Shifting mastitis

[Tommy_T]

Had a ewe lamb triplets and mastitis on both sides. Had a big bag but felt soft and normal. Went to check milk and now hard and cold. She’s had a jab of Trymox and metacam and used uddermint. Since then one side has gone down. The other side is very large and firm. The coldness comes and goes, think the uddermint helps this. I’m trying to strip it down but because it’s so hard I can’t get more than a tablespoon out at a go. Is there anything else I can do to try and loosen it up so I can clear it out a bit?

 

[Devil's advocate]

Inject & isolate, maybe leave one lamb on to get available milk.

If lambing inside muck everything out & lime the floors.

If lambing outside, move fields if possible.

You are not alone with mastitis.

Can I ask if basic good conditions are provided, which sheep breed has the strongest udder.

 

[ladycrofter]

IMO you don't get much for your efforts with sheep mastitis. Everything is so small, it takes almost nothing to shut production down - swelling, scarring, inflammation. And the teats are so delicate, its very easy to bruise them.
Cattle are different you've got more to work with and bigger openings, and far easier to milk out repeatedly. Plus more teats.
Mark her a cull, kick her out to put on some condition, and get some more bottles.

 

[yellowbelly]

Picked our first case of mastitis up last night...

...her lambs are 42 days old and, as they're in the early lot, are on creep.
Had them inside today and pleasantly surprised how much they have eaten.
The ewe, on the other hand, is decidedly sick but has eaten a bit of ivy tonight so we're not giving up on her just yet.

Have to agree with @ladycrofter save the ewe and foster/bottle the lambs.

 

[copse]

Picked our first case of mastitis up last night...

...her lambs are 42 days old and, as they're in the early lot, are on creep.
Had them inside today and pleasantly surprised how much they have eaten.
The ewe, on the other hand, is decidedly sick but has eaten a bit of ivy tonight so we're not giving up on her just yet.

Have to agree with @ladycrofter save the ewe and foster/bottle the lambs.

I would be tempted to leave them outside at that age if they are getting creep .

 

[andybk]

High doses of Ab 10ml or so and pain relief usually saves the ewe then cull after withdraws

 

[yellowbelly]

I would be tempted to leave them outside at that age if they are getting creep .

They'll be off out again soon but I just wanted to see just how much they were eating and I didn't want them trying to drink off other ewes and spreading mastitis to them.

 

[Tommy_T]

High doses of Ab 10ml or so and pain relief usually saves the ewe then cull after withdraws

I gave her a higher dosage than body weight of antibiotics today plus metacam. The udder is so swollen it seems as if it’s both sides but think it’s where there is so much swelling in the one side it makes it look like both. Is it potentially a case of the meds dealing with the mastitis but that the udder will remain the same? I keep trying to strip it but it’s not pliable at all. I just don’t want her to be in discomfort (of which she showed none previously) or for it to get worse.

 

[andybk]

I gave her a higher dosage than body weight of antibiotics today plus metacam. The udder is so swollen it seems as if it’s both sides but think it’s where there is so much swelling in the one side it makes it look like both. Is it potentially a case of the meds dealing with the mastitis but that the udder will remain the same? I keep trying to strip it but it’s not pliable at all. I just don’t want her to be in discomfort (of which she showed none previously) or for it to get worse.

udder will prob slew off if it goes black ,or stay just hard if not , get levels of AB up to start ,double dose at least then a full course 5 days or so ,you dont want blood poisoning killing the ewe , and keep up with the metacam it reduces inflamation and allows AB to work better , keeps ewe up and about and eating thats half the battle .

 

[ritchiekirkland]

Man once told me a ewe with a black udder will never take mastitis .
That man was wrong .

 

[Devil's advocate]

IMO you don't get much for your efforts with sheep mastitis. Everything is so small, it takes almost nothing to shut production down - swelling, scarring, inflammation. And the teats are so delicate, its very easy to bruise them.
Cattle are different you've got more to work with and bigger openings, and far easier to milk out repeatedly. Plus more teats.
Mark her a cull, kick her out to put on some condition, and get some more bottles.

Yet rats & mice cope just fine, how do they do it?

 

[twizzel]

Daily antibiotics are better than long acting I found. Speak to your vet about which antibiotic as it depends on which bacteria is causing it - some can react badly with certain antibiotics and cause the ewe to go toxic. Take the lambs off her, and cull once out of withdrawal. The aim of the game here is to get her to market rather than the knacker.

 

[Estate fencing.]

I gave her a higher dosage than body weight of antibiotics today plus metacam. The udder is so swollen it seems as if it’s both sides but think it’s where there is so much swelling in the one side it makes it look like both. Is it potentially a case of the meds dealing with the mastitis but that the udder will remain the same? I keep trying to strip it but it’s not pliable at all. I just don’t want her to be in discomfort (of which she showed none previously) or for it to get worse.

Probably slosh off, iv never said a quarter yet.

 

[ladycrofter]

Yet rats & mice cope just fine, how do they do it?

They don't have farmers dragging on their teats trying to get milk out of them??