Post by Lannie on Apr 6, 2015 12:16:39 GMT -5
I milked Bandit this morning, the first morning after Oggie went across the fence, and I didn't expect to get much (I didn't, I got a cup more than a quart), but she's got something in her left front teat canal that's blocking the flow. I couldn't feel any milk coming through the hose when the milker was on, and because her udder is so vast, and her body is so WIDE, she's almost too big to use the belly milker on anyway. I had to do the backs, then the fronts, separately.
Anyway, I hand stripped afterward to make sure she was as empty as I could manage (she's holding up big time for Oggie), and I could barely get anything out of that one front teat, although there was milk there, and the teat refilled instantly after each strip.
I can feel something squishy in there, and I worked on it for about 20 minutes, but I can't get it to move, and it obviously hurts, because for the first time in her life, she tried to kick my hand off her.
My first thought of course, is mastitis, but she hasn't been showing signs for the last several months, and her milk this morning had no clumps, although it tasted a little flat. I'm sure it will get worse the longer she holds up... That same teat was fine two days ago, when I stripped some from each teat to taste it after Oggie had finished with her, and it flowed fine then, and the milk was sweet, so it's something that just happened maybe yesterday, or the night before.
I was going to go out with some hot water and EOs, and see if I can loosen up whatever's in that teat, but is there anything else it might be? I would think if it was a big mastitis clump, there would have been some previous signs, like a few smaller clumps, or saltiness, or something. I can't see any outside injury that might have caused swelling, either.
Anyone have any ideas?
~Lannie
Anyway, I hand stripped afterward to make sure she was as empty as I could manage (she's holding up big time for Oggie), and I could barely get anything out of that one front teat, although there was milk there, and the teat refilled instantly after each strip.
I can feel something squishy in there, and I worked on it for about 20 minutes, but I can't get it to move, and it obviously hurts, because for the first time in her life, she tried to kick my hand off her.
My first thought of course, is mastitis, but she hasn't been showing signs for the last several months, and her milk this morning had no clumps, although it tasted a little flat. I'm sure it will get worse the longer she holds up... That same teat was fine two days ago, when I stripped some from each teat to taste it after Oggie had finished with her, and it flowed fine then, and the milk was sweet, so it's something that just happened maybe yesterday, or the night before.
I was going to go out with some hot water and EOs, and see if I can loosen up whatever's in that teat, but is there anything else it might be? I would think if it was a big mastitis clump, there would have been some previous signs, like a few smaller clumps, or saltiness, or something. I can't see any outside injury that might have caused swelling, either.
Anyone have any ideas?
~Lannie