Abstract:
Mastitis
is an
inflammatory
disease
affecting
the
mammary
gland,
characterized
by
an
increased
somatic
cell
count
in
milk
and/or
by
pathological
changes
in mammary
tissue.
The
disease
is usually
caused
by
pathogenic
bacteria
and
other
microbes
entering
the
gland
through
the
teat
duct.
Small
ruminants
play
an
important
role
in the
nutrition
and
income
of
people
worldwide
(Mbilu,
2007).
It has
been
estimated
that
there
are
more
than
460
million
goats
worldwide
producing
about
4.50
million
tons
of
milk
and
1.20
million
tons
of
meat
annually
(Hansen
and
Perry,
1994).
In
Africa
both
goats
and
sheep
are
widely
distributed
extending
from
arid
and
semi
desert
to
humid
rain
forest
regions
and
represent
20.2%
and
28.9%
of the
total
population
of
ruminants
in Sub-
Saharan
Africa.
In
the
subsistence
sector,
pastoralists
and
agro-pastoralists
depend
on
them
for
their
livelihood.
Ironically,
Sokoto
State
has
maintained
a large
number
of
animals
that
graze
and
constituted
a
means
of
survival
for
the
population.
Livestock
survey
showed
that
Sokoto
State
has
a livestock
population
of about
1.18
million
cattle,
2.90
million
goats,
1.98
million
sheep,
2.0
million
chickens,
45,000
camels,
34,532
horses
and
51,388
. donkeys
(FDLPCS,
1992).
Goat
population
in Nigeria
was
estimated
to be
34.45
million
of which
the
majority
are
found
in the
Northern
parts
of
the
country
(FDLPCS,
1992).
There
are
two
main
breeds
of goat
in Sokoto
State,
the
white
or
dappled
Balami
and
the
Red
Sokoto
