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farmlife
1413 Posts
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 Posted - Aug 15 2018 : 8:46:03 PM
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I have mentioned Elli's milk stones on more than one occasion, but I finally saved one for a photo.
As you can see this one is incredibly tiny, but apparently quite painful. I can actually feel them in the teat canal when they work their way down to the opening. The feel like a little ball inside just like they are. The teat feels more full at the end and if milk comes out it sprays in different directions like having a nozzle on the end of a hose instead of just straight out. We had a bigger one a few days ago that actually clogged the teat canal and Jeremy had to pop it loose. (His hands are stronger than mine.) Elli told me it was huge, but it was maybe twice to three times the size of this one. Most sites I find define a milk stone, but then I found this one referring to goats:
https://u-sayranch.com/2010/01/stone-in-the-teat/
Let me just say that if I put a crochet hook in Elli's teat canal to remove a milk stone she would stomp me into the ground. I find that for her they develop when milk sits in her udder. . . when she first freshens or during the process of drying off. |
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NellieBelle
11217 Posts
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Posted - Aug 16 2018 : 03:07:37 AM
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| This is really interesting Keeley. I didn't know such a thing as milk stones existed. Just one more thing to worry about. I can't imagine a cow having to pass one of those through the teat canal. It reminds me of kidney stones, only this is through the cows teat. Ouch! Thank you for the information. Elli has certainly had to endure quite a bit lately. Hoping things improve for her soon. |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
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maryjane
7074 Posts
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Posted - Aug 16 2018 : 10:22:09 AM
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| I'd never heard of milk stones either. Ouch for sure! Did your vet have any ideas for preventing them? |
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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NellieBelle
11217 Posts
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Posted - Aug 17 2018 : 03:06:02 AM
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I have been researching this since Keeley's post, found a little info, and will continue to find more.
MILK STONE, OR CALCULUS.
Milk stone, or calculus, is a term loosely applied to concretions in
the udder. Some stones are formed by coagulated casein and may be
an indirect result of udder inflammation, while others are simply
accumulations of lime salts from the milk, which sometimes may be
distinguished by the occasional discovery of gritty particles in the
bottom of the milk pail or on the strainer cloth.
Treatment. — After a prolonged, gentle massaging of the teat ex-
tremity with an ointment containing 10 per cent of the fluid extract
of belladonna leaves, the concretions, if not very large, may be passed
with the aid of a sterile spring teat dilator. The injection of a small
quantity of sterile olive oil into the teat may assist materially in the
removal of the obstructions. In case the stones can not be removed
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To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
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NellieBelle
11217 Posts
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Posted - Aug 17 2018 : 03:28:11 AM
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Here was a little more information:
Milk stones are formed into the teat canal when the milk is rich in minerals and salty in taste due to super saturation of salts. These lactolith move freely in teat canal and hinder the milk flow, if large in size (Singh et al., 1981 and Kumar et al., 200 Some information I read said they surgically remove them if large and obstructing, and they clean out the entire milk cistern. I would guess in extreme cases. |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
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NellieBelle
11217 Posts
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Posted - Aug 17 2018 : 04:33:32 AM
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| I thought I would look up milk stones (laccoliths) in my library of books I have on dairy cows, and I didn't find it mentioned in any of the books I own. Doesn't that seem odd? You would think it would be listed with all the other diseases, ailments, treatments etc. But not one has it listed. I also found an interesting site that shows the cow teat, instruments used for different problems. Perhaps in a veterinary textbook one could find more info. http://pirun.ku.ac.th/~fvettnt/45_surgery.pdf |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
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farmlife
1413 Posts
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Posted - Aug 19 2018 : 11:13:07 AM
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| It is on my list of things to ask about the next time I'm in. The olive oil actually sounds like the best course of treatment as far as Elli goes, Janet. Elli usually has a sixth sense about when there is a stone even if it isn't at the bottom of her teat canal and she's incredibly sensitive/painful. Unless it was a "huge" one, I wouldn't try to inject something else up in there. You actually found a lot more information than I did, Janet. Thanks! I found the one about lime and immediately looked at all of my supplements. (Redmond rock, kelp, etc) I had not considered water as a source of lime though. It is interesting to note that Elli has had milk stones at 3 different properties with three different well water sources, though. What seems to be consistent is the times (drying off and freshening) they develop for her. Once I get a consistent milking schedule worked out and I'm able to empty her udder we do fine. She really does best about two weeks after freshening to about 2 weeks before drying off. I think it might just be something specific to her. |
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milk stones
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