Small Ruminant & Camelid Mastitis Flashcards
What part of the udder provides support?
lateral suspensory ligaments
How do udders in small ruminants sit? What type of udder should producers breed against?
high and tight ot the abdominal wall and above the level of the hicks during lactation
pendulous udders - more likely to be damaged, more likely to develop mastitis, difficult for lambs/kids to nurse
Mammary gland anatomy:
What are 6 classifications of teats in small ruminants?
- clean - single, normally shaped teat with one opening
- functional - able to produce and secrete milk
- nonfunctional
- supernumerary - extra
- split, cluster, fishtail
- weeping - milk secreted by tissue in the wall of the teat, common in diary breeds –> hands commonly get wet during milking, may see cysts filled with milk on teat
Abnormal teat anatomy:
Udder grading:
How does milk composition compare in sheep and goats? Miniature breeds?
SHEEP = 7.6% fat, 6.2% protein
GOATS = 4-6.9% fat, 3% protein –> smaller fat globules, higher proportion of short-chain fatty acids
MINIS = produce milk in lower volumes, but milk is higher in fats and protein
How does sheep milk compare to cow and goat milk?
sheep milk is higher in fat, protein, caseins, and other solids, but lower in volume
How does udder edema present? How is it differentiated from mastitis?
mammary gland swelling common in recently freshened does or ewes
- EDEMA = normal milk, resolved without treatment, can be caused by significant internal parasitism
- MASTITIS = udder is hot or cold to the touch, pain on palpation, abnormal milk, animal may have a fever
How does congenital and acquired asymmetrical udders differ?
CONGENITAL = unbalanced suspensory ligaments
ACQUIRED = uneven milk production, side with less milk may have subclinical mastitis and lambs will preferentially nurse the healthy side, fibrous tissue due to previous mastitis or trauma can cause the production of a blind half, where one side does not produce milk
What is most commonly the cause of herd-wide asymmetrical udders?
asymmetric placement of milking claws from the side, leading to different milk production rates
Asymmetric udders:
What is hard bag? How does it affect the udders?
accumulation of fibrous tissue in the udder, which replaces milk-producing tissue and results in lamb starvation
- appear full, but has little or no milk
- feels hard
What 3 infections is hard bag commonly associated with? What should be done in animals that present with persistent hard bag?
- ovine progressive pneumonia (OPP)
- Maedi visna
- caprine arthritis and encephalitis virus
cull
What is a hard milker? What are 2 possible causes? How is it treated?
small streak canal limits flow of milk
- genetically small streak canal - not recommended to breed
- trauma/irritation and consequent scarring
surgical enlargement of streak canal opening
What are 2 possible complications associated surgical treatment of hard milkers?
- permanent leakage
- increased chance of mastitis
What is agalactia? What are 2 possible causes?
absence of milk in a lactating animal
- systemic disease leading to reduced feed intake - pregnancy toxemia
- mastitis
What are 2 common causes of teat lacerations? How is it treated?
- lambs/kids with sharp teeth
- other animals stepping on udder
- clean with chlorhexidine or betadine scrub and warm water
- apply disinfectant ointment or spray to create a barrier to infection
- if severe, take lamb/kid off dam
What should be checked for if blisters/sores are found on a dam’s teat?
look carefully at the lamb/kid’s mouth for similar lesions, as orf is a possible cause
What are 3 signs of mastitis in small ruminants?
- UDDER - swollen, hot, red, hard, painful
- MILK - blood-tinged, yellow, thick, watery, foul smelling, lamb/kid refuses to nurse due to sour taste
- DAM - visibly ill, fever, depression, off feed
What is the difference between mild, severe, and chronic mastitis?
MILD - abnormalities in milk, udder may be swollen, hot, or sensitive
SEVERE - hot, hard, sensitive udder, sudden onset, fever (105-107 F), rapid pulse, depression, weakness, loss of appetite
CHRONIC - persistent udder infection resulting in hard lumps in the udder from the walling off of bacterial and connective tissue formation
What are the 7 most common cause of contagious mastitis in small ruminants?
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Streptococcus agalactiae
- Mannheimia hemolytica
- Pasteurella multocida
- Trueperella pyogenes
- Corynebacterium spp.
- Streptococcus zooepidemicus (goats)
infected udder acts as the source, can survive haltingly in the environment
What 3 forms of mastitis can Staphylococcus aureus cause? How?
