Mastitis in goats – a still current problem

Abstract

Even though goats are one of the first animal species domesticated by humans, udder inflammation in these female farm animals still poses major diagnostic and therapeutic challenges for practicing veterinarians. Mastitis in goats, similarly to cattle, causes large economic losses, including breeding losses and losses in the dairy industry. For this reason, the most important information regarding the diagnosis and treatment of mastitis in goats has been collected in this study, based on the latest data from the literature. Attention was drawn to the fact that in many forms of mastitis, to achieve the desired therapeutic effect it is crucial to undertake quick and targeted therapy. The study also emphasized the need to develop new laboratory diagnostic techniques aimed at determining indicators of the inflammatory reaction not only in milk and blood serum but also in saliva collected from females suffering from mastitis. This enables a quick and effective diagnosis of the disease and an effective treatment method.