udder phlegmon

Purulent mastitis in cows is a rather dangerous inflammatory disease of the udder or its individual parts. This type of disease is accompanied by the accumulation and further release of pus. As a rule, purulent mastitis in cows leads to a loss of mammary gland function, in some cases a fatal outcome is possible. To prevent mastitis, it is necessary to know its symptoms and how to properly treat purulent mastitis in the early stages.

Forms of purulent mastitis

In order for the treatment of mastitis to be as successful as possible, it is necessary not only to take timely measures, but also to correctly determine which type of purulent mastitis the cow has. This influences the choice of treatment tactics.

subclinical

Subclinical mastitis in cows is dangerous because the course of the disease is hidden. The disease passes for a long period of time without any visible symptoms. Mastitis can be determined through laboratory tests, thanks to the count of somatic cells and the analysis of microflora. If the subclinical type of mastitis is not detected in a timely manner, it will turn into a clinical form.

Clinical

If the animal has a clinical form of mastitis, then the udder hardens, swells, and becomes quite hot in the affected areas:

• if the form is light, then small flakes and lumps can be found in milk;
• with moderate mastitis, the udder begins to swell, harden and redden, while the cow experiences pain;
• a severe form of mastitis suggests a critical condition of the animal, resulting in general intoxication.

The symptoms of mastitis depend entirely on the severity of the disease.

Chronic

The chronic form of mastitis, as well as subclinical, is latent. As a rule, farmers do not even suspect for quite a long time that their cows are sick with purulent mastitis. Bacteria that contribute to the development of the disease are found in the tissues. During the chronic form of mastitis, the animal develops inflammation for a while, after which a seemingly complete recovery occurs, but you need to understand that it is imaginary. As a diagnosis of the disease, it is necessary:

• evaluate milk – it will be watery, with the presence of flakes;
• take advantage of special tests;
• resort to the method of defending.

If you do not provide the animal with timely assistance and do not start treatment, then mastitis worsens.

Catarrhal

As a rule, this form appears if there is an incorrect process of milking a cow.

The following symptoms are distinguished:

• small nodules appear near the nipples, as a rule, they can be seen on the 5th day of the disease;
• in the first few days the cow feels normal, after which the body temperature rises;
• weakness appears;
• loss of appetite;
• flakes are present in milk, fat content disappears.

Often, only part of the udder is exposed to mastitis. An infection that has penetrated the tissue begins to affect the milk ducts and mucous membranes. Bacteria in this case penetrate through the nipples.

Purulent

For purulent mastitis, the following symptoms are characteristic:

• hardening is present;
• in places of hardening, the udder becomes hot;
• the body temperature of the cow rises to + 41 ° C;
• there is pus in the milk.

In addition, with purulent mastitis, a cow may appear:

• abscess – ulcers that appear on the mammary glands gradually increase and coalesce. With a low immune system, metastases appear;
• phlegmon – diffuse purulent inflammation, foci without clear boundaries appear, filled with pus.

If an animal has an abscess or phlegmon, then the cow will no longer be able to recover from the disease.

Purulent-punitive

At the moment when pus begins to accumulate in the milk ducts, this form of the disease develops. There are several reasons:

• cows are farmed in poor conditions;
• there is a problem in the reproductive system.

3-4 days after the first symptoms appeared, purulent mastitis recedes. In this case, this form of mastitis in a cow can completely disappear or worsen and go into a chronic stage.

Serous

As a rule, this form appears after the cow has calved. Inflammatory processes are observed only in part of the udder. The following symptoms are observed:

• the udder swells, becomes red;
• seals appear;
• inflamed areas become hot;
• flakes appear in the milk, it becomes liquid and resembles water.

With the serous form of mastitis, the milk acquires a blue tint.

Fibrous

This form occurs with catarrhal mastitis. Symptoms include:

• hemorrhages in the affected areas of the udder;
• purulent discharge.

As practice shows, fibrous mastitis in most cases ends with gangrene and metastases. If fibrin enters the tissues, an accumulation process occurs, which leads to circulatory disorders and necrosis.

Hemorrhagic

In this case, the walls of the vessels of the mammary glands become thin. Symptoms:

• milk red or pink;
• purple spots appear on the udder.

Blood seeping into the tissues and milk ducts clogs the vessels.

