In Practice 20: 128-133 (1998)
© 1998 British Veterinary Association

Toxic mastitis in cattle

¹ Glastonbury, Somerset

TOXIC mastitis - mastitis which results in a toxin-induced shock syndrome - is most commonly caused by the coliform organisms Escherichia coli, Klebsiella species, Enterobacter species and Serratia species. A cow with toxic mastitis is a veterinary emergency and a challenge to the practitioner. Difficulties arise because the pathogenesis of the disease has not been fully determined; there are many suggested treatments but little information on which, if any, significantly improve the chances of survival; preventive measures are not well understood and appear to vary in effectiveness; and there may be important individual cow factors which dictate the incidence and severity of disease.

Note:

Thanks to Mr Frazer Menzies for some information on prognosis and to Dr Laura Green.