- gangrenous - functional loss of udder with systemic symptoms that can lead to death
- acute parenchymatous - never heals by itself and can evolve into the chronic form, which acts as a source for other animals
- mammary pustular - initial condition for development of mammary gland infections
produces several toxins and enterotoxins (food poisoning)
What kind of mastitis does Streptococcus agalactiae, Manneheimia hemolytica, and Trueperella pyogenes cause in small ruminants?
bovine contagious catarrhal mastitis (sheep and goats are still sensitive, but it is rarely isolated)
parenchymatous mastitis most commonly spread by suction of milk by lambs that host the bacteria in the rhinopharynx
unilateral parenchymal volume increase with nodular abscesses that lead to a fistulae
What are the 9 most common environmental microorganisms that can cause mastitis in small ruminants?
- E. coli
- Klebsiella pneumoniae/oxytoca
- Enterobacter spp
- Serratia spp
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa
- Proteus spp
- Streptococcus dysgalactiae
- Streptococcus uberis
- Bacillus spp (cereus)
source from the external environment –> GIT, soil, water, litter
What are the 8 most common opportunistic pathogens that cause mastitis in small ruminants?
- Staph epidermidis
- S. chromogens
- S. hemolyticus
- S. xylosus
- S. warneri
- S. capitis
- S. caprae
- S. hominis
source from animal skin or udder –> most commonly leads to subclinical mastitis with negative effects on milk production (high SCC, increased pH, NAGase+)
Mastitic udder:
What is blue bag? What is the most common results?
severe mastitis eventually results in gangrene of the udder –> dark red, hard, blue
- removal of gangrenous tissue
- nonfunctional gland if animal survives
- euthanasia
Mastitis milk:
- watery, discoloration
- clot
What 3 things must be done with treating all cases of mastitis?
- isolate suspected animals
- keep affected halves stripped out
- supplement lambs/kids, who are likely not nursing on mastitic milk
What treatment is recommended for mild cases of clinical mastitis?
if mother appears normal, intramammary infusions may be enough
What are the main signs of severe clinical mastitis? What 2 treatments are recommended?
fever, off-feed, depressed
- intramammary AND systemic antibiotics + anti-inflammatories
- severe and unresponsive - amputate teat if animal is highly valuable
How can mastitis in small ruminants be prevented?
- good hygiene - clean, dry bedding and environment
- manually milk if lamb/kids are not nursing well
- teat/udder hygiene
- decontaminate equipment
- cull animals with chronic, subclinical mastitis
- milk affected animals last
- do not feed infected milk to offspring
How much milk do camels produce in a day? How can it be increased? How often are they milked?
3-10 liters
provide better quality feed, water intake, and proper management
2-6 times per day
Human vs. camel vs. cow vs. buffalo milk:
Mastitis:
gangrenous - quarter sloughing
Mastitis:
L = healthy quarter
R = mastitis quarter
What 6 things affect the susceptibility of lactating camels to developing mastitis?
- stage of lactation
- age
- breed
- parity
- animal’s degree of resistance
- nature of infectious agent
How do camel udders compare to cow udders?
CAMEL = 2 teat canals in each udder, can’t perform intramammary infusions!
COW = 1 teat canal in each udder
Tying off teats in camels:
done to prevent suckling by calf, but NOT recommended –> commonly leads to infection
What are the 9 most common causes of mastitis in camels?
- Staphylococcus aureus*
- Streptococcus agalactiae*
- Staphylococcus epidermidis
- Micrococcus spp
- Aerobacter spp
- coagulase-negative Staphylococcus
- Pasteurella hemolytica
- E. coli
- Corynebacterium
What are the 4 most common predisposing factors for mastitis in camels?
- unhygienic milking procedures
- heavy tick infestation
- udder lesions, commonly from teat tying
- use of teat covers to prevent calves from suckling
What are some signs of clinical mastitis?
- anorexia
- fever
- depression
- swelling
- severe inflammation
- painful udders
- rejection of newborn by female
- color, consistency change in milk (floccules)
detected with no special tests
How do camels with subclinical mastitis present? How is it diagnosed?
no swollen udder or abnormal milk, but does produce less milk
MUST be detected with special tests - CMT, SCC, ATP test, pH, electrical conductivity
What is characteristic of chronic mastitis?
induration and fibrosis of affected quarter
- uncommon in camels
How does treatment of mastitis in camels compare to cows?
intramammary infusions of antibiotics are not recommended in camels due to the presence of 2-3 teat canals per udder which open independently + smaller teat canal
How is acute mastitis treated in camel? How does this compare to chronic?
- systemic antibiotics - TMS, Penicillin, Aminoglycoside
- anti-inflammatories - Flunixin meglumine
- regular stripping of mammary
more difficult to treat, often results in the loss of affected quarter
What are the 4 major principles of camel mastitis control?
- elimination of existing infection
- prevention of new infections
- monitoring udder health
- fly and insect control
