After birth?

[Shoestring]

So, I bought a 5 mo. Bred heifer. Yes, I like inexpensive challenges. She had a nice little female calf 2 weeks ago. Now. 2 weeks later, she still has a tendril of whatever, hanging to the ground. I'm not too squeamish, I assisted with 4 childbirths. I get up there today and mucus? Is still hanging. I put on a glove, grab said tendril, and it comes out. I called my local mentor, he says that it's probably good that I could pull it out. No harm, no foul. Boy, PLENTY of nasty stinky discharge. Curly never flinched. Just kept eating. Should I be concerned? Advice? Heifer calf and Curly probably go down the road in April. She is a small Aberdeen looking Angus, and when I was tagging the calf she seems small also. I trust my mentor, but he has been under the weather. Do I keep on keeping on?

 

[Shoestring]

So, I bought a 5 mo. Bred heifer. Yes, I like inexpensive challenges. She had a nice little female calf 2 weeks ago. Now. 2 weeks later, she still has a tendril of whatever, hanging to the ground. I'm not too squeamish, I assisted with 4 childbirths. I get up there today and mucus? Is still hanging. I put on a glove, grab said tendril, and it comes out. I called my local mentor, he says that it's probably good that I could pull it out. No harm, no foul. Boy, PLENTY of nasty stinky discharge. Curly never flinched. Just kept eating. Should I be concerned? Advice? Heifer calf and Curly probably go down the road in April. She is a small Aberdeen looking Angus, and when I was tagging the calf she seems small also. I trust my mentor, but he has been under the weather. Do I keep on keeping on?

Little Calf, not Curly.

 

[SBMF 2015]

Tetradure 300 and a shot of lute, she'll be fine.

 

[coachg]

Definitely would give her some antibiotics. It's called not cleaning off . She could have an infection from the retained material.

 

[Shoestring]

Tetradure 300 and a shot of lute, she'll be fine.

Thanks

 

[Shoestring]

Definitely would give her some antibiotics. It's called not cleaning off . She could have an infection from the retained material.

Thanks

 

[Shoestring]

Tetradure 300 and a shot of lute, she'll be fine.

Lutalyse?

 

[moses388]

Heifer calf and Curly probably go down the road in April.

Sounds right. She may be late breeding back because she didn't clean.

 

[SBMF 2015]

Lutalyse?

Yes. If you were going to keep her. You could wait another week, give her lute, she'll cycle and hopefully clean out the rest of the nasty stuff.
I know you said she 's headed down the road, but if you change your mind or try and get her bred first.

 

[Shoestring]

Roger. I say down the road, but I'm worse than @MurraysMutts Thanks for the info. Now, I see this question has been asked before.

 

[MurraysMutts]

They say not to pull it out nowadays....
I agree she will probly need antibiotics!
Had one retain a while back and she went downhill fast without meds. Quit making milk and lost weight something terrible.

Probly my fault for not realizing what was going on. She cleared, but it was after more than a week or two. I think I just didn't put 2 and 2 together.

I sold her and the calf separate and came out ok. But still kick myself for letting it happen.

Here she is b4 going downhill. Notice the placenta...
She weighed 630 lbs when I took her to the sale.

That's Seven in the second pic. So it's been a WHILE. 2019 I think.

 

[Lucky_P]

If it slides right out, remove it.
If it seems to be attached, leave it.
If she's eating and acting normal, I'd probably do nothing. No antibiotics. Maybe a dose of Lute 21 days out, but if I had to exert any effort to get her in to shoot her, I wouldn't bother.

 

[Buck Randall]

If it slides right out, remove it.
If it seems to be attached, leave it.
If she's eating and acting normal, I'd probably do nothing. No antibiotics. Maybe a dose of Lute 21 days out, but if I had to exert any effort to get her in to shoot her, I wouldn't bother.

I agree with all of that. Most people who intervene believe that they helped the cow get better, when in reality she would have almost certainly turned out just as well without them.

 

[Shoestring]

If it slides right out, remove it.
If it seems to be attached, leave it.
If she's eating and acting normal, I'd probably do nothing. No antibiotics. Maybe a dose of Lute 21 days out, but if I had to exert any effort to get her in to shoot her, I wouldn't bother.

She was still the first one in for the weekly corn. Head butting until the bag of corn was opened. Makