SURGICAL AFFECTIONS OF

UDDER & TEAT

SUPRANUMERARY TEATS
Location:
Caudal to the hind quarter teat
Rarely between fore and hind quarters and
Hardly ever anterior to fore quarters
They consist either of
A bud like appendages of the skin that are
closely bound to the underlying tissues
Well developed teat with outlets for separate
glandular parenchyma

 common in exotic breeds and hereditary

Rarely they are found to have fused with
the main teats
Supranumerary teats are surgically
removed under local anaesthesia.

TEAT LACERATION
Cattle with pendulous udder are more prone for
lacerations
Superficial wounds
are treated as general principles using a non
irritant antiseptic and dressing
Large wounds involving skin and muscular but not
mucosa
may be sutured using non absorbable suture
material
Deep laceration involving mucosa

TEAT FISTULA
An abnormal opening or passage between
teat cistern and teat surface
milk flows through such passages in lactating
animals

Acquired condition trauma.

Fistulas
Leads to loss of milk,
teat fistula predisposes the animal to mastitis

(Teat fistulas are best treated during dry

period, however, fresh wounds need
immediate attention.)

PAPILLOMA OR WART
Are the benign neoplasms of the skin and
mucous membrane viruses
They may be sessile or pedunculated and
vary in their sizes
Their surfaces may be smooth but more
frequently are horny and fissured
Warts are hyperplastic growth/s on the skin

LACTOLITH/MILK STONE/CALCULUS OF THE

MILK CANAL:
Formed due to the deposition of minerals
Lactoliths are not attached and move freely
in the teat canal
They obstruct the teat canal only when they
are lodged at the teat orifice
Their removal involves
mosquito forceps

crushing

by

Very large lactoliths are removed by slitting

the sphincter by a teat knife.

TEAT POLYPS
Are usually pea size growths attached to
the wall of the teat cistern
Their growth interfere with milk flow
palpated easily after the milk has been
removed
Polyps are removed by using a teat tumor
extractor or curette

TEAT SPIDER (MEMBRANOUS OBSTRUCTION OF

TEAT CANAL)
Acquired or congenital
Congenital:
Associated with failure of proper development
of teat cistern or teat canal
Acquired: due to mastitis, trauma or tumors
The obstruction :
high at the base of the teat or extended lower
down in the teat canal
obstructing membrane may be thick or thin
onset of lactation

 Palpation of the teat and mammary gland

reveal fluctuating milk above the obstruction,
with little or no milk flow
Common in congenital cases where the milk
cistern has not developed
Prognosis - poor
Noted especially in first calf heifer
If pocketing of milk is palpated, the prognosis is
better
Under local anesthesia using Hudson teat spiral,
the obstruction is removed.

TEAT CISTERN OBSTRUCTION

Initiate as local fibrotic nodules, either at the base
of the teat cistern or at the tip
In Diffuse obstruction, a hard fibrous cord like
structure can be palpated in the teat cistern
Improper milking or repeated trauma by the
suckling calf may be the possible cause for teat
cistern obstructions
Chronic mastitis may also contribute to the teat
cistern obstructions

 If the nodule starts from the tip of the teat,

the prognosis following the treatment is
good
Using teat tumor extractor, the nodules can
be removed
If the fibrotic growth is larger and occupies
a considerable space in the teat cistern,
open
teat
surgery
(Theliotomy)
is
performed
The success rate due to the ensuing
mastitis is poor in such open teat surgeries.

HARD MILKER
When the flow of milk produced in the cistern is
so impeded that it can be withdrawn
only by application of excessive force over a
period of long, the cows are designated as
hard, tough and difficult milkers.
This derangement renders hand milking very
difficult and also favors the development of
mastitis due to incomplete withdrawal of milk
Over developed sphincter muscle, a small
diameter of the streak canal and acute
inflammation as a result of trauma may cause

TREATMENT
Enlargement of streak canal by using a teat
dilator
In more advanced cases, a litchy teat knife
or teat bistuory can be used while enlarging
the duct.
This is done to ensure a steady stream of
milk.
Polyethylene catheter is placed and
retained for 5-7 days with intramammary
infusion of antibiotics

ENLARGED TEAT ORIFICE/ FREE MILKER

Due to relaxed sphincter or
Due to excessive surgical enlargement in case of hard
milkers
Direct trauma may also lead to this condition

Injection of small amount of mineral oil or lugol's

iodine around the orifice may help to reduce the
diameter of the orifice

 Teat cracks dipped in iodinated

glycerine.
Leaky teat sphincter damage
Tinture iodine flush, sphincter gets
contracted

Gangrenous mastitis Partial ablation

of teat

IMPERFORATE TEAT
May be acquired or congenital
When acquired, it is mainly due to trauma at
the tip of the teat
In such cases milk is present in the teat
cistern but cannot force from the teats
Treatment involves freeing of milk using
18G
hypodermic
needle
under
local
analgesia
Once the milk starts coming out the teat
orifice is treated as for hard milkers.

AMPUTATION OF MAMMARY GLAND

Amputation of the udder is indicated

when there is severe mastitis that is refractory

to treatment
when there is a breakdown of supporting
ligaments of a large pendulous udder

It is desirable to keep the cow for

breeding purpose because of its valuable
or rare blood line
Surgery is done under general anesthesia
or epidural anesthesia