OCR Text |
Show MAIYiMITIS OR CARCET Mammitis. inflammation of the udder of cows, commonlo termed "garget" is frequentlyla costlylandjannoying trouble for dairymen. This is owing to the temporary, or in some cases perman ent, loss of milk and consequent depreciation depre-ciation in value of affected milch cows, and to the time and attention necessary for treatment of the disease. MammitiB commonly observed in two forms, first, as an apparently noninfectious noninfec-tious inflammation of the udder, traceable trace-able to a bruise or other injury, or to a sudden functional activity of the udder as observed frequently in heavy milkers and in heifers at the first calving; and second, as an inflammatory condition in which there is a tendencyto,'suppuration and breakihg down of the glandular tissues of the udder. The latter form is due to the presence of germs, which gain entrance inco the udder and are conveyed from animal through the medium medi-um of the milker's hands, by lashing the soiled tail, or by contact with the contaminated floor or bedding. In these cases the udder, as wt ll as the hands of the milker, should be washed . before and after milking in a 2 per cent solution solu-tion cresol (U. S. P.). The first form is usually confined to one cow in the herd whereas, owing to the infectious character of the second form, ic is commonly com-monly found affecting several animals. Milk from an animal with this diseaSi should not be used, and an effort should be made to prevent strippings or any of the dicharge from the teats of the affected af-fected udder from falling upon the fl )or or beading. Any bedding contaminated in this manner should be burned and the floor beneath the cow thoroughU washed with a solution of compound solution of cresol, as recommen ed above. In fact, every effort should be made to prevent continued reinfection of an affected cow or the spread of the disease from animal to animal throughout the stable. With this end in view it will' be advisable, whenever possible, to place all affected animals in a building apart from that by the rest of the herd and to disinfect thoroughly the stable from which they have been removed. Suggestions concerning methods of disinfection will be found in. Farmers' Bulletin 480, which may oe obtained from the United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. In the infectious form of of mammiti3 the outcome is not always favorable, whereas in the noninfectious form the inflammation usually yields readily read-ily to proper treatment. In both forms it is generally advisable to gi e the animal a purgative dose of Ep:on salts U pound) or 1 pounds) and follow fol-low with a limited ration of succulent, easily digested feed. The udder should be bathed with hot water for hilf an I hour twice daily, and after bathing may , be rubbed thoroughly with warm olive J I oil containing 3 per cent of gum camphor camph-or Owing to difficulty in miking cows with an inflamed udder, many dairymen are inclined these cases to insert a milking milk-ing tube into the teat duct. This is a practice which is to be discouraged except ex-cept in certain . extreme cases, but should it be deemed necesary to draw milk in this manner the tube, udder, and teats, and the hands of the operator should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected disin-fected by washing in a solution of the cresol compound previously recommended, recommend-ed, both btfore inserting the tube and again when the drawing of milk is completed. Especial care as to disinfection disinfec-tion should be employed after handling an infected cow before going to anothi r animal- I |