Mastitis is the most common and most costly udder disease in dairy cows and buffaloes. It lowers milk, changes the milk, and, if ignored, can damage the udder for the rest of the cow’s life. The good news is that most mastitis can be caught early and prevented with simple daily habits: clean milking, dry bedding, checking the first milk, and calling the vet early. This guide explains mastitis in simple English, for small farmers in Pakistan and India.
1. What Is Mastitis?
Mastitis is an infection and swelling of the udder. Germs enter through the teat opening, usually during or after milking, and the body reacts with swelling, heat and pain. The udder has four quarters, and mastitis can affect one or more of them. A cow can look healthy and eat normally and still have mastitis in one quarter. That is why checking the milk every day matters more than just looking at the cow.
Mastitis lowers milk at once — a cow with mastitis in one quarter may give 10–20% less milk, and a severe case can stop milk from that quarter almost completely. If it is not treated early, that quarter may never give full milk again. Milk from an infected quarter can have flakes, clots, blood, or a watery look. Do not sell that milk, and do not give it to calves without veterinary advice.
2. Types of Mastitis: Clinical and Subclinical
Clinical mastitis — you can see it. The udder is hot, swollen, hard or painful. The milk looks wrong — flakes, clots, blood, or watery milk. The cow may have fever, eat less, and give much less milk. This type needs a vet the same day.
Subclinical mastitis — you cannot see it. There is no clear swelling, and the milk looks normal. But the infection is already there, and milk is already falling, slowly, day by day. This is the more common type on small farms, because it can go on for weeks unnoticed. Catch it by checking the milk daily and watching the milk record: a slow fall in milk, with no change in feed or weather, is often subclinical mastitis.
| Type | Udder and cow | Milk | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical | Hot, swollen, painful udder; fever | Flakes, clots, blood, watery | Call vet the same day |
| Subclinical | No clear swelling; cow looks normal | Looks normal, but milk slowly falls | Check milk daily, call vet |
3. Symptoms: What to Look For
In the udder: one quarter warmer than the others; one quarter slightly swollen, hard, or painful; the cow kicks or moves away when you touch the udder or start milking.
In the milk: flakes or clots in the first milk; watery or thin, grey milk; blood in the milk, even a small amount; milk that smells bad; one quarter giving much less milk than usual.
In the cow: milk drops suddenly, by 10–25% or more in 1–2 days; fever, dullness, or eating and drinking less; the cow lies down more, or stands with her legs apart because the udder hurts. A very sick, weak, shivering cow that cannot stand up is an emergency.
4. Causes: How Do Germs Get In?
Dirty milking. Dirty hands, a dirty cloth, dirty water, or milking with wet teats pushes germs into the teat opening.
Wet, dirty bedding. A cow lying in wet dung, mud, or dirty straw has germs on her teats all day.
Incomplete milking. Leaving milk in the udder gives germs food to grow in, and tells the body to make less milk.
Teat injury. A cut, crack, or sore on a teat, or rough milking, can open the way for germs.
Weak cow. A cow that has just calved, is underfed, is short of minerals, or is stressed by heat is more likely to get mastitis.
Spread from other cows. Milking a sick cow and then a healthy cow with the same hands or cloth, without washing in between, can spread infection.
5. How to Check the Milk: The 30-Second Test
- Wash your hands and the udder with clean water. Dry the teats with a clean cloth.
- Take the first 2–3 squirts of milk from each teat into a dark cup or saucer, before normal milking.
- Look at the milk. Normal milk is smooth and white. Mastitis milk has flakes, clots, strings, blood, or looks watery.
- Feel the udder. Compare the four quarters. One quarter warmer, harder, or more painful than the others needs attention.
- Write down the cow’s name, date, quarter, and what you saw. Do this for every milking cow, every day, especially in the first month after calving and in hot, wet weather.
6. Prevention: Stop Mastitis Before It Starts
Clean, calm milking. Wash your hands and the udder before milking, and dry the teats — do not milk with wet teats. Milk at the same times every day, gently and fully. Milk healthy cows first and a sick cow last.
Dry, clean bedding. Remove wet dung and wet straw every day, and give dry bedding. A cow should not lie in mud or in her own dung.
Teat care after milking. After milking, dip the teats in a teat dip if your vet advises it. Do not let the cow lie down for 20–30 minutes after milking if you can avoid it — give her fresh feed so she stands while the teat opening closes. Check teats for cracks or sores every week.
Dry cow care. Dry off a cow about 60 days before her next calving, so the udder can recover. Ask your vet about dry cow therapy in general. Do not use a dry cow treatment on your own without veterinary advice.