Gangrenous

This form of purulent mastitis in cows is the most difficult. During the development of the disease, blood circulation is disturbed:

• tissues on the affected areas of the udder die off, acquire a dark blue, almost black color;
• a foul-smelling liquid of brown or green color begins to stand out from the udder.

With this form of the disease, the animal dies in most cases.

Causes

There are several reasons why cows are exposed to an acute inflammatory disease – purulent mastitis. Among all the existing reasons, it is worth highlighting the following points:

• the animal has a nipple injury;
• on the farm, the animals are kept in inadequate conditions. For example, rooms are rather cold, with high levels of humidity;
• if milk is not fully expressed during milking, then stagnant processes begin;
• in addition, purulent mastitis may appear if improper hygiene is carried out before and after milking or it is completely neglected;
• small cracks appeared on the nipples during the life of the animal – microcracks;
• the animal has complications of endometritis or any other infectious inflammatory disease.

It is important to understand that purulent mastitis in animals is not just an inflammatory disease, pathogenic bacteria are directly involved in it. As a rule, pathogenic bacteria include:

• streptococcus;
• staphylococcus;
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa;
• coli.

These bacteria penetrate through small cracks in the udder of the animal, after which an active process of reproduction begins.

Symptoms and course of the disease

As practice shows, purulent mastitis develops and proceeds quite quickly. If you pay due attention to cows, then mastitis can be recognized in the early stages by the following signs:

• some part of the mammary gland increases in size;
• you can feel the seal, it becomes hard, very hot, the animal is in pain;
• milk yield decreases;
• flakes appear in the milk, the color of the milk changes from white to yellow, it becomes bitter in taste;
• in some cases, you can notice purulent discharge from the nipples;
• loss of appetite;
• often with purulent mastitis, a feverish condition can be observed in an animal;
• an abscess can be seen with the naked eye – purulent wounds appear.

If you notice any of the above signs, it is recommended to immediately seek help from a veterinarian and start a course of treatment, since purulent mastitis is life-threatening for cows.

How and how to treat purulent mastitis in a cow

After the udder phlegmon in a cow has been identified, it is required to immediately begin its treatment:

1. The first step is to isolate the animal. The room must be dry and clean. Milk should not get into the total mass, since its quality is rather low.
2. Every day, it is worth splashing cold water on the udder of a cow up to 5 times, then stroking the udder and milking.
3. It is worth milking as often as possible, as a result of which harmful bacteria can be removed. This milk is not recommended.
4. If necessary, you can use a solution of ethacridine lactate, potassium permanganate and other antiseptics. These solutions must be injected into the mammary gland with a syringe at low pressure.
5. The solution in the udder is left for 4-5 hours, after which it is milked.
6. For better distribution of drugs, the udder is massaged.
7. Some veterinarians recommend using a soda solution, which can get rid of flakes in milk. This solution is poured in for 40 minutes, the procedure is repeated after 24 hours.

Timely treatment allows you to protect the animal from further adverse effects of purulent mastitis and death.

Forecast

If you do not cope with the disease within 7-10 days, then quite often it becomes chronic.

With serious damage or complications, purulent mastitis quite easily passes into the udder phlegmon. At the beginning, the cow has small pockets of purulent inflammation without clear contours, after which putrefactive processes are observed.

In advanced cases, death cannot be avoided.

Preventive measures

In order for cows not to undergo purulent mastitis, it is required to carry out preventive measures to prevent the disease. The prevention of mastitis includes the following measures:

• it is necessary to keep cows on a farm in dry and clean rooms;
• as a rule, only professionals should work in the milking parlors with animals;
• the diet should be of high quality and nutritious, with the addition of vitamins;
• an experienced veterinarian should monitor the health of cows;
• if there are cracks, cuts or wounds, it is necessary to immediately take measures to heal them;
• when using automated milking, it is recommended to carry out all work as carefully as possible, since incorrect movements can harm the animal;
• milking is carried out regularly, at regular intervals;
• before milking a cow and after that it is worth performing an udder massage.

Following such simple recommendations, you can not only prevent in a timely manner, but also prevent the appearance of purulent mastitis in an animal.

Conclusion

Purulent mastitis in cows is a rather serious disease that can occur in various forms. As a rule, mastitis appears imperceptibly, in some cases it proceeds without visible symptoms. Even an imaginary cure may occur, which subsequently leads to culling or death. Only thanks to the timely diagnosis of purulent mastitis and the implementation of preventive measures, it is possible to protect animals.