My calf won't nurse all teats. Is my cow at risk for mastitis?

IT is possible your cow has mastitis. This is inflammation of the mammary gland. Mastitis can be mild or severe with a deep infection. Try to keep the teats as clean as possible. I would recommend trying to encourage the calf to nurse from the inflamed mammary gland or milk that teat often. IF the cows udder starts turning color, patient develops a fever or starts not feeling well I would recommend calling a vet for a good exam and possible antibiotics

Hello. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. So sorry that Queen is having this issue. The exact cause of udder edema is not known in most cases. Mastitis is probably the number one reason so I think your vet was correct in treating for this first. It would be helpful to know if she is currently pregnant or if she has a calf on her now as the differential diagnosis would be different depending on the answer. Here are some reasons that may be causing this: * cow is close to calving * overfeeding grain * overfeeding sodium and/or potassium * heavy feeding of legume forages (results in excessive protein, calcium and potassium intake) * feeding soy cakes Some things you can try that may help improve the edema: * massaging the udder in an upward direction for 10-20 minutes twice a day after milking so as to promote circulation of fluids * forcing moderate exercise which helps stimulate lymph circulation * administering drugs such as diuretics can be used to speed up the removal of water from the body (must check with your vet first) * hydrotherapy of the udder - use cold water like from a hose to firmly spray the udder for 15 minutes twice a day So, if you and your vet can safely rule out true mastitis then I would suspect this is just edema that may be dietary related. Go over your cows diet thoroughly with your vet to see if you can get it figured out. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Yes - the hardness and difficulty to express milk are typical signs of mastitis and she will require urgent veterinary treatment in order to prevent long term damage. Antibiotic and anti-inflammatory injections are generally both required but vary on the different types of mastitis (taking a milk sample to your vet is very helpful to determine this); regular emptying of the affected milk also reduces the burden of infection. You may need to bottle feed the kids if both mammary glands are affected or they are anxious and hungry

Absolutely keep nursing. In fact try to make the puppies use that nipple the most. Also warm water compress and massage can help too. I would also encourage you to have her evaluated by your veterinarian as soon as possible as she may need antibiotic therapy. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

If your cow is dry and the calf starts sucking again she will likely start to produce milk again, and also be prone to mastitis. You should keep the calf separated from her for at least 6 weeks and then you can put a calf weaner on the calf which will keep the calf from sucking. There are many different types, here is one: https://www.pbsanimalhealth.com/details/QuietWean-Calf-Weaner/132-1.html

Hello. As I said earlier, this is perfectly normal behavior for all mammals, including cows. Unless this was a diseased placenta, this will not affect milk yield. As a matter of fact, eating the placenta can INCREASE milk yield. Cows may become slightly calcium deficient during pregnancy & the placenta is a calcium dense tissue. Cows do not digest this tissue well, so the placenta actually serves as a slow release calcium supplement to her. This is a great benefit to the cow & her milk yield. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

If she stopped feeding them suddenly then mastitis would be a risk (she may refuse them because it is painful or the excess milk after she stopped could cause the problem after). If she is off form, has any fever or her milk glands are red, hot or painful to firm touch then she will need prescription treatment from a vet. If everything is otherwise good, just monitor for any changes. 48 hours of very light food if she is healthy and not underweight can discourage active milk production but do not starve her