The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of administration of vitamin E on mammary health and milk cell counts of first parturition Saanen goats, experimentally challenged with intramammary inoculation of Staphylococcus aureus on the 10th day postpartum. Twenty-eight animals were distributed into four groups: control group, a group supplemented with vitamin E, a group inoculated with S.aureus and a group supplemented with vitamin E and inoculated with S.aureus. The results demonstrated that, after inoculation of S.aureus into the mammary gland, the microorganism was recovered from the milk, and the somatic cell count was increased. The recovery of S.aureus from milk was intermittent. The increase in milk somatic cell count and the recovery of S.aureus in milk was lower for animals challenged with S.aureus inoculation, but supplemented with vitamin E. Milk somatic cell counts above 1.0´ 10(6) cells/ml was found to be a good indicator of mastitis problems in goats.
goat; mastitis; Staphylococcus aureus; somatic cell count; vitamin E
