Affections of Teat and Udder in Dairy Animals

Teat and udder affections are common in domestic animals. Early diagnosis and treatment of diseases of teat and udder is very important for maintenance of their health. Anatomy The udder of the cow and buffalo have four quarters each of which is a separate unit. Each quarter is an independent compartment. Affection of one quarter does not necessitate the involvement of the other quarters. In buffaloes the anterior teats are shorter than the posterior. In cow, the teats of the anterior quarters are longer than the posterior. This makes the anterior teats of the cow and the posterior teats of buffaloes more prone to injuries. The udder in sheep and goat is composed of two halves, right and left. Most of surgical procedures of the udder and appendages performed on the bovine are the same adopted on small ruminants and other large species. Surgical affections of the udder and teats may be congenital or acquired as follow: Congenital anomalies: 1. Absence of the udder: Is exceedingly rare and only met with in cases of hermaphrodism. 2. Supernumarary glands: Occurs only in multi-parous animals. 3. Absence of the teat.