There is considerable overlap and other factors need to be taken into account when deciding what treatment to use.Įxamination of the foremilk is easy to do and requires no specialized equipment, so is available to every stockperson. The changes in milk are related to the causal organism with clots and flakes tending to be more common in mastitis due to Staphs and Streps, while straw-coloured milk is typically associated with E.
Milk changes (clots, flecks, changes in colour or consistency) can be seen when milk is stripped on to a dark surface. This is because changes in the milk are often the first sign of mastitis. Stripping milk from a cow and examining it, prior to milking, is still the best method for detecting most early cases of clinical mastitis. Mastitis management should be focussed on preventing disease, but if disease does occur then it needs to be promptly identified and treated.
