Problems of Lactation - Mastitis trigger

Question 1

What is mastitis which species is it most common in?

Answer 1

Inflam of the mammary gland

Question 2

What are the impacts of mastitis to the dairy and beef industries?

Answer 2

• Animal welfare concern
• Milk quality and quantity
• Efficiency of production: $$$ or carbon footprint of milk
• Antimicrobial use
• impacts calf growth in meat production systems

Question 3

Is there a correlation between bacteria levels and when you see clinical signs in cases of mastitis?

Answer 3

Not necessarily, bacteria can be continuely multiplying without evidence of clinical signs in some cases.

Question 4

Does the treatment of mastitis differ between species?

Answer 4

Yes

Question 5

What are the hosts defences against mastitis?

Think first and second line defences

Answer 5

• First line = mechanical: teat end integrity, teat sphincter, teat sealant (keratin plug) and normal anatomy
• Second line = immunological: Humoral (antibodies) and cellular (immediate phagocytosis, cytokine release, chemotaxis and killing)

Question 6

Do cows get natural immunity after having mastitis?

Answer 6

No, there is no natural immunity. A cow that has had mastitis is more likely to suffer from a second episode.

Question 7

In mastatic milk, what would you except the somatic cell count (SCC) to be?

Answer 7

greater than 250,000

Question 8

What are some predisposing environmental factors for mastitis?

Answer 8

• Inadequate nutrition - neg energy balance and/or vit or micronutrient deficiency
• Damage to teat ends - stalls too small for the cows, poor hoof trimming or overmilking
• Exposure to bacterial overload

Question 9

What is the clinical presentation of mastitis?

Answer 9

• Milk: Clots, flakes, discolouration, consistency, electrolyte content
• Udder: Swelling, oedema, hot to the touch and discoloured (red or purple)
• Cow: Fever, tachypnoa, tachycardia, dehydration, recumency, empty rumen or poor rumination

Question 10

How is mastitis treated in cows? Does treatment differ depending on the severity?

Answer 10

Treatment depends on the severity
- Mastitis = inflamm of the mammary gland: caused by the hosts response, detected by markers of inflamm (5 cardinal signs), treated with antiinflammatory therapy
- Intramammary infection = caused by organism: detected by the presence of microorganisms and treated with antimicrobials.
- Sepsis