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This article was published in 1982
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Mastitis in Goats
R.J.T. Hoare, Veterinary Research Stn., GLENFIELD NSW
With the increased interest in milking goats the number of submissions of milk for the diagnosis of mastitis in goats has increased. It is commonly considered that mastitis in goats follows a similar pattern to that in cattle but in our experience there are a number of quite significant differences between the species.
Isolates from clinical cases of mastitis received at Glenfield RVL indicate a similar range of pathogens to that in cows. However, coagulase negative staphylococci are commonly isolated from apparently clinically affected animals. Cell counts carried out on these to try to establish the status of the udders involved gave conflicting results.
We conducted a survey in four goat herds to obtain data to assist in the interpretation of our laboratory findings. The standard of the dairies ranged from well managed machine milked herds to a poorly managed hand milked herd. The most surprising aspect was the low level of Staph. aureus infection (O to 3% of halves). In similar cow dairies levels of 5 to 30% would have been expected. There was a high level of infection with coagulase negative staphylococci (36% to 71%). However, there was no significant difference between the total cell counts of the milk from halves infected with coagulase negative staphs and the halves free of bacterial infection. There were more polymorph neutrophils in the staph quarters. Cell count averages in these herds ranged between 438,000 to 1,684,000 cells per ml.
We conclude that Staph. aureus is not a common pathogen in the goat udder but that some coagulase negative strains of staphylococci are as pathogenic in the goat as Staph. aureus is in the cow. Cell counting does not appear to be a useful diagnostic aid in the goat and we discourage its use until we know more. We do not know the significance of subclinical mastitis in the goat. Mastitis control guidelines used in cows appear to be successful in goats.