Hi JB,
It is really hard to tell from the picture, since mostly I see fur. How long ago did she lose the kits? It could just be that her milk has not yet dried up completely.
Often times the area around the breast will develop a bluish cast to it with mastitis. Usually it will also feel a lot warmer than the surrounding tissue.
There are a couple of things you can do to help her.
1. Give her some sprigs of mint to eat. Mint will cause her milk dry up naturally. If you don't have any growing in your garden, most grocery stores will have fresh mint with their herbs in the produce section.
2. You can apply hot compresses (not hot enough to scald! Check on your inner wrist before applying to ensure it is not too hot.) and then express the milk from the teats. You should do this a couple of times a day.
3. You can also use cabbage leaves to draw out the infection. If you have vet-wrap (elastic bandage), you could wrap her torso with the cabbage leaf over the affected teat.
From:
http://voices.yahoo.com/cabbage-natural ... 71117.html
Fresh cabbage leaves have shown themselves to be a cheap, natural, reliable method of mastitis treatment for many women. Here's how to use cabbage to treat your mastitis:
- Place fresh cabbage leaves over your breast. They can be worn inside your bra or nursing shirt, or simply be laid over your breast while you are resting.
- Do not use the cabbage continuously, as constant exposure may have a negative effect on your milk supply. A regimen of two hours on, four hours off is recommended by midwives.
- In many cases, cabbage will draw out the infection within 24 hours.
