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Mastitis in the Lactating Mink Female (Mustela vison S.) and the Development of “Greasy Kits”

Mastitis hos lakterende mink tœver (Mustela vision S) og udvikling af „fedtede hvalpe“

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica volume 41, pages 243–247 (2000)Cite this article

Abstract

“Greasy kits” is the result of a multifactorial disease complex with few known definitive aetiological factors. Mastitis has been hypothesized as a triggering factor although classical clinical signs of mastitis (rubor, tumor, dolor, calor) are rarely seen in lactating Danish mink females. In this study we sacrificed 2 groups of lactating mink females with a total of 78 mammary glands at day 19–30 after giving birth. The first group had raised normal mink kits while the other group had suffered severe attacks of greasy kits. We found no clinical or histopathological evidence of mastitis but isolated streptococci and staphylococci from 2 mammary glands in females raising greasy kits. These glands showed no clinical or histological signs of inflammation attributable to bacteria and we conclude that mastitis is not necessary for the generation of greasy kits.

Sammendrag

For at afprøve påstanden om, at det multifaktorielle syndrom “fedtede hvalpe” hos mink har sammenhæng med forekomst af mastitis hos minktæven, blev 2 grupper af minktæver repræsenterende ialt 78 mælkekirtler aflivet på 19.–30. dagen i laktationsperioden. I den ene gruppe var tævernes hvalpe fedtede, medens den anden gruppe taever opfostrede normale hvalpe. Studiet viste ikke kliniske eller histopatologiske tegn på mastitis i nogen af grupperne, medens der fra 2 kirtler hos taever med fedtede hvalpe isoleredes henholdvis stafylokokker og streptokokker. Det konkluderes, at mastitis hos minktæver ikke er en nødvendig faktor for udvikling af syndromet fedtede hvalpe hos mink.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Danish Fur Breeders Research Centre, Holstebro, Denmark

    T. N. Clausen

  2. Department of Poultry, Fish and Fur bearing Animals, Danish Veterinary Laboratory, Hangøvej 2, DK-8200, Aarhus N, Denmark

    H. H. Dietz

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  1. T. N. Clausen
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  2. H. H. Dietz
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Correspondence to H. H. Dietz.

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Clausen, T.N., Dietz, H.H. Mastitis in the Lactating Mink Female (Mustela vison S.) and the Development of “Greasy Kits”. Acta Vet Scand 41, 243–247 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03549633

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Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica

ISSN: 1751-0147