aborted calf

[brenda]

we have just had our second abortion with our cattle. this happened to one of our heifers (she'll be 2 in december) she was between 2-3 months bred.

we have never experienced anything like this before. all of our cattle are on a vaccination program 2x' s a year. we had one a couple of months ago with a cow, that was heavy bred and now this today.

the vet says it could be several things, but somewhere i heard that pond water could be a cause of this type thing. our water supply has been way down due to the drought, and our pond has the algae look to it. has anyone else heard of this?

and the only other animal that has come in new has been a new bull, which has bred both these animals.

any thoughts from anyone is appreciated. we have raised cattle for close to 30 years and this is our first with this problem.
they also have free choice minerals year round.

 

[fourstates]

Get the calf posted. If it's too late for that, have blood drawn from the cow for an abortion profile, in addition, have the cow tested for Neospora antibodies. Neospora can cause abortion storms but is not tested for in a standard abortion profile. You need a vet's advice and help as soon as possible.

 

[msscamp]

There are so many things that can cause abortions, the only way you will know for sure is to have the latest calf posted. If memory serves, I believe pond water can be a source of infection for lepto. Has your new bull bred any other animals on your farm? Was he virgin, did he come from a reputable source, and did you have him tested for sexually transmitted diseases prior to turning him out? If he was not virgin he could carry vibrio, which is a sexually transmitted disease that can cause abortions.

 

[tom4018]

We had one abort earlier this year that was due to the hardjo bovis strain of lepto or so the lab thought. The cow had high titers when they tested her blood.

Most vaccines are a 5 way for lepto and the hardjo bovis is not in them, I think there are still only 2 vaccines on the market that cover hardjo bovis. After doing some reading we found at that the hardjo bovis is more of a problem that most people think.

We changed to the vaccine with the extra protection in it, guess time will tell if it works. Like you we vaccinate twice a year per our vet's suggestion. Testing is the only way to learn anything and sometimes they are inconclusive. If you don't try you will never now.

 

[rmcva]

we have just had our second abortion with our cattle. this happened to one of our heifers (she'll be 2 in december) she was between 2-3 months bred.

we have never experienced anything like this before. all of our cattle are on a vaccination program 2x' s a year. we had one a couple of months ago with a cow, that was heavy bred and now this today.

the vet says it could be several things, but somewhere i heard that pond water could be a cause of this type thing. our water supply has been way down due to the drought, and our pond has the algae look to it. has anyone else heard of this?

and the only other animal that has come in new has been a new bull, which has bred both these animals.

any thoughts from anyone is appreciated. we have raised cattle for close to 30 years and this is our first with this problem.
they also have free choice minerals year round.

Got any pine trees in the pasture? If they eat enough green pine needles it can cause them to abort. Dry years some cows will eat just about anything. In 99 one of my neighbors turned his cows in some planted pines that were about 5 years old. He lost 5 before he figured out what the problem was. He should have been feeding and was trying to skimp by. It cost him too.

 

[brenda]

talked to the vet today, she is doing blood work on the heifer.

we kinda think that maybe the pond might be a problem also. it has been so hot and dry this year, they haved stayed in it more than usual, and it has not cleared up. i know the dirty water cannot be good for them.

also, yes we do have pine trees, but they have plenty of grass now, and have supplemented them with hay. i haven't noticed them eating around the trees.

and it might also be our meds. we vaccinated with triangle VL-5. will keep you posted when we get results back, thanks for the replies!

 

[tom4018]

Doubt it is the meds. I have always used Triangle 4 and Staybred VL5, etc on my dams and they have never aborted. Likely hood of being meds would be slim to none. You are doing the right thing by having a blood test done on her. Im almost willing to bet it might be neospora, or even lepto hardjo bovis. If I am not mistaken as someone stated earlier there are only a few vaccines that cover it. Staybred VL5 is one of them.

You may want to double check your Staybred VL5, the one that Pfizer makes that is labeled for hardjo bovis is the Spirovac.