MAMMITIS IN COWS

Te Aroha News, Volume XLI, Issue 6409, 1 November 1923, Page 6

MAMMITIS IN COWS

SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT LECTURE AT CAMBRIDGE At the Oddfellows’ Hall, Cambridge, a most instructive lecture on “Mammitis and Abortion in Cows” was given, under the auspices of the local branch of the N.Z. Farmers’ Union, by Mr. A. Mackenzie, D.V.S.M., dVI.R.C.V.S. CONTAGIOUS MAMMITIS Contagious mammitis, said Mr Mackenzie, was a specific inflammation affecting one or more quarters of the mammary gland, or udder, resulting in partial, but more often total loss of the quarter, and in many cases death of the anitnal. It was a serous disease of milk cows, especially when it is of a contagious nature, When in this form a very small micro organism, termed striptro boccus, was the responsible agent. The disease usually attacks the heaviest milkers, said the speaker, and is more prevalent during the greater part of the milking period. WAYS OF INFECTION One ought to be surprised that it is not more common, when one considers the position of the udder, its vascularity, and the fact that it secretes k fluid that is an excellent medium for the growth of organisms and when every quarter of the gland has its opening at point of the teat and on the skin surface, giving an excellent entrance for infection. The construction of the udder lends itself to varieties of injuries, such as bruises, abrasions, and wounds, from barbed wire and other foreign bodies, and also is exposed to all kinds of infection, from excreta, discharges and contamination from the feet. Milkers’ hands are frequent conveyors of the disease from animal to animal, and from a sore to the udder. Milking machines, unless carefully looked after, are just as dangerous. The disease may also result from chills and stomach disorders ,and neglecting to properly strip the cow. The disease germs gain entrance through the following channels—the teat canal, the skin, or by the blood stream. The most common way is through the teat canal. SYMPTOMS The symptoms shown vary according to whether the disease is the acute or mild form. In the acute form, the animal is obviously' ill, off her food, has a high, temperature, and may show lameness on the affected side. Milk secretion is suspended and the affected quarter is swollen, hot, painful to the touch, and soon only a little fluid, which is curdy and yellowish brown in colour, can be got from the gland. Sometimes it is thin and watery. If the natural defences of the body are sufficient to arrest the progress of the disease, the affected quarter only may be lost, but there is a grave danger in death from septic poisoning, and when an animal affected with this disease pe-rsistently lies down, it is a bad sign. In the mild, form, only a slight hardness in ■’the gland, or thickening of the walls : of the milk, or a hard lump at the. top of the teat, may be noticed, and. the animal may otherwise to all appearances be quite healthy, and as this form is the .least observed by the owner, it is the most important form from the point of view. of spreading the disease. """preventive MEASURES The following preventive measures, continued Mr Mackenzie, should as far as possible be taken to stop introduction of the and to assist in its eradication:—(l) Examine all. udders daily, and deal with any suspects; (2) Examine all new cows for evidence of the disease, and isolate them until you are satisfied they are sound; (3) The teats of every cow should, if not clean, be wiped with a clean, damp cloth and dried afterwards, or a little vaseline used. The milkers’ hands should be washed frequently during the operation. The leg-roping of the cows should not be done by the person who applies the machine cups, or does the milking- by hand, unless he washes his hands before doing so. A small quantity of an antiseptic, such as Lysol, mijght be used in the water; (4) Milkingmachines should be kept clean, esp ecially the cups a great deal of harm is done by using too much vacuui n, causing injury to the teats; (5) Tile floor, walls, and partitions of th-e milking shed should be kept thoroughly clean and washed down and disinfected. A five per cent, solution of formalin is useful for this purpose; (6) It is advisable to have more than one entrance to the milking shed, so • that when one becomes too dirty, the other can be used; and where possible animals should stand on concrete before going into the bales; (7) All af-.

fected or suspicious animals should be dealt with separately, after the other animals have been milked, and on no account should these animals be allowed in the milking shed. MEDICINAL TREATMENT Medicinal treatment is, on the whole, unsatisfactory, said Mr Mackenzie, but if applied early, considerable relief to wounds, and help to their recovery is obtainable, with warm clothing applied, and the animal made comfortable, and kept for the time being in a shed, hot fomentations to the gland, and cold spraying afterwards to avoid chill. It is also advisable to give a dose of opening medicine. The injecting of medicinal agents by the farmer is not to be recommended.—Waikato Independent.