CONTAGIOUS MAMMITIS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4586, 16 July 1923, Page 4

CONTAGIOUS MAMMITIS.

ITS VARIOUS PHASES. TREATMENT AND PREVENTION. A lecture on the recognition and treatment of contagious mammitis in co vs was given by Dr. A, Mackenzie, Government veterinarian, Hamilton, (tp the farmers’ school at Ruakura. The lecturer described the disease as a form of catarrhal inflammation of the udder caused by a micro organisation which was usually not found in other forms of mammitis. Tiie disease might affect one or more quarters, and as the result the quarter or the udder was put out, of action and the animal was rendered useless as a dairy cow. In. many cases she was a danger to other cows in the herd. The disease presented itself in several forms, There was an acute affectation and also a chronic form of the disease. In the acute form,, if seen early, the affected animal showed symptoms of constituitonal disturbance, such as shaking or shivering, a high temperature, and a disinclination to eat her food. A n examinatioiL would disclose an abnormal udder, and either the fore or hind quarters would show signs of inflammation. The quarter affected would be enlarged, hot, and painful to the touch, while the secretion ofi milk would be suspended. When milked the udder would discharge a heavy fluid of straw colour or a thick material like curdled milk. CHRONIC FORM OF DISEASE. In the chronic,, or milder form,, of the disease the farmer might only find a hardness at the base of the teat in the form of a lump. There might -be an obstruction to the' flow of milk, or there might not,, but in any case there would be something wrong, sufficient to put the farmer .on-- his guard. If the cow affected had been newly purchased she should be isolated until the real cause of her condition had been investigated. Dr. Mackenzie said all forms of mammitis were not contagious, and might be caused by chills or injuries. The treatment, of cows affected with the acute form of the disease was not warranted, other than to relieve them from pain as far as possible. The application of hot fomentations for two hours twice daily was beneficial. A dose of opening medicine and the rubbing of the udder with the hands after the fomentation had been applied and the udder had been dried prevented complications. The lecturer also recommended the rubbing into the udder camphorated oil, olive oil, or even lard. Dr. Mackenzie did not recommend the injection of medicinal agents into the udder by others than qualified practitioners. He considered practical farmers should leave well alone in this direction, and suggested that the cow should be turned out away from the remainder of the -herd with calf at foot. Otherwise the cow should be disposed of. MEASURES OF PREVENTION. Dr. Mackenzie laid special emphasis on the means of preventing the disease, arguing the old adage that prevention was better than cure. He made the following recommendations : Examine all new cows for any evidence of the disease, and if a quarter or a teat seemed abnormal or suspicious, draw the milk into a glass, or tumbler and leit, it stand all night. If it. did not settle down like ordinary, healthy milk, isolate the animal until the 'cause was known.- Do not use the milk. Remember, an animal near calving would give abnormallooking milk. In the milking shed all udders and teats should be examined daily as a routine for any evidence of disease. Any cow with abnormal symptoms should be left to the last, until the milking of the herd was completed. She should then oe milked by hand. Never discharge milk from a diseased quarter on to the ground or floor of the milking shed. An old tin containing an antiseptic should be used until the milk could be disposed of. Animals entering or leaving the milking shed should do so with a minimum of exposure to contamination, if cows were milked individually in the field contagious mammitis would scarcely be heard of’unless it were carried by the hands of the milker after milking a diseased cow. The hands of the milker, and the milking machine, must necessarily be contributing agents in the spread of the disease unless care was taken. Therefore it was necessary to keep everything as clean and sterile as possible.