Post by organizinlady on Aug 17, 2010 15:23:25 GMT -5
Via Tammy's thread: Mastitis Testing Questions
**********************************************************
Posted by 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.
**********************************************************
Posted by 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.
