HEALTH OF STOCK.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4732, 1 August 1924, Page 4

HEALTH OF STOCK.

DISEASES OF WE COIFS UDDEB. INFORMATION AND TREATMENT. Diseases of the udder may be classed as two kinds, those resulting from external causes, such as bruises, injuries by sharp-pointed objects and the like, and those that are due to in-, ternal conditions, such as too rich feed and forced feeding in order to stimulate a heavy milk flow. Treatnicnt of the diseases of the udder is so often unsatisfactory that it should bo the aim of every dairyman to prevent them rather than to wait until the disease is well developed, and then expect to cure it. ■The cow’s udder is a very highly developed organ, composed of very sensitive tissues and a network of blood-vessels, through which blood and lymph are carried and from which the fluid portion of the milk is secreted. A-good milking cow has a most highly-developed udder, which is more likely to . become deranged, either through carelessness or from injury. A cow of this kind will usually demand a great deal * of« attention just before calvingxtime, as the udder may become swollen, red, tender, and hot to the touch;; which indicates inflammation. At this time milk will usually be found in the udder and should be milked out. The milking should be done as carefully ae possible, and should be repeated three or four times daily if necessary. The cow should not have more than half feed for about ten days or two weeks before calving time, and three or four days before this time she should re-> ceive a dose of some good laxative, also plenty of exercise in: the open air. Udder troubles are usually found in high producing cow, and most chses can be attributed to faulty feeding jpst previous to calving, as well as to lack of exercise. Lack of attention to; the udder previous to calving is due in many cases to the belief that cows should-.npt be milked out before they have had their calf. These wounds should receive attention, as they become very serious if the injury becomes infected. The treatment which we recommend at the end of this article for simple mammitijs will do very well for this class of injuries-. BLOODY MILK. Due to the enormous flow of blood through the udder and the great number of blood-.vessels, we frequently have bloody milk in the heavy, rich milkers. Sometimes the first, thing that is noticed is a slight pink tinge to the milk when lit is drawn, and it will be somewhat frothy. Soon streaks of blood and small clots will be noticeable. As thip -s due to a congestion and a rupture of some of the small blood-vessels of the udder, it becomes necessary to draw the milk with as little manipulation of the aidder as possible. This condition is usually brought about by feeding large quantities of rich and some-

times irritating feeds in an effort to stimulate a heavy milk flow; therefore, the feed should be reduced to abbot one-half and the cow should receive a laxative. If it is caused by an injury the same procedure should be observed. If large quantities of blood are observed and the udder is tender, it is advisable to use a sterile milk tube for drawing the milk for a while. The teat and tube should be sterilised with a mild. antiseptic, before the tube is used, or infection will be introduced, which is’wonse than the ruptured blood-vessel, which is rarely ever of anv conseqUerfce if taken care of properly as soon as it is noticed. TUBERCULOSIS. This condition cannot be determined definitely by a physical diagnosis, but requires the tuberculin test to confirm the - diagnosis. This disease is quite common in old dairy cows which have been heavy milkens. It manifests itself usually in hard, tumerous masses of different sizes. Sometimes the rndder will yield a thick, heavy, yellow substance which resemnles pus, which may in reality be a tubercular abscess, but more often it Is a hard,. firm mass which can be very readily felt upon palpitation of the udder. When such a condition of the udder is found the presence of tuberculosis should be suspected, and the tuberculin test should be immediately applied to confirm or disprove the diagnosis. TUMOURS OF THE UDDER. If the tuberculin test fails to show tuberculosis in . those cowe whose udders contain hard indurated masses that are discernible by manipulation, it is plain that we then have a tumour of the udder. These growths are usually benign in character in comparison with those of the human family, which are usually malignant or of the cancer variety. Surgical interference' is not practised for this class of ■ conditions, and it to not ofte<n that medicinal treatment would be of much value. SUPPRESSION OF MILK. This condition will result from insufficient feed, debilitating disease, and ill-health, but occasionally it will be seen in a cow which will apparently be in good health and showing no signs of any sickness or irregularity. This condition is caused by an affection or a temporary paralysis of the trophic nerves, which stimulate the secretory action of the udder, and it should be treated immediately. When this condition is first noticed the cow gives only about half as much milk as she has been giving, and in the very next milking she will give very little milk at all. In our practice we have got the best results from the use of one-half ounce fluid extract of nux vomica and one ounce fluid extract of pilocarpus or jaborandi, same to be divided into three doses, and a dose “to be given every three or four hours. Milking the teats the same as though milk was being drawn will assist in stimulating the secretion of milk. INFECTIOUS MAMMITIS. The cow affected with infectious

mammitis will usually refuse to cat. The hair stands on end and .the nose is hot and dry. . The temperature is very dry, as much as 106 Fahrenheit, and the animal usually walks with -t limp, . The respiration and the heart beat-are greatly increased. The animal usually stands much of the time, as it is painful for it to walk, and <t does not chew its cud.

It is inadvisable tor the owner to attempt to treat this class ot ailments, and the best thing to do is to get a veterinarian as soon as possible. The same treatment that we have outlined for simple mammitis should be used until the veterinarian can be had. The water that is given ths cow, if it be cold weather, should have the chill taken off, and the cow should be protected from tlie cold by blankets. The udder should be. suspended with a large bandage. An animal so affected should be isolated from the other cows, and the caretaker should not attend to any of the others. It is very necessary in this condition .that internal treatment be of the very best, and this should always be prescribed by a competent veterinarian. The majority of these cases leave the cow without the use of that part of the uddei that was affected. Many times it is necessary to amputate the quar-' ter of the udder affected. —The Dairyfarmer.