Diagnostic studies on clinical mastitis in goats

Abstract

During the investigation" Diagnostic studies on clinical mastitis in goats'' was under taken on 260 quarters of 130 goats which were screened for clinical mastitis (CM), using different diagnostic tests out of which 54 quarters of 33 goats were found positive for clinical mastitis based on bacterial culture examination. Clinical signs recorded were inappetence/anorexia, decreased milk production, swollen and painful udder, pyrexia, warmthness of udder, pale mucous membrane, udder erythema, dehydration, asymmetry of teats, depression and hardness of udder. Vital parameters like meanrectal temperature (ºF), pulse rates (perminute), respiratory rates (breath/min.) were non-significantly increased along with decreased rumen motility in mastitis affected goats as compared with healthy control. The conjunctival mucous membrane was pale. Physical examination of milk samples revealed milk colour changes, consistency along with appearance of flakes and clots. Qualitative changes of milk in CM affected goats were assessed based on MCMT, SCC and milk pH. Hematological studies of CM affected goats revealed significant reduction in mean levels of hemoglobin, TEC, PCV, eosinophils, monocytes with leukocytosis, neutrophilia and lymphopenia. The bacteria found from clinical mastitis affected quarter milk samples as single infection include coagulase negative Staphylococcus spp., Escherichia coli spp., Klebsiella spp., Streptococcus spp. and coagulase positive Staphylococcus spp. The bacteria identifies in mixed infection were coagulase negative Staphylococcus spp.in combination with Escherichia coli, Coagulase negative Staphylococcus spp. with Klebsiella spp., E. coli with Streptococcus spp., Coagulase negative Staphylococcus spp. with Streptococcus spp. and coagulase positive Staphylococcus spp., with Escherichia coli 7.41, 5.56, 3.70, 3.70 and 1.85 percent respectively.