Posted by Vicki McGaugh on December 09, 2000 at 20:40:55:
In Reply to: Re: What are the signs of mastisis? posted by Deborah on December 08, 2000 at 11:58:39:
Firm and hot is the sign for mastitis.
If it is udder congestion than the udder is firm, yet indents when you touch it like a swollen limb would do.
Number one diagnosis for a hard, not hot, udder with no milk has got to be CAE. Though back in the olden days the only signs of CAE were swollen joints, mostly knees and once in awhile hocks, we have seen lots of this hard udder in does with CAE. A vet can pull blood and send in a blood sample and find out if the doe is positive or not, it only costs 5$, call 509-335-9696 and ask for the information to give to your vet. Ironically this is the same sypmtoms that are found in OPP in sheep, perhaps we have seen a change in the CAE virus? I am seriously considering in my olden age to find a CAE positive doe who has no clincal disease at the ripe old age of 5 to 8, use her colostrum raw on a kid crop, and raise them up, yes they will be CAE positive on test, but wouldn't it be great to have does with perhaps antibodys for this dreaded disease, so they will never have clinical disease? I really do think we are doing our stock an injustice by heat treating and pasturising this disease away with no real idea of exactly how it is working. Right now any of the above would put me very quickly out of business, but once I am older and independantly wealthy :)............................Vicki