C-If this isn't mastitis, what could it be?

[Tammy]

I have had very limited experience with mastitis. Twice Edy had teat injuries and developed mastitis in the injured quarter but I was able to treat it naturally and it soon went away without using antibiotics. Once, I had a cow freshen with mastitis and did have to treat her with an antibiotic, but after two infusions it cleared right up. So, with a number of cows for a number of years I have not had to deal with mastitis issues for the most part and I have never used the mastitis test kits. I say all of that because I have to plead ignorance and need some opinions.

I was contacted by two different folks in the last few days about newly freshened cows. In both cases the mastitis tests were administered and both folks stated that they came up negative. Both cases said there were some mastitis looking clumps in the colostrum/milk. Both I believe are also having maybe som edema issues but neither one seemed to have heat in the affected quarter(s).

So, my question is are the mastitis test kits always accurate? As long as those test kits come back negative does that mean there is definitely no mastitis regardless of the fact that someone might see clumps in the milk and be dealing with otherwise hard quarters?

It's so hard to help folks from afar when you can't see what is going on! I think the first case pretty much resolved itself but I am trying to help the second person through this.

I do direct folks to this site for help, information and of course I always recommend Joann's book. Some folks just really feel uncomfortable asking questions in a forum situation and I try to help when I can but after having two different people ask me the same question and both having used the mastitis test kits I need some additional input.

I always advise folks in question to use the peppermint udder cream as it is a non antibiotic that can be used at the first hint that there might be a mastitis problem.

If no mastitis, then what would be causing stringy, cheesy clumps in the milk/colostrum? I am assuming it is not just butterfat from the way it was described to me.

Thanks and I hope this makes sense as I am in a hurry and had little sleep last night!

[CampE]

I am no expert and I've never dealt with mastitis. But, in the early milkings I will sometimes see a few small clumps in the milk. Just a few and nothing stringy. This is when I'm still milking a bit of colostrum before we are saving the milk for drinking. After the 3rd or 4th milking it's not a problem.
Just sharing my experience and I'm milking Dexters if that matters.

[wyomama]

The one thing that I know for sure is that the cow-side mastitis tests measure for SCC, not bacteria. What the cow-side tests can tell you is that you have INFLAMMATION, and the corresponding cellular markers, but not what it is from. There are many people who feel that if they get a positive on the paddle, they must infuse antibiotics - and that is a misunderstanding. There are lots of things that result in mastitis (inflammation of the mammary glands) but only a few of those things are bacteria.

As far as what I think - for whatever that's worth... when a cow freshens, she often begins producing milk in earnest days or weeks before she calves. The buildup in the ducts, and the lack of movement can create plugs, which we will see on the strainer as clumps when milking or let-down dislodges them. Also, if a cow has some bleeding in the udder from engorgement or from the straining of birth, it just makes sense to me that the clotting factors in the blood will work to form clots in the milk, too.

If a cow has a bit of mastitis, and is not letting down, it also makes sense to me that you won't see a positive on the paddle - especially if she's got some milk ducts that are plugged and not clearing out well. If the mastitis is high in the udder, or because of a plugged duct, and the cow is not letting down, the milk that is in contact with the affected area won't ever make it to the paddle or the test cup.

Massage will help break loose plugged ducts. Peppermint oil improves circulation which will help the body's lymph system work to remove the congestion from edema or other inflammation.

Milk is made in alveoli - small grain-sized hollows that excrete into lumens - which are slightly larger hollows. Several lumen are connected together and empty into shared ducts. There are thousands of ducts in each quarter. The ducts drain into the milk cistern, which opens into the teat canal. Think of a sponge. If you suspend a sopping wet sponge over a bowl, it will drip into the bowl - or in our case, will fill or partially fill the milk cistern. Let-down essentially "squeezes the sponge". If you put a drop of food coloring on the top of your sponge to represent mastitis, the food coloring won't ever make it to the bowl unless you squeeze it thoroughly. If you think of each group of alveoli and lumen that feed one duct as its own sponge, then it makes perfect sense that in a fresh cow that is not letting down (not squeezing the sponge) or can't let down because of edema (the path from the sponge to the bowl is blocked) whatever is going on up in the udder won't make it to the reagent.

I hope that makes sense.

[Joelle]

That's pretty much what we had, CampE. Dottie had some chunks come out of two of her quarters yesterday - nothing stringy, and no other signs of mastitis other than that we were not getting as much milk as we wanted to and were worried she'd develop a problem. This morning is MUCH better, got a lot of milk and the quarters actually softened up after milking so I think we're OK. Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure Scarlette had a similar episode too. I'm starting to think it's just a new milker thing?

The mastitis test we have is Dr.Naylor's test cards. They're pretty straightforward - you squirt some milk from each quarter onto the card, and if the milk pH is off then the dot on the card changes color. Since it's basically just a litmus test to check the acidity/alkalinity of the milk, it's pretty dummy-proof. But I am curious too: what is the likelihood that the test could produce a false negative or positive?

[Tammy]

That makes perfect sense, Lee Anne! Thank you! I have sent a link to this post as well as copied your response and sent it on to the individual(s) having trouble.

We always milk out the first colostrum by hand (a small amount) on the first day and then use the machine the next day and I guess I just have never seen any clumps or strings in the colostrum from our cows.

Your explanation of why there might be mastisis present and it not show up on the test makes perfect sense. Your analogy of a sponge and food coloring was perfect!

Thank you!

Tammy

[frogHOLR]

Hi Joelle,
It is my understanding with the Dr. Naylor's test that they will give a false positive in the presence of colostrum. I think they recommend waiting 2 weeks (box is in the barn, sorry!) after freshening before using them. I generally use them around day 5 and often times get a positive result (green dot), but then I don't really start milking my cow in earnest usually for the first week because she is so prone to milk fever and ketosis. I use them every morning and when they stop turning color is when I start to bottle and refrigerate the milk for home consumption. I know that's not what the test cards are intended for, but it works for me! If they turn green the milk always tastes colostrum-y, when they don't it's sweet and delicious. I'm not sure that I've ever actually used a Dr. Naylor's test for mastitis!! Oops!

[nightskyfarm]

Since my dairy is Grade A I need to test for SCC at least monthly before the inspector comes for his sample. I have discovered a test kit called PortaSCC from Nelson-Jameson. The kit is made in 2 types; one for cows or one for goats. The CMT I find is great for showing you your positives or negatives, but not for anything in between. I have a hard time deciphering slime. The PortaSCC is a test strip with a well to which you add a drop of the milk and then 3 drops of their activator solution. The result is a color coded dot which co-responds to 4 different levels of scc. I have used this test kit for just over a year now and if done correctly the result is very accurate. When I read <500,000 scc the lab test has been 360,000scc. Time and time again I can now feel secure that a <500,000 reading is what it says. My state has just increased the allowable SCC for goats to 1,5000,000 from the cow amount of 1,000,000. And yes, it is not a test for mastitis, but it will give you enough information to decide if you need to take a sample to your local lab for further culturing, etc. to find out what type of bacteria you are dealing with.

I hate to treat an animal if I don't have to and I really hate to blindly treat for mastitis not knowing the bug or the drug that will kill it. To go hit or miss is a waste of time, money and milk. Because goats can naturally run a high SCC up to 1,000,000 and not have mastitis, I am reluctant to treat any unless they are over 2,000,000. Cows are a little different and I would treat for a much lower count. This test kit although not cheap at $60 for 42 strips and the solution etc. is worth it in my case for the accuracy and the ease of reading the results. I use it on both the bulk tank milk and on those animals that had questionable CMT results.