FieldDxMastitis of GoatsClinical signs, differential diagnosis, treatment and prevention in goats.
Overview
Udder inflammation in dairy goats, with a different typical pathogen profile than cattle. Mycoplasma mycoides (large-colony type) and M. putrefaciens can cause serious outbreaks; Trueperella pyogenes and various gram-negative organisms also implicated; streptococcal infection is less common than in cattle.
Clinical signs
- Low-grade mastitis with recurring episodes.
- Hardening of the udder from fibrosis.
- Agalactia.
- Raised somatic cell counts, though these discriminate poorly in late lactation.
Predisposing factors
- Organisms are much the same as those causing mastitis in cows.
- Non-aureus staphylococci are the most prevalent and set up persistent infection.
- Staphylococcus aureus infection rate stays under 5% but rarely responds to treatment.
- Streptococcal intramammary infection occurs but far less often than in cattle.
Look-alikes to rule out
Treatment
- Follow the protocols used for cattle mastitis.
- Cull chronically infected does.
- Cull does infected with Mycoplasma mycoides.
- Cull does that do not recover from M. putrefaciens or M. capricolum.
Prevention
1. Correct milking procedure. 2. Good environmental sanitation. 3. Monitor with somatic cell counts, allowing for poor discrimination late in lactation.
Source
MSD Veterinary Manual — Mastitis in Goats (accessed 2026-07-31)
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