Mastitis is an infection of the mammary glands. Since it is generally caused by bacteria, most cases of mastitis in cows are treated with antibiotics. Usually, there is no need to use injectable antibiotics for a mastitis case. Vets will instead recommend using an antibiotic product that can be syringed directly into the teat. Quartermaster is a well-known brand of antibiotics made for the treatment of mastitis in cows. If you need to use it, here are some tips to help you administer it safely and effectively.

Have someone hold the cow.

Even the most friendly of cows can be a little grumpy when she is struggling with mastitis and in pain. You would not want to get kicked or knocked over when trying to administer Quartermaster or a similar treatment. So, have someone hold the cow and distract her while you are administering the medication. If you have stocks you can put the cow in, that's even better, but it's still ideal to have a person near her head to distract and soothe her.

Insert the cannula all the way.

You'll administer the treatment by inserting the cannula into the teat, and then squeezing the plastic tube to release the antibiotic preparation. If you do not insert the cannula all of the way, you risk some of the medication dribbling out of the teat. Your cow will need the full dose in order to recover fully. So, make sure you insert the cannula all of the way into the teat. The top of the bottle should be touching the bottom of the teat before you squeeze any of the liquid into the teat. You may feel some resistance if the cow's teat is swollen, but don't let this stop you from inserting the cannula fully.

Treat all of the quarters.

It can be tempting to treat just the quarter of the udder that shows signs of infection. But mastitis spreads really quickly and easily from one quarter to the next. So, it is usually best to use Quartermaster on all four quarters if you need to use it on one. Sometimes though, you may not need to treat the uninfected quarters as often, so ask your vet if this approach is okay in your case.

Having a cow come down with mastitis can be difficult, but luckily, there are antibiotic treatments that work relatively quickly and easily. Talk to your vet for more tips and advice.

Contact a company like US Vet to learn more.