Kvet Forum
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Teat obstructions are encountered relatively commonly in dairy herds. They interrupt the milk flow, resulting in teat end damage and an increased risk of mastitis.
Aetiology
Occasionally, newly calved heifers are presented with blind quarters, which may be a consequence of congenital blockages or prior mastitis.
Most acquired teat obstructions are caused by proliferative granulation tissue, mucosal injury or fibrosis secondary to teat trauma. The two most common lesions are teat peas (or ‘floaters’) and ‘pencil’ obstructions. Teat peas are small fibrous lesions that can be free in the teat lumen or attached by a stalk to the mucosal lining, blocking the opening to the streak canal.
Pencil obstructions may follow diffuse teat trauma leading to chronic granulomatous reaction of the teat mucosa. Milk will only flow in very small amounts and a firm ‘pencil-like’ obstruction can be palpated within the teat cistern.
Management
Strict hygiene and minimum trauma should be observed in all cases of teat examination and surgery. Intramammary antibiotic infusion is a sensible precaution to prevent mastitis.
When milk fills the teat cistern, a sterile 14–16 gauge hypodermic needle or teat knife is used to open the teat orifice. Placement of a sterile plastic teat cannula for a few days may be required to prevent sealing of the newly created teat orifice.
No milk in the teat cistern indicates an obstruction at the base of the gland cistern. No action should be taken to break down these membranous obstructions using teat knives because it will not be successful and usually leads to infection of the gland.
Teat peas can usually be removed by enlarging the teat orifice with a teat spiral then squeezing the teat pea out. Large or fixed lesions may require cutting up within the teat lumen using a teat knife before attempting removal. The teat lining can be desensitized by placing a tourniquet around the base of the teat then infusing 10 ml of 2% lidocaine into the teat cistern.
The prognosis for pencil obstructions is guarded and surgical interference with teat knives only worsens the lesion.