# Using Today for goats?



## luvzmybabz (Sep 8, 2008)

I have an older doe definitely has mastitis has a blind side and always has since we got her. We need to use today or tomorrow she is in milk now giving just under 1/2 gallon per milking out of the one teat, we are wanting to dry her up but I want to get the mastitis under control first and not leave it up in there and just dry treat. I have Today but I forget can you actually use the tip on the syringe on goats or not? She also has a sore ( assuming the worth and staph) on the outside of her teat that opens everytime she is milked she is always the last on the stand gets a chloexidine spray down after then we let that dry and give her oregano oil both topically and orally and it really seems to be helping Then she gets off the stand and it gets a washdown with chlorexidine and the 2nd time with bleach water. She is milked into a serperate container and her milk is thrown out for now.

So if anyone knows the instructions for using today on goats and any ideas about anything I can do to keep it contained to her?


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

1st get a clean sample, in case you need to have it cultured later. The Today tubes have a smaller insertion tip, if you just take the little cap on the end off and not the whole huge cap off.


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

Today and Tomorrow are similar antibiotics with different carriers. It really doesn't make that much differece which you use.


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## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

If you're milking the side, use ToDay, different carrier but it's designed to be milked out, and you're supposed to insert another tube at the next milking. 

If that side is dry, use ToMorrow and just leave it there. It is a 'dry treatment', which means you insert the tube at dry off and it prevents mastitis at dry off. Does not affect kids or offspring that nurse at birth.


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## luvzmybabz (Sep 8, 2008)

how much do they need to test thinking red topped tube would be most sterile around here, do you refrigerate or freeze it?


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## Josie (Mar 30, 2012)

Make sure that you clean the teat with an alcohol wipe before insertion. I also read that putting a dab of neosporin type antibiotic ointment on the tip before insertion helps--fights infection and less risk to damaging the waxy lining or something to that effect.
Good Luck!
I believe that Tomorrow is a stronger antibiotic. I had good results with it on my one problem rescue doe. I used a full box-12 tubes at 12 hour intervals. I then cultured afterwards to make sure she was clear. Know that it is a shot in the dark unless you culture first to know what specific type you are dealing with and what treatment it will respond best to.


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## CaliannG (Apr 29, 2005)

There can be problems with using an intra-mammary antibiotic...not the least of which is the critters you can insert on the tube.

Yeast is the main one. Treating an intra-mammary yeast infection is something that dairy people have nightmares about. Yeast also thrives JUST FINE in an antibiotic environment.

I don't use either Today or Tomorrow. If I find a doe in my herd with mastitis (and you can tell, because the texture and taste of the milk will change dramatically...you can *see* the difference when you milk), I do a 5 day run of 3cc Combi-Pen and 3cc oxytetracycline daily. Follow it up with a hearty dose of probios to put bacteria back into the rumen.

IF (have yet to have this happen) symptoms didn't disappear within a couple of days of treatment (although I *always* run the full treatment anyway, even if symptoms are gone), then I would pull milk and send it to the lab for specific testing, diagnosis, and treatment plan.

If you are going to use the Today/Tomorrow intra-mammary treatment though, I second Josie's recommendation of putting antibacterial ointment on the tube, both for lubrication, and to attempt to NOT introduce more nasty bugs into her udder.


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