Milk-stone disease is one of the characteristic diseases of cows. Fortunately, it does not have serious complications and is completely treatable. If you are faced with a similar problem, and do not know what to do, this article is for you.
Reasons for education
Stones in the milk passages are formed due to the deposition of phosphate salts or in the case when calcium is leached from casein salts. Later stones can fall into the tank, and from it into the nipple.
Did you know? 200 thousand cups - about the same amount of milk gives for the whole life of a dairy cow.There are cases when small stones are formed in the milk passages from the sand. The structure of such formations can vary from clay to fairly dense.
Among the most common causes of this phenomenon are the following:- incomplete milk production;
- inflammations of the inner surfaces of the milk passages;
- endocrine problems;
- non-compliance with sanitary requirements.
How do
At the very beginning of milking in the first milk there is "milk sand". The nipple becomes hard, toughness is noted. If you try to nipple to the touch, it will clearly feel rounded seals.
Learn how to treat mastitis and udder swelling in cows.
How to remove dairy stones from a cow
Fine sand can be squeezed through the nipples directly during the milking of the cow. There are also several methods of treatment and prevention, allowing to get rid of this problem for a long time (and subject to the rules of animal care, forever). 
Do daily massage
Daily massage before and after milking helps to get rid of the disease. Before you begin to milk the cow, the udder should be washed with warm water (45-50 ° C) and massaged. Massage should be done in this way: quietly, without haste, light stroking movements stroke the udder from above in the direction of the nipples, then forward and back.
Did you know? In order for the cow's body to produce 1 liter of milk, about 450 liters of blood must be passed through the udder.
After that you need to go to the nipples. They should be lightly compressed, so that the milk goes. If the cow is highly productive and is easily excited, you can simply wipe the udder with a hard cloth.
Crush catheter
With the help of a catheter, stones with loose structure are crushed. A catheter tube is used to remove milky stones from a cow's teat. Different devices differ structurally, but the principle of operation is the same for all. Sometimes, to crush loose stones, a 1% solution of potash is introduced into the tank. 
Then the cow is milked, and the stones are squeezed together with milk. If the stones are large, the tank is opened or the stones are crushed with the help of a kopachkovidny knife, and then their parts are removed from the udder with milk after milking.
Intramuscular Oxytocin
Another fairly effective method of dealing with milky-stone disease is intramuscular injections of oxytocin in 10 ml for 1 week. This method helps to quickly restore the acidity and fat content of milk. Within 20-23 days, full recovery occurs.
Important! Milk-stone disease is sometimes confused with mastitis. These diseases differ in the following way: with mastitis, 1-2 lobes of the udder are affected. The temperature at the site of the lesion rises (as during inflammation), condensations form, but the body temperature drops, the lymph nodes in the udder area increase. Milk in such cases is not suitable for food. With milk stone, the udder is affected entirely, but there is no inflammation and the milk remains usable.
Udder Ultrasonic Exposure
Another way to deal with dairy stones is exposure to ultrasound. For this type of treatment, a veterinary ultrasound therapeutic device (VUT-1) is used. Udder washed, shaved and disinfected, then treated with glycerol. Then the head of the apparatus is slowly moved along the udder. The radiation power and processing time are selected by the veterinarian individually in each case. 
Usually start with about 0.5 W / sq. cm, increasing gradually to 1 W / sq. see. Carry out the procedure for 5-15 minutes. Manipulations are carried out every day, a course - from 3 to 10 sessions. Ultrasound helps pharmacological agents penetrate the tissues of the body, so that ultrasound therapy can be combined with oxytocin injections.
Can I drink the milk of sick animals
Milk from cows suffering from this disease is quite suitable for human consumption. But since it has high acidity and low fat content, it is better to use it for the preparation of fermented milk products.
Important! It is very important to milk the cow at the same time.
Prevention
To avoid the formation of stones and other problems with the udder, follow these simple guidelines:
- hygiene and sanitation;
- full vytoy;
- milking in the period of colostrum.
Compliance with simple sanitary requirements and the implementation of the above preventive measures will help to minimize the risk of occurrence and development of not only milky-stone, but also many other diseases.
