Post by emidmag on Jan 4, 2018 12:10:55 GMT -5
Lizzie slipped (on dry concrete, because she felt the need to gallop) going into the barn last night. Went down, and in scrambling up caught her right front teat on a hoof. She has a deep, upside down U shaped cut about midway up the teat. No milk is leaking, blood clotted off and crusted in the wound. I tried to hand milk it last night. I got a vicious kick for every squirt-it was really hurting her. I was able to get it about 2/3 milked out. I cleaned the teat with soap and water, and applied human antibiotic cream as that was all we had on hand.
She's nearing the end of her first lactation, and is producing about 4.5-5 gallons a day, so that quarter should make about 1/2 gallon per milking. She's due April 23rd, and we were planning to dry her off on Feb. 14. She has never had mastitis.
Since we are only a little over a month from drying off completely, I was thinking that drying off this quarter is going to be the best option. I'm not sure how to do that, though. Just stop milking? Try to milk once a day for a little while?
I spoke with our vet this morning. This is her opinion: drying off is asking for mastitis. She thinks I should do "whatever works" to get it milked. She said teething gel was fine, any kind of antibiotic cream was good (human, horse, etc.), not to use wound sprays, bandaging was okay but not necessary. I asked her if she thought that milking it twice a day, which is going to cause the wound to bleed again each time, will slow healing and she thought that milking it will help it heal, but I don't see how that works. She said it should be cleaned with soapy water twice a day, and we should try to keep crusted blood out of it. I don't know if I agree with her. I don't see how irritating the wound and making it reopen twice a day is going to speed healing.
I want what we all want-the best outcome. I do NOT want to lose the quarter. I don't want mastitis, of course. What do you think is the best course of treatment? I don't have an arsenal of essential oils to rub on it. We do have farm stores close by. We are going to get some Corona ointment for it. Not sure what else. Do you think we should use a preventative mastitis treatment in that quarter? If so, what?
She's nearing the end of her first lactation, and is producing about 4.5-5 gallons a day, so that quarter should make about 1/2 gallon per milking. She's due April 23rd, and we were planning to dry her off on Feb. 14. She has never had mastitis.
Since we are only a little over a month from drying off completely, I was thinking that drying off this quarter is going to be the best option. I'm not sure how to do that, though. Just stop milking? Try to milk once a day for a little while?
I spoke with our vet this morning. This is her opinion: drying off is asking for mastitis. She thinks I should do "whatever works" to get it milked. She said teething gel was fine, any kind of antibiotic cream was good (human, horse, etc.), not to use wound sprays, bandaging was okay but not necessary. I asked her if she thought that milking it twice a day, which is going to cause the wound to bleed again each time, will slow healing and she thought that milking it will help it heal, but I don't see how that works. She said it should be cleaned with soapy water twice a day, and we should try to keep crusted blood out of it. I don't know if I agree with her. I don't see how irritating the wound and making it reopen twice a day is going to speed healing.
I want what we all want-the best outcome. I do NOT want to lose the quarter. I don't want mastitis, of course. What do you think is the best course of treatment? I don't have an arsenal of essential oils to rub on it. We do have farm stores close by. We are going to get some Corona ointment for it. Not sure what else. Do you think we should use a preventative mastitis treatment in that quarter? If so, what?