GARGET OR MAMMITIS IN Cows 3 



be transmitted to other animals through contact afforded by the milk- 

 er's hands, switching of the cow's tail, or infected bedding places. 

 Dust, and adobe drinking places may also carry such infection. The 

 disease usually gains entry through the sphincter muscles of the teat, 

 causing the quarter to swell, with final suppuration and breaking down 

 of the glandular tissue. These septic organisms may produce intense 

 disorders depending upon their number and activity, as well as the 

 resistant qualities of the cow. Some cows seem to be especially sus- 

 ceptible, while others may contract the disease but get well in a short 

 time. One will usually find that several cows in a herd are troubled 

 with this disease at one time and this indicates that the infection is 

 carried from one cow to another. On this account affected cows should 

 either be discarded or properly treated so as to avoid carrying the 

 infection to others. 



Chronic garget: The common symptoms of this form are the 

 periodical swelling and caked appearance of the udder so often noticed 

 in cows. At one milking the symptoms may be very pronounced, the 

 cow giving stringy milk, and the next milking the affected quarter 

 may seem normal. There is seldom as much inflammation as in the 

 other form of the disease, and other cows in the herd do not seem to 

 be susceptible to this form. The udder is not as swollen or as painful 

 and the cow may not have any of the signs of the disease except 

 stringy milk and reduction in the amount. 



Whether this form of the disease is caused by germs or not is 

 uncertain. It is admitted, however, that the disease is more common 

 when cows are in a run-down condition or kept in filthy barns and 

 yards, especially during cold periods. It has also been noticed that 

 the disease is especially prevalent in animals just at the time of fresh- 

 ening. This suggests that the trouble is probably due to derangement 

 of the system, and the inflammation of the udder is caused either by 

 lack of functioning, or else by overfunctioning resulting from excessive 

 demands made on the fresh cow. 



Infection is probably not due to invasion of septic organisms through 

 the teat in the fresh cow at or before calving. This suggests that 

 there may be a third form of the disease of an inflammatory nature 

 not caused by germs, which wouldl appear at the time of calving or 

 later, resulting from general derangement or from injury to the 

 udder. No doubt the common form of chronic garget results from 

 the invasion of the udder with germs which gain entrance to the teat 

 through the orifice, which is relaxed after milking. This can easilv 

 occur when cows are obliged to lie down in dirty places or drink- 

 water from adobe holes. 



CONDITIONS PREDISPOSING COWS TO GARGET. 



There are certain conditions which render animals especially sus- 

 ceptible to garget. These may be given as follows : Severe injurie.s 

 or bruises from blows or other violence ; excessive fatness or emacia- 

 tion : accumulation of milk in the udder due to careless milking ; re- 

 laxed condition of the sphincter muscle in the teat causing the milk to 

 drop constantly, and thus allowing passage for the germs from litter 