Feed, water and health. Give balanced feed, green fodder, concentrate and a daily mineral mixture. See Pillar 1 How to Increase Milk Production in Cows for feeding. Give 80–120 litres of clean water a day.
7. Udder Swelling: Not Every Swelling Is Mastitis
Swelling just before or after calving is often normal — a build-up of fluid that usually goes down in a few days as the cow is milked regularly. The milk is normal, and the cow eats well and has no fever.
Swelling with heat, pain and bad milk is more likely to be mastitis. The quarter is hot and hard, the cow shows pain, and the milk has flakes or blood. Call the vet the same day.
Swelling in one teat only can be a teat injury, a bite, or a blocked teat. Check for a cut or a sore, and call the vet if milk does not flow or if the teat is very painful.
If swelling lasts more than 3–4 days, gets worse, or the cow stops eating, do not wait. Do not massage a hot, painful udder hard.
8. Treatment Overview: Call the Vet First
There is no one home treatment that works for all mastitis. Treatment depends on the type, how severe it is, and which germ is involved. The first step is always the same: call your vet.
What to do at once: separate the sick cow’s milk. Do not mix it with milk from healthy cows, and do not sell it. Ask your vet if it can be given to calves — in many cases it should not be. Milk the infected quarter gently and fully, if your vet advises it, and keep the udder and bedding clean and dry.
What not to do: do not start an antibiotic or any other medicine on your own, and do not use a dose a neighbour or a shopkeeper suggests. The wrong drug, the wrong dose, or a treatment stopped too early can make the infection worse and leave drug residues in the milk. Do not sell milk from a treated cow until the milk withdrawal period your vet gives you has passed.
Udder-care products: for general udder care, some farmers use an udder-care tablet as a supportive option alongside veterinary advice. One such option on Livestock Relief is DE NAASO Tablets for Udder Care, priced at PKR 2,500. Dosage and ingredients are not listed here — they must be confirmed by Dr. Nouman Sipra before use.
9. Mastitis in Buffaloes
Buffaloes get mastitis too, and the signs are often harder to see. Buffalo milk is thicker and whiter, so small flakes can be harder to notice — check the first milk on a dark surface every day. Buffaloes often show less pain than cows, so do not wait for one to look very sick. Buffaloes in hot, wet weather, or lying in mud, have a higher risk. Keep the resting place dry, milk fully and gently at the same times every day, and follow the same hygiene steps as for cows. Call the vet the same day if milk drops, the udder is hot or hard, or the milk has flakes or blood.
10. When to Call a Veterinarian
Call your vet the same day if you see any of these:
- Flakes, clots, blood, or watery milk.
- A hot, swollen, hard or painful udder.
- Milk drops by more than 25% in 1–2 days.
- The cow or buffalo has a fever, stops eating or drinking, or looks dull.
- The cow is very sick, weak, shivering, or cannot stand up — call at once, do not wait until morning.
- Swelling does not go down in 3–4 days, or keeps getting worse.
- The same cow gets mastitis again and again.
Quick Checklist: Udder Health, Every Day
- First milk checked on a dark surface before every milking.
- Hands, udder and teats washed and dried before milking.
- Cow milked fully, gently, at the same times every day.
- Teats dipped after milking if your vet advises it.
- Shed and bedding clean and dry; wet straw removed daily.
- Daily milk record written for each cow and buffalo.
- Flakes, blood, hot quarter or milk drop noted; vet called same day.
FAQ
What are the first signs of mastitis in cows?
Flakes or clots in the first milk, one quarter slightly warmer or harder than the others, or milk falling slowly from one cow. A hot, swollen udder and blood in the milk are later, clearer signs.
Can mastitis be cured without a vet?
Mild cases may improve with clean milking and good hygiene, but do not treat mastitis on your own. Call your vet first.
How can I prevent mastitis in my cows?
Milk cleanly and fully at the same times every day, keep bedding dry and clean, check the first milk every day, dip teats after milking if your vet advises it, and give balanced feed and clean water.
Is milk from a cow with mastitis safe to drink or sell?
No. Do not sell milk from an infected quarter, and do not drink it. Ask your vet whether it can be given to calves. If the cow has been given medicine, do not sell her milk until the withdrawal period your vet gives you has passed.
Why does my cow keep getting mastitis again and again?
Repeated mastitis often means the cause has not been fixed — dirty bedding, incomplete milking, a teat injury, a weak cow, or an infection that was not fully treated. Ask your vet to check the milking routine, the shed, and the cow’s health.
This guide is for general information for farmers. It is pending review by Dr. Nouman Sipra, Veterinary Physician & Surgeon, Al-Hamd Pet Clinic & Vet Store, Ahmedpur East, Pakistan. It is not vet-approved yet. For a sick animal, consult your veterinarian in person.