California Mastitis Test (CMT)
The California Mastitis Test (CMT) is a quick paddle test that checks milk from each udder quarter for raised somatic cells, a sign of mastitis. It is commonly used to screen cows and buffaloes for hidden (subclinical) mastitis.
- Sample
- Fresh milk, quarter by quarter
- Quantity
- As advised
- Report
- Confirmed when you book
- Collection
- Free in Bhopal
What this test checks
- Somatic cells in milk, shown by how much the milk thickens or gels with the CMT liquid
- A separate score for each udder quarter, so a problem quarter can be found
- Hidden (subclinical) mastitis, where the milk and udder look normal
- Differences between quarters of the same animal, which help decide which milk to culture
Benefits of this test
- Screens all four quarters quickly from small amounts of fresh milk.
- Can help find hidden mastitis before clots or swelling appear.
- Shows which quarter needs attention, not just which animal.
- Helps decide which quarters to send for a somatic cell count or a culture.
- Simple enough to repeat often as part of regular herd checks.
When your vet may advise it
- Milk yield dropping in a cow or buffalo with no visible change in the milk.
- Regular herd checks for subclinical mastitis, as your vet advises.
- Before buying a milking animal or adding her to your herd.
- Checking a quarter again after a bout of mastitis, when your vet asks for it.
- When a somatic cell count shows raised cells and you want to find the quarter involved.
About this test
Mastitis is inflammation of the udder, usually caused by bacteria. In clinical mastitis, the milk or udder looks clearly wrong, with clots, watery milk, swelling or pain. In subclinical mastitis, nothing looks wrong, but the infection is still there, milk yield drops and the number of cells in the milk goes up. The California Mastitis Test (CMT) is a simple screening test that can help detect this hidden mastitis, quarter by quarter.
Milk from each of the four udder quarters goes into its own cup on a paddle and is mixed with a special CMT liquid. The liquid breaks open the somatic cells in the milk. These are mostly white blood cells, which the body sends into the udder to fight infection. When there are many of them, the mixture turns thick or forms a gel. The thicker the gel, the higher the score given to that quarter. It is often called a cow-side test because it is simple enough to run next to the animal.
Because each quarter is scored on its own, the CMT shows which part of the udder needs attention. It is commonly used for regular herd checks, for checking a newly bought animal and for choosing which quarters to send for a milk culture. The gel is judged by eye, so the CMT gives a screening score, not an exact count. A registered veterinarian reads the scores with the animal's history and may suggest a somatic cell count or a milk culture. The result is for the owner's and vet's information and is not an official milk-quality test.
How to prepare
Wash and dry the teats, throw away the first few streams of milk, then milk each quarter into its own clean, labelled container, before any udder treatment where possible. The lab confirms the method, sample needs and reporting time when you book.
Reading the result
A registered veterinarian reads the CMT scores with the animal's history, milk yield and stage of lactation. The gel is judged by eye, so the CMT is a screening test, not an exact count. Milk from just after calving or near the end of lactation can naturally have more cells, so your vet may confirm results with a somatic cell count or a milk culture.
Questions about CMT
What is the California Mastitis Test (CMT)?
Can the CMT detect mastitis when the milk looks normal?
Does the CMT tell which antibiotic will work?
Is the CMT useful for buffaloes?
Before you book this test
Why this notice: so you know, before you book, how a test is done, what its limits are and who is responsible.
- Where it is tested. Some tests are done wholly or partly by an independent partner laboratory. The lab tells you before booking if this test is sent out, and the report names the laboratory that did it.
- What a result can and cannot tell you. No test is right every time. A normal result does not rule out every disease, and an abnormal result does not prove one. A registered veterinarian should read the report with the animal’s signs and history before any treatment is started, changed or stopped.
- The sample. A sample that is clotted, too small, wrongly labelled, leaking or too old may be rejected or reported with a note, and the lab may ask for a fresh one.
- Reporting time. Confirmed when you book. Times are estimates, not guarantees, and the lab confirms the time when you book.
- Emergencies. A booking or a pending report must not delay urgent care. If an animal has collapsed, struggles to breathe, has fits or bleeds heavily, call a veterinarian at once.
Please read our Terms of Service, Medical Disclaimer, Privacy Policy and Refund and Cancellation Policy. Pashupatinath Vet Lab is operated by Duaji Healthcare and Tech Private Limited. This page is general information and does not replace a veterinarian’s advice.
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CMT: Bhopal and the big cities of Madhya Pradesh
Free sample collection anywhere in Bhopal. From the other cities, send the sample by courier, bus parcel or through your local veterinarian, and the report comes to you online.
Free collection in these Bhopal areas
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Mastitis Testing: CMT, Cell Count, Culture and RT-PCR
Mastitis testing works like a ladder. A cowside CMT shows which udder quarter is inflamed, a cell count measures how much, a culture finds the germ and shows which antibiotics may work, and RT-PCR finds germs that are hard to grow.
18 Oct 2026