Expert Advisory Details

How to protect animal from Mastitis

It is very important to keep the animals sheds clean.

• Testing milk from time to time is very crucial. Check milk from every teat before milking. Begin treatment immediately if you see blood in the milk.
• Animals that are infected with disease should be milked later (The milk of the animals that are freshly bred should be drawn first)
• After the milking, the teat openings remain open for about half an hour, so it is helpful to clean the teats by dipping them into disinfectant solution. The 3:1 solution of Povidine Iodine and glycerin is an inexpensive and effective that can be prepared at home.
• Don't keep too many animals in a cramped place. This increases the pressure on the animal.
• Milkmen should wash their hands with Dettol or soap before Milking.
• Draw milk with full hand.
• Milking of the animal should be completed. Don't leave it unfinished.
• Milking should be stopped before two months from delivery. Also apply medicine on the Udder. Consult to veterinary doctor for this.
• The Obvious swelling is easy to identify because the udder is swollen and warm to the touch, but hidden swelling is difficult to detect because the milk of the animal is slowly reduced and there is no difference in udder when viewed from the outside. It can be accurately identified by testing milk with a solution of sodium lauryl sulfate. In this a plastic paddle having 4 cups is taken. From each teat, milk is drawn into each cup of the paddle and mixed with a solution of sodium lauryl sulfate. Coagulation of milk indicates latent swelling. Milk can also be tested in the laboratory by culture for germs.

Source: Kheti Sandesh, PAU