Prevalence of udder nodular lesions in Majorera goats on a farm in the south of Gran Canaria

Abstract

In order to determine the prevalence of presenting nodular lesions according to the degree of udder depigmentation in Majorera goats, 211 breeding goats were selected from a farm located in El Matorral, a locality belonging to the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, in the south of the island of Gran Canaria, Spain. Data were collected on the degree of depigmentation of the udders and the sampling of nodular lesions was performed by fine needle aspiration (FNA), a technique rarely used in ruminant clinic, but which is a simple, fast, and relatively non-invasive method that provides a rapid presumptive diagnosis. Based on the results obtained, it was observed that the prevalence of udders with nodular lesions was 11.85%; most of these lesions (52%) showed cellular patterns compatible with inflammatory reactions. It was not possible to evaluate the relationship between the presence of nodular lesions and the degree of depigmentation of the udders, probably due to the young age of the animals.