# How to test for Mastitis



## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Mastitis Testing

Clean udder and teat. DRY the teat so that there is no moisture to drip down on the orifice.









Milk the first few streams out to remove older milk









Milk a sterile sample into a whirl pak (from the vet), sterile sample tube, or a red top test tube.

Whirl pak









Opened whirl pak. DO NOT TOUCH THE INSIDE SURFACE!









Milk *directly* into sample containter

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Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18
Show Content










Close container. Here is a closed whirl pak. Label sample with name of goat and which teat the sample is from.









Freeze sample.

Ship in styrofoam shipping box with a gel pak on Monday. You must use overnight air.









The testing is free. The shipping cost will make you bug eyed.

Ship to:
Hill Farm Mastitis Lab
3380 Highway 79
Homer, LA 71040
(318) 927-9654

*
Ship OVERNIGHT AIR with UPS!*

Note: I keep a stock of small styrofoam shipping boxes on hand now. They are great for shipping milk as above and blood for pregnancy or CAE testing. 
These boxes are available from: http://www.mrboxonline.com/6x45x4-mi...rs-p-4394.html


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

Can you use a CMT test for cows on goats? or do you need to send all milk samples in?


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

It is my understanding from discussions on another dairy goat board, that if you want to use the CMT test, you have to use it regularly to know what is normal for your goats. The liquid will gel somewhat because goat milk doesn't react the same as cow milk. So, repeated, regular use over time gives you a base reaction to expect. Then, if there is a change, you can suspect mastitis.

Also, the CMT doesn't tell you what organism is causing suspected mastitis.

If you send the sample to LSU and request that they also perform an antibiotic sensitivity test on any bacteria that grows, they will send you a report with exactly which bacteria is growing AND which antibiotic is effective on that bacteria. Sure beats guessing.


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## GottaloveOregon (Feb 23, 2011)

How often should you check for mastitis.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

The folks who use CMT develop their own schedule for routine testing. I don't know if it's once a week, once a month, etc.

I only test if there appears to be something amiss in the milk. Clumps, lumps, etc. 

Be sure you milk the first couple of streams into a strip cup or other container every time you milk to check for changes and problems.


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## IndyGardenGal (Apr 5, 2009)

What gel packs did you buy?


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Doesn't matter. Actually, I re-use the ones that came with my hubby's meds.


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## grandmajo (Mar 25, 2008)

I use the CMT test once a week. As Alice said, you need to use it regularly so you can detect a change. One note though, not all goats will gell on the test. Some may have a slight gelling and other not at all. That's why you need to use it on a regular basis, so you can see if there are any changes that might indicate a problem.


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## IndyGardenGal (Apr 5, 2009)

Shipping from more northern states is costly. I spent $75 to ship samples from 3 goats overnight air.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Yup. We need to get a co-op of goat folks to start a new company!


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## grandmajo (Mar 25, 2008)

IndyGardenGal, you might want to check with your state university to see if they off the testing? I checked and Ohio State will do mine for a small charge. Although the one Alice posted does the test for free, I save money using Ohio State because the shipping is so much cheaper!


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## IndyGardenGal (Apr 5, 2009)

Now I'm irritated because I checked tracking and got this message:
The receiver requested a hold for a future delivery date. UPS will attempt delivery on date requested. 

If the milk warms up, there's $75 down the drain for us. I can't afford to ship it again anytime soon.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

That's weird. Can you ask for more info?


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## IndyGardenGal (Apr 5, 2009)

We called the lab, they said nobody delivered to them today. So they called the local UPS, and apparently, they forgot to put it on the truck. The lady said our package is no leaking (great), and she put it in the fridge.

Do you think UPS will refund us since there was no reason for it not to go out, other than they forgot it at the drop point?


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

I'd certainly ask for that, or a credit to reship if necessary.


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## IndyGardenGal (Apr 5, 2009)

It was a process, we were able to get a shipping credit. I will say, if you are shipping during warmer months, or from further away from LSU. Use red test tubes. Be careful not to use ones with anti-coagulant in the bottom. The 3mL tubes I got from bio-tracking were perfectly fine.


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## Creamers (Aug 3, 2010)

Ugh! I used the redtop tubes with the anti-coagulant in the bottom - I didn't know - geez! I got a quote of $77 to ship today, and since I the milk frozen and safe, I started Pen G because the mastitis was getting out of control last night! What a mess - thank God I read this and hadn't mailed anything because I thought I might repackage it to be lighter weight and manage a better price. . .


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Whirl paks don't weigh as much. What size shipping package are you using? The ones I use are 8" x 6 1/2" x 7", and they come with the fitted styrofoam inside. I add a frozen gel pak (or two in this heat) and the whirlpaks with the milk samples.


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## Creamers (Aug 3, 2010)

The lab guy at LSU said coming from WV, he'd recommend no less than 5 ice packs and do double box. He said anything less coming from that far lately they have just thrown out and not tested because it is coming warm  My box was large after all that and really heavy. . . 
but then I used the coag tubes, which really messed it all up - thank God I didn't send it like that in the wrong tubes for $77


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

WOW! This heat is throwing "normal" ways to do things out the window!


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## PakistaniFarmer (Aug 22, 2011)

I heard that we can check this by washing powder ?


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## TroutRiver (Nov 26, 2010)

Folks in the Northeast, there is a lab in Mount Holly, VT that will test for bacteria in milk. It's not free, but the total cost will likely be less than overnight air shipping to Louisiana. However, you have to use their test kit, they don't like the whirl paks (wish I had known that before I froze samples in whirl paks...) so they have to send you a kit, then you send it back to them. 

I can't seem to find their website, although I'm pretty sure they have one. The phone number is 802-259-9229. Address is:

Dairy Bacterial Testing
1004 Hortonville rd
Mt Holly, VT 05758

They can also give you a full analysis of your milk sample with protein content, butterfat and somatic cell count.


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## "SPIKE" (Dec 7, 2011)

Has anyone used these and do you think they are good for testing?

http://www.drnaylor.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=25&Itemid=50

Hoegger Supply sells them. It seems like a easy way to test.

SPIKE


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## Frosted Mini's (Nov 29, 2012)

Those supposedly don't work for goats...why a goat site has them, no idea.

This lab does milk cultures for $7 each. There are several locations and one is close enough to me to drive the samples in, so I have no idea what the cost of shipping or their shipping policy would be. Always call the lab first to ask! http://www.udderhealth.com/contact.htm


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## "SPIKE" (Dec 7, 2011)

Frosted Mini's said:


> Those supposedly don't work for goats...why a goat site has them, no idea.
> 
> This lab does milk cultures for $7 each. There are several locations and one is close enough to me to drive the samples in, so I have no idea what the cost of shipping or their shipping policy would be. Always call the lab first to ask! http://www.udderhealth.com/contact.htm


I was affraid of that. I actually called before ordering and asked about their accuracy with goats. I guess I should have known better than to trust a sales person!
I have not had any signs of a problem, just thought that would be an easy way to confirm no problems were starting to develope.

SPIKE


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## "SPIKE" (Dec 7, 2011)

I had been trying to contact the Dr. Naylor company through their online contact and have not been able to. This morning I decided to contact they by phone. 
I spoke with a rep (I think her name was Jennifer) about the Mastitis indicator cards. She did confirm for me that they do not work for goats, due to the different PH levels of goat milk as compared to cow milk.

I checked the Hoegger supply web site and confirmed that they say "Guard your milking *does* against mastitis with these color indicators to test for positive identification of mastitis infection".

I called Hoegger supply and spoke to a rep (did not get name). She went and got a box of the product, read the info on the package, and said it would work for goats. The info on the package does not mention goats, it only mentions cows. I told her what the Dr. Naylor rep said and I told her they need to correct the info on their web site and quit promoting this product for use with goats.
She said she would follow up with management about this issue.

I was nice! LOL I did not even ask for a refund. I did tell her they could send me something for helping them out and I did state that I would be sharing this information.

SPIKE


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## HOEGGER SUPPLY (Jan 17, 2013)

Hi, this is Anne at Hoegger Supply. The mastitis test that is made
specifically for goat milk is the Porta SCC Goat Milk Test. In our
catalog it is item # 34V. In our current catalog it is on page 69.
Dr. Naylors mastitis indicators and the CMT test are made specifically
for cow's milk and they have been used for many many years by goat
owners for early detection. Until recently, they were the only ones
available for home use. If the test shows positive, treatment should
be started. Consulting with a veterinarian will assist in determining
the most effective treatment. Although the Porta SCC Goat Milk Test
is more precise, both the indicators and CMT will definitely always
show positive if there is any problem.


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## "SPIKE" (Dec 7, 2011)

HOEGGER SUPPLY said:


> Hi, this is Anne at Hoegger Supply. The mastitis test that is made
> specifically for goat milk is the Porta SCC Goat Milk Test. In our
> catalog it is item # 34V. In our current catalog it is on page 69.
> Dr. Naylors mastitis indicators and the CMT test are made specifically
> ...


Thank you Anne at Hoegger Supply for stopping by and trying to help clear up this issue.
I do not wish to clutter this sticky thread, but I would like to state that I do not understand why the Dr. Naylor Rep would state that their mastitis indicators do not work on goats. Based on what one of the posters stated in the thread below, it appears their product may be usable for initial testing.
I am just looking for the best, cheapest, and easiest homestead test to tell me if I need to test further. And as always, I am trying to look out for the health of everyone's goats and assist other goat owners.
(they may not want my help. LOL ) 

SPIKE


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## ani's ark (May 12, 2012)

Thanks Spike!
I just bought the NZ version of these in our local farm supply store, the guy *thought* they'd work for goats although it just has a cow on the package. From a small amount of online research, I didnt think that the pH of cow and goat milk would be that different. Apparently mastitis makes the milk more acid. I could have just wasted my $10, we'll see. I plan to use them every week to monitor for changes, I'll add my thoughts on them onto this sticky in a few months. 

Does anyone else use these strips for regular indicator testing?


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Starting June 1, 2013
The Mastitis Lab will no longer accept samples sent by the US postal service at the 11959 Hwy 9 address. We are receiving too many shipments delivered by the US postal service that are not cold. This will save the producers from paying mailing fees and the samples not being able to be processed.
When sending milk samples to the Hill Farm for testing please follow these directions:
Please call the lab 318-927-9654, 24 hours before sending samples, so we will be sure to have media prepared for testing.
Do not ship samples on Thursday or Friday.
Only ship samples to the following address: LSU Agricultural Center
Mastitis Research Lab
3380 Hwy 79
Homer, LA 71040

Fed Ex and UPS will deliver to this address the US postal service will not.

Collection Procedure:

1. Brush away any loose dirt from the quarter that is going to be sampled.
2. Discard a few streams of milk.
3. Clean the teat end with a cotton ball soaked in 70% alcohol.
4. Collect a milk sample in a sterile container preferably a sterile test tube.
5. Be sure the sample is labeled with the animal name and quarter, include a note stating what test you would like done, and who to send the results to.
6. The sample should be kept cold and brought directly to the lab.
7. When shipping milk samples to the Hill Farm please send the milk samples FROZEN. They should be in a Styrofoam box with cool packs or dry ice and shipped NEXT DAY AIR.

With the summer weather upon us, follow step # 7 to ensure samples arrive cold.
Be sure the sample is 
1. FROZEN
2. Shipped in sealed Styrofoam box
3. Add as many ice packs as you can fit in Styrofoam box
4. Ship NEXT DAY AIR

Thanks,
Mastitis Lab


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Another lab for Mastitis Testing is in Arizona.

http://www.dhlaboratory.com/goats


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

I spoke with the doctor at the Arizona lab, and there are a couple of concerns about packaging with whirl-paks (especially in the summer heat.)

I asked him about the whirl-paks, which I use, and he said that if we use those, be sure to package each sample carefully. Seal the whirl-pak with tape, too, and put EACH sample into a small zip lock bag as well.

If you don't package the samples carefully, they leak, and then the post office, Fed Ex, or UPS calls them to come check the packages, rather than delivering the boxes to the lab! Package carefully.

He recommends the solid type containers, available here: 
http://www.abmedsupply.com/sterile-culture-tubes


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## gunsmithgirl (Sep 28, 2003)

Gonna put this out there for those in the Northern states as well. I use WVS http://www.waupunvet.com/for blood testing and mastitis testing.
I am in Michigan and can ship overnight to Wisconsin for $40 and the tests are $4.50 per sample. Still works out cheaper than sending to the free labs that are further away if you only have a few samples.


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## madness (Dec 6, 2006)

We just had a mycoplasmosis scare and discovered that LSU does NOT culture for this. The media for it is expensive and they don't have a great demand for it. So if you suspect it, send your samples elsewhere to get all the testing done at one place. I discovered two here in Texas:

Texas Vet Lab: http://www.texasvetlab.com/Diag.htm

TAMU: http://tvmdl.tamu.edu/


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## CrafterAl (Aug 30, 2013)

I used both Dr Naylor test cards and the California Mastitis Test kit in a one cow Jersey dairy for about 6 years!

I fairly quickly gave up on the cards, as I never got a positive mastitis reading until I could detect it visually in the milk.

Conditions vary of course, and somebody else might get better results.

Just reporting MY results over a long time.

On the other hand, the CMT would show mastitis before visual signs every time.

And if you wondered about a subtle shift in the milk in a quarter, the CMT would lend confidence to your suspicions.

We now milk Nubians. But my daughters do the milking. They just do visual checks.

I would highly recommend trying the home tests for yourself.

You run a much better chance of stopping mastitis before it damages your animal if you catch it early.

Goats aren't cows, but some goat experts say these tests apply to goats too.

I don't know...

Invest in the two tests mentioned and try them out and you'll see for yourself.

Good goats are expensive. 

These test materials are cheap.

My nerves are pretty fragile these days too!

Mastitis in dairy animals is no fun.


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## AptlyUntitled (Mar 8, 2015)

Hey all,

Long time reader, first time poster here! I wanted to drop a line and thank everyone who's engaged in this post as it's something that's been on my mind. It's probably worth noting before I go off on a tangent that we follow a natural management model (Fias Co for the win!) and stay away from antibiotics/unnatural treatments as much as possible.

So here's the thang:

Our first Nubian dairy goat Samus gave birth about three weeks ago (twins - only one survived) and was boasting a b-e-a-UTIFUL udder. We just knew we were in for a treat and that our girl would be a heavy producer. We decided to let Vita (baby) have momma to herself for the first two weeks, so we only hand-milked a squirt or two once a day to ensure that her milk looked healthy and her udder felt alright. She was tight, certainly, and her udder felt warm, but ultimately she appeared to us to be getting enough relief from Vita who was (is) quite the chub scout. 

Then, much to our (sad) surprise, almost overnight it seems, the left half of her udder started to shrink. The only thing I noticed before this happened, and I only saw it once, was a hop/skip/jump performed by Samus that made it look as though her teat was itchy. At the time I thought she was just being her spunky goat self, but in retrospect...?

When we noticed the shrinking, I first assumed that it was just Vita's favorite side, but now that some time has passed I no longer believe that to be the case. We still get SOME milk from that side in the morning after she's had a 12-hour rest, but the teat is nearly back to 'normal' and hangs a good 4" or 5" above the other, much higher, larger producing half. 

We have no clue what happened - do all signs point to mastitis, in your opinions? Has anyone had this happen before? Is it possible that since she lost a twin, her body decided she only needed utilize half of her gear...? I've found very little research on the subject. She has no fever, no funky milk from either teat, her appetite is fantastic per the usual, she doesn't appear to be more sensitive on one side than the other, no noticeable heat or cooling... only odd thing is noticeable dander, which I've been contributing to dry winter skin.

For the past week we've been treating her holistically by drenching her with 20cc of her own fresh milk in the morning (someone suggested to us that this might help her create antibodies if it is in fact mastitis - any experience with this?), dipping her teats and massaging for 5+ minutes with coconut oil + essential oils after she's been stripped on both sides. After 1/2 hour to an hour rest we give her back to Vita who is ready for breakfast and (we hope) sucks anything else funky away from the teat, as she continues to do through the rest of the day. In the evening we wash down the udder, strip whatever milk is left, dip her teats and massage again before putting her in the stall for the night sans kid.

Samus' production has been steadily increasing during these treatments, but I honestly can't tell if the weak side is improving. Seems to be staying steady if nothing else. 

So yeah, I would love to hear from you guys if you've had a similar experience and I'm really, truly grateful for all of the mastitis testing links and shared info. It's just the worst not knowing what's going on and how we can help. I keep telling myself that the fact that she's still milking on that side is a good thing, and means we haven't lost it for good.


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## boerboy (Oct 7, 2012)

Pixie pen is our 50:50 Boer/Savannah doe. She kidded twins 10 weeks ago. I weaned the buckling but the doeling is still with momma. I am afraid whether her udder is not drying up. Attached is the pic. Should I worry about mastitis?

Attached a pic








PS: yes I need to clean up the material I left around there while fixing a buck pen on Sunday.


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