Mastitis in Cows and Buffaloes: Early Detection and Prevention

Mastitis — infection of the udder, called "thanela" in many areas — costs dairy farmers more than any other disease. Most of the loss is not from the cases you can see but from subclinical mastitis: the milk looks normal, yet the animal quietly produces less, and the milk carries a high cell count.

Clinical vs subclinical mastitis

• Clinical: swollen, hot or painful quarter; clots, flakes or watery milk; sometimes fever and loss of appetite. Needs prompt treatment.
• Subclinical: no visible change, but yield falls and bacteria spread to other animals at milking. It can only be found by testing.

Check every milking

1. Strip the first two or three squirts from each teat onto a dark cup or surface and look for clots or watery milk.
2. Feel each quarter for heat, hardness or swelling.
3. Note any quarter that milks out slower or more unevenly than usual.

The CMT (California Mastitis Test)

The CMT is a cheap paddle test that reveals subclinical mastitis in minutes.

1. Strip a little milk from each quarter into the four cups of the paddle.
2. Add an equal amount of CMT reagent and swirl.
3. Read the result: a liquid mix is normal; a gel or slime means high cell count in that quarter.

Test the whole herd regularly (for example monthly) and always test new animals and fresh animals after calving.

Prevention: the daily routine that works

• Clean, dry teats before milking. Wipe with a separate clean cloth or paper towel per animal — a shared wet cloth spreads infection.
• Milk infected animals last, or with separate equipment.
• Milk out fully and gently; avoid over-milking with machines and rough hand milking.
• Post-milking teat dip with a suitable disinfectant (for example iodine-based) to close the teat canal from infection.
• Keep animals standing for 20–30 minutes after milking (offer fresh feed) so teat ends close before lying on dirty ground.
• Keep bedding and floors dry and clean; remove dung frequently.
• Discuss dry-cow therapy with your vet at dry-off.

Treatment

Treat clinical cases early and only under a veterinarian's advice. Complete the full course and discard milk for the full withdrawal period stated on the medicine — antibiotic residues in milk are a food-safety problem and can lead to milk being rejected by collectors.

Recording each case — which animal, which quarter, treatment and date — shows you which animals keep getting infected, so you can decide whether to treat, dry off early or cull.