ANIMAL HUSBANDRY

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 73, 19 December 1928, Page 14

ANIMAL HUSBANDRY

MAMMITIS IN DAIRY COWS (By the Department of Agriculture.) Mammitis in dairy cows causes much loss to dairy farmers every season, and in order to minimise it as much as possible, it is necessary that the greatest care be exercised in observing all precautionary and preventive measures, and also in applying proper treatment when cases have arisen. It must always be kept in mind that the udder of the cow is made up of extremely delicate tissues, and, especially when in full milk, it is. extremely sensitive to any deleterious influences to which it may be subjected. When a cow is living under natural conditions, suckling her own calf, the milk is drawn by the calf in moderate quantities, at frequent intervals, aud the udder is not subjected to the processes of alternate distension and complete emptying-out. Injurious influences include direct infection by the streptococcus of contagious mammitis; temporary ill-health of the animal, due to digestive or other trouble; improper operation of the milking machine, such as running at too high pressure, leaving on after the udder has been milked out, uncleauliness, etc.; severe chills, which may be incurred in various ways, as, for instance, washing the udder with cold water, on a cold day, and not drying it immediately with gentle friction ; contact of a portion of the udder, when large and pendulous, with cold, wet ground, or with a frosted ground surface, when the animal is lying down; temporary over-stockiiig of the Udder; uncleanly conditions in and about the milking shed, and yards; allowing dogs to hurry cows to the milking shed.

Dairy farmers sjiould use every effort to prevent their cows being subjected to any of these influences. Much time and much scientific effort has been devoted to the endeavour to find a thoroughly reliable preventive treatment in the form of a vaccine or a serum, and If such a preparation could be found, it would be a great boon to dairy farmers. But so far, no vaccine has yet been discovered which can be relied upon as being effective. Vaccine treatment has been given an extensive trial in New Zealand, but It has failed to give the results which had bech claimed for It. This is in accordance with the experience of scientists dealing with both human and animal disease who have found that as regards diseases associated with infection of the type found in mammitis vaccine treatment has not proved reliable, though endeavours to produce reliable vaccines have been In progress in all civilised countries for several years past. Notwithstanding this, research in this direction is still in progress, not only abroad, but in New Zealand also. It must be realised, therefore, that the utmost importance must be attached to all possible precautionary measures which can be carried out by the farmer himself. These may . be briefly summarised as follows :—

1. Practise rigid cleanliness in all things. Pay particular attention to milking machines and teat-cups. Keep legropes as clean as possible. 2. See that the machines are (a).running at the proper pressure and not too high; (b) that they are not .left on too long; aud (c) that all parts are kept thoroughly clean. 3. Every cow affected with mammitis must be regarded as a possible centre from which infection may be spread to other cows in the herd. Therefore, any cow known of suspected to have anything wrong with its udder must be kept back until all the others have been milked, and then be milked carefully by hand, the milker's hands being well disinfected immediately after handling of the cow has ceased.

4. Never strip an affected quarter, on to the ground—always into a receptacle containing disinfectant. 5. The early detection of mammitis cases is of the utmost importance, both from the preventive and curative points of view. This is best done by taking a strip or two of the fore milk from each quarter before putting the machines oh. Take these strips into a bucket the top of, which is coveted with fine wire gauze. Any small clots in the fore milk are then Immediately detected, and a cow whose hillk contains them must be regarded as a case of mammitis and treated accordingly. 0. When a cow has apparently recovered from an attack do hot at once put the machine on her. Continue to milk by hand for two or three weeks, so that any possible remaining infection may not have an opportunity of being spread to other cows by the agency of the machine Cups. In such cases it is a wise precaution to take samples of the milk from the ■quarters involved, send them to Wallaceville for examination and obtain a report before commencing the use of the machine. t , When mammitis occurs a great deal of benefit, and a number of recoveries, can be brought about by relatively simple methods of treatment, if carefully and properly carried out. They involve the expenditure of some time and trouble, but. they are well worth adoption, A good practice is at once to give the affected cow a dose of laxative medicine. A useful mixture to give is ten ounces of Ensoin salts, two drachms of powdered nitre and two drachms of powdered carra-

way seeds, given in a pint and a quartet of warm water, or preferably, very thia gruel. In severe cases, after the laxative effect ot this drench has passed off, the cow can be given four ounces of Epsom salts dissojyed in half a pint of warm water or thin warm gruel, onee daily for three or four days. Apart from this medicinal treatment, the following should be adopted:—

1. STRIPPING.—A most important feature of treatment is frequent stripping. This reduces the invading army of germs, and also removes the tissue-damaging substances which they produce; moreover, by keeping the affected quarter as empty of milk as possible, the germs will be deprived of much of their food-supply, stripping should be done at frequent intervals, the oftener the better. Even if it could be done every two hours it would not be too often; in fact,, it would be very advantageous.

2. MASSAGE.—This should be done thoroughly but gently, from above downwards towards the teat. Do it after stripping. Olive oil or some simple, harmless lubricant must be used to prevent chafing of the skin when massaging. It is a good plan t.o mix liquid extract of belladonna with the oil in the proportion of one part to four parts of oil. When this is done, again strip out the milk that massaging has brought into the milk cistern. 3. FOMENTATION. —This is particularly helpful in severe cases, especially in the early stages. It is best done by applying a flannel , wrung out in hot water, keeping the water hot throughout. Not less than half an hour should be spent in doing this. Afterwards rub in some olive oil preferably with one part of liquid extract of belladonna added to each four narts of oil. Tfiis will counteract the effects of cold after the fomentation (this is very important). In severe cases avoid turning the cow out if the weather is bad or there is no skeltered place to put her in. Foment thrice dally while the quarter is hot and swollen.