Will the Cows Pass the Test?

Cows are lactating animals that sometimes get mastitis.  Mastitis can be a nagging, painful, troublesome ailment.  Some women who nurse get it.  Some cows in milk get it.  It is simply an infection of the breast or udder.  Mastitis has several telltale signs: The cow's udder is tender to the touch and she tries to kick you.  Her udder may be swollen, tight, and hard.  It may be hard to get milk out of the teat.  You may see "strings" of thick "cheese-like" substance on the strainer.

These signs are visible and/or evident.  However, your cow can have mastitis without those symptoms.  It is beneficial to catch mastitis in its early stages so that you can treat your cow or isolate the affected quarters.  So how do you catch mastitis and treat it without seeing symptoms?  A California Mastitits Test! (CMT).  We just ordered one in the mail and received it the other day.

A cow has four distinct quarters.  Just because a cow has mastitis in one of its quarters does not mean the others are affected.  If a cow gets an infection, white blood cells mobilize to fight off the infection.  These white blood cells are called leukocytes.  The California Mastitis Test works in that an ingredient in the test mixes with the leukocytes to form a gel.  The more infection your cow has, the more leukocytes are present which react with the agent in the CMT forming a thick gel.

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The CMT test kit comes with a "paddle" and some reagent.  Clean and dry the udder and teats.  Squirt out a squirt or two from each teat onto the ground.  Then, get a few squirts of milk from each teat onto the paddle.  It is important to isolate the quarter that may have infection, so it is important to keep the samples identified.  Just keep the handle to the front of the animal and get a squirt or two from each teat into each corresponding cup on the paddle.

Here is the reagent.  It has been mixed according to the directions in the box.

You'll want to tilt the paddle to get equal amounts of milk in each of the four cups.  You want around 1/2 teaspoonfuls in each of the four cups.  Then you squirt approximately 1/2 teaspoons of reagent into each cup.

Gently slosh the paddle so that the reagent has an opportunity to mix completely with the milk.

After mixing for 10 - 15 seconds, if you have infection, you should begin seeing the signs.

How to interpret the test:
If the quarter is free from infection, the milk remains liquid and flows easily,
If the quarter has moderate infection, the milk forms a gel and breaks up into clumps,
If the quarter has a serious infection, the milk forms a thick gel and will not pour.

Here is the table that scores the test:

When we tested Rosie for mastitis, she passed the test.  Milk from each quarter remained liquid and poured easily.  The California Mastitis Test will help us identify problems and treat prior to the infection intensifying.