What is mastitis in goats?
Mastitis causes there to be swelling in the mammary gland of a female goat. For those who are unfamiliar with the mammary gland, it is the udder where milk comes out.
Why do goats get mastitis?
Goats develop mastitis when there is a chemical reaction while a goat is producing milk, that ultimately causes an infection. Most of the time, bacteria or fungi are to blame for causing this inflammation in the udder. Mastitis is formed when bacteria or fungi are able to enter the udder through the teets (the part that goats suck on to get milk).
Symptoms of mastitis in goats include:
- Fever
- Loss in Appetite
- Decrease in milk yield
- Swollen udder
- Lethargy
- Visible pain when milking
- Strange color or odor of milk
How to treat a goat with Mastitis
Here are the ways to treat a goat with Mastitis:
- Ensure that your goat is living in a clean area that isn’t wet
- Not overmilking
- Immediately removing goats that have mastitis from the group
- Moisturizer cream for goats
- Stop milking the goat
Can a goat get mastitis without being pregnant
No, a goat cannot get mastitis without being pregnant. Mastitis only affects goats that are currently being milked, which means that a goat must be pregnant in order to get mastitis.
