# Herbal/Homeo Remedy for Mastitis



## wyreeds (May 19, 2004)

Hello all,

Well, I have been round and round with a chronic bout of mastitis in two of my does. We have tried many treatments and have tried hard in the preventative area. However, try as we might, I can't get them completely over their mastitis. I can't tell you if it's bacterial either. I have sent THREE milk samples to the state lab (at $60.00 a pop) with them only to tell me that there is no bacteria present in the milk. Hmm, even though the milk is bloody and curdled. 

We've tried Naxcel and Today with so-so results. I don't like using antibiotics unless I have to. I have had success with herbal wormers in our goats and using herbs for colds in my children. I am beginning to think herbal or homeopathic is the best first-line defense. 

Soooo, after a long intro. Could someone, anyone out there tell me if you have had success treating mastitis with natural products? If so, what kinds of dosages? So far, I've read calcium, magnisium, and garlic are good for treating this condition. I've also read poke root is good as well, but it is difficult to use due to it's toxicity. Both of these does are due to kid in two weeks. They came down with mastitis during their dry period, about 1 and a half months ago. 

Any help would be so graciously appreciated!!! Thanks, Icia Reed


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## Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians (May 6, 2002)

It makes little sense that the lab could not grow a culture if you have blood and curdling of the milk, and it's bacteria. Once on drugs, then of course the lab is going to find scewed results, why before treating we always put some milk away frozen that has not been treated with anything.

You aren't going to find many folks who have sucess with Naxcel for mastitis. It's great for respiratory and bacterial problems, but it does not go through the milk well, so it doesn't really go into the mammary system.

Your goats should already have a high calcium diet, how on earth could that TREAT mastitis, it would help build a healthy udder, but not treat something once you have disease.

Blood in the milk is rarely mastitis, it comes from brusing right under the skin, small capilaries burst when a doe is butted by kids, roughly milked or increases her milk supply with really nice thin skin, this will go away....but if you start infusions, than you can actually introduce bacteria into the udder, it can also curdle milk, just like putting a culture of anykind into milk will make cottage cheese, including vinegar.

I would stop everything, milk the does out completely as often as you can. Add Vitamin C to their diet, my love the wallmart brand pills they eat them daily off their milkstand grain.

Mastitis, other than staph (which causes lopsided udders, poor keeping quality of milk) a doe with mastitis is ill. High fever, hot swollen udder, nasty milk you wouldn't even think of drinking. They won't walk because it hurts to have their thighs on the udder. They quickly dehydrate. Without quick help and aggressive antibiotic therapy the udder is lost.

I bet 99% of the goats that are treated for mastitis with all the hocus pocus stuff, never had mastitis to begin with. Something benign like blood in the milk is over reacted to, then bacteria is introduced into the udder which causes the problems to start. Until you get off the rollercoaster the problems persist. If I sent in a culture and it came back negative, I would not go on to treat the udder.

CMT tests and Dr. Naylors cards are worthless for detecting subclinical mastitis in goats, by the time you have a strong gel, you really didn't need to run the test because the doe is ill.

A clot, a piece of skin, some blood, really pink milk, slight gel on CMT, even hgih somatic cell counts, does not indicate mastitis in a goat. Vicki


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## Kim Martin (Jan 17, 2005)

Hi, my name is Kim and havent had to deal with mastitis yet but there is a holistic goat forum that I'm on and have seen them talk about vitamen C (500mg. tablet crushed up over top of feed) for 5 days. Also peppermint oil rubbed on the bag is suppose to help. And also I saw one where a lady made a fresh sage tea (Pretty strong, then strained and mixed in with the feed, and the animal was dry in a day or so!) now this was a dog that had lost all of it's new born litter, but the lady said she had heard that they warn breast feeding moms to be careful when cooking with it? I dont know but it might be worth checking into! I hope one of these helps. Good luck! Kim in OK


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## Kim Martin (Jan 17, 2005)

Hi, its Kim again. After In posted earlier I was worried I had forgotten something so went back to my notes and double checked! The vit. C was 2500 mg. 
(Not 500!) and also garlic clove 2x a day (It said to put the clove in something like a small part of a fig newton? Or something else that they would gulp down!) And to massage the peppermint oil mixed in with bag balm. They also mentioned a echinacia, goldenseal suppliment but not the amounts. Sorry for the confusion, once again good luck! Kim


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## wyreeds (May 19, 2004)

I wanted to reply with more info. I made sure to send in the milk samples PRIOR to any antibiotic treatment. Therefore, the results should not have been scewed. I have few resources out here (including vets) who can help me with my goats. I used Naxcel due to their recommendations..

