Скачать или смотреть Mastitis in Goats 2025

Source: https://vetericyn-com

Mastitis refers to inflammation of the udder. Usually, if mastitis is detected early enough, you can treat it with antibiotics or steroids. The key is to know what to look out for.

What Causes Mastitis in Goats?

Unfortunately, there are many causes of mastitis in goats including, Physical Injury, Stress, Bacteria, and Viruses.

The most common cause of mastitis is bacteria. When bacteria enter the animal's udder, it can lead to a mastitis infection. Maintaining milk quality and implementing mastitis prevention measures are essential to avoid this problem.

Common causes of bacterial mastitis in sheep and goats are: Streptococcus sp, Staphylococcus sp, Pasteurella sp, Coliform bacteria such as E. Coli.

Only laboratory analysis can confirm which bacteria are at the root of the problem. However, hygienic milking and husbandry practices as well as proper animal management and care are essential to prevent bacterial mastitis in the first place.

Other Causes of Mastitis

There are two more types of mastitis in goats that you should be aware of:

Viral Mastitis - In viral mastitis, lentivirus or caprine arthritis encephalitis virus (CAEV) attacks the goat's udder, causing it to become hard. This viral mastitis causes significantly reduced milk production and the udder becomes hard and infected with loose skin due to swelling.

Mastitis Due to Nipple Damage - Nipple tips can be damaged due to over-milking, poorly maintained milking machines, rough clot removal, nipples caught in thorny bushes or wires, and nipple biting. This damage allows bacteria to easily enter the nipple ducts and develop into a mastitis infection.

How Can I Identify Mastitis in Goats?

Depending on the type, it can be difficult to determine if your goat has mastitis.
Mastitis in goats can be:

Clinical - With clinical mastitis, you can diagnose based on easily observable symptoms such as the presence of clots or serum in the milk and a swollen, hot, or painful udder.

Subclinical - Veterinarians can diagnose subclinical mastitis through tests like the California Mastitis Test (CMT). Alternatively, they can test the number of inflammatory cells in the milk or culture the milk in a laboratory.