%. For its preparation using isotonic sodium chloride solution (1 l per 1 kg of cow weight). It is also necessary to rub camphor ointment into the udder.

Such drugs are very actively used: Masticid, Mastisan, Penersin. Using sterile catheters, they are inserted into the udder. Treat for about 4 days. On the 5th day milk can be consumed.

They also treat mastitis with gel, which contains aloe juice. It is inserted into the nipple with a syringe or catheter. Aloe has an antibacterial effect and reduces inflammation.

You can also enter a 1% streptocide solution (400 ml every two days).

Part of the udder, which is affected, washed with a decoction of nettle. For the treatment of fibrous and catarrhal mastitis, clay applications give a good effect. Having mixed red and white clay with decoction of plantain, nettle and yarrow, it is necessary to smear the udder for the night. In the morning, wash off the infusion of nettle.

Preventive measures

To avoid such diseases as mastitis, it is necessary to observe some preventive measures:

• before you milk a cow, you need to wash your hands well;
• always wash the udder before each milking;
• the room containing the cow must be clean and dry;
• To raise the immunity of the animal, it is necessary to add enzymes and probiotics to the food;
• for the prevention of mastitis, you can use the drugs "Uberol" and "Mastiprotekt";
• after calving let the calf suck all the colostrum and milk;
• udder should be handled with care, without rudeness;
• milking needs to be done at the same time.

If you properly care for the cow and follow all the rules of milking, then the animal will not get sick with mastitis and will give high-quality milk.