A previous reply state:

Mastitis, other than staph (which causes lopsided udders, poor keeping quality of milk) a doe with mastitis is ill. High fever, hot swollen udder, nasty milk you wouldn't even think of drinking. They won't walk because it hurts to have their thighs on the udder. They quickly dehydrate. Without quick help and aggressive antibiotic therapy the udder is lost.

***

These are similar symptoms that my does are encountering. There was a previous post regarding herbal wormers on this group and I was hoping to tap into those people. Herbs do work quite well and well-researched use of them is not hocus pocus but, quite effective. 

I'll try the vitamin c therapy. Any other suggestions would soooo be welcomed!!!


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## wyreeds (May 19, 2004)

Could you tell me what the addy is for the holistic goat forum? I would greatly appreciate it!



Kim Martin said:


> Hi, its Kim again. After In posted earlier I was worried I had forgotten something so went back to my notes and double checked! The vit. C was 2500 mg.
> (Not 500!) and also garlic clove 2x a day (It said to put the clove in something like a small part of a fig newton? Or something else that they would gulp down!) And to massage the peppermint oil mixed in with bag balm. They also mentioned a echinacia, goldenseal suppliment but not the amounts. Sorry for the confusion, once again good luck! Kim


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## nicagurl (Apr 28, 2005)

I've read using hotpacks to put on the udder and massaging it then milking the doe out helps. Also putting sometime of mint on it to. I can't remember though what kind it was.


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## nicagurl (Apr 28, 2005)

peppermint oil, thats what i was trying to think of!


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## Kim Martin (Jan 17, 2005)

HI, sorry I didn't think to add add. earlier! :-( They have all sort of info there, and lots of really nice people to answer questions. I've only been on it a short while, still tons to learn! Good luck with your girl, Kim in OK
http://www.apolonia.net/Holistic_Goats/


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## Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians (May 6, 2002)

Herbs do work quite well and well-researched
...................

Well actually in goats not even meds have been well-researched.

Vitamin C is great it stops the swelling in the udder helping circulation, but can it kill the bacteria that is ruining the udder and killing any milksupply for life? No. Untreated or poorly treated mastitis builds scar tissue in the ruined half.

Peppermint oil is wonderful for massage, on an udder, diluted it is very refreshing, helps with the heat, but it does not penetrate into the udder to kill the bacteria that is ruining the udder and the milk supply.

Yes sage will cause the sesation of milk, but so does quitting nursing. Cabbage leaves applied to the outside of the udder is also said to dry up a doe. Worming with tabacco is also a long held belief, problem is the amount of tabacco needed to be consumed would also kill the goats rumen. Most folks who successfully use herbal wormers also live in the frozen north where worming is not needed, cleanilness and pasture rotation would work just as well. And those who say herbs work for them for worming rarely ever fecal sample to even know what they are worming for, or if the wormer has killed anything. If the folks who make the herbal wormer were versed in the use of herbs they would not routinely put wormword in the wormer, to be used every week, even during pregnancy.

With more time spent on the nutrition of the herd including nutritional stress caused by not enough copper or/and selenium in the diet, you can get rid of almost all worm burdens, and other stress related disease in the goats including mastitis. Prevention is of course the key, not treatment with either meds or herbs. Vicki


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## susanne (Nov 4, 2004)

Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians said:


> Prevention is of course the key, not treatment with either meds or herbs. Vicki



i think that is the most important part in raising goats. keep them in a clean environment and a good balanced diet and they stay healthy. if there is one goat sick it can happen but two with same problem there must be something wrong with the management.

most time I'm reading posts on different boards I'm staying under the impression that people are doing too much too fast for wrong reasons and making matter worse.
in trying to help the goat they are loving them to death literally.

icia for homeopathy i would do a search on googel or what ever you are using. i know there is a book for homeopathy in goats. you also could try doing a search for homeopathic remedy for breast infection in woman. but you have to observe your goats very careful as in how they behave in order to find the right remedy.
susanne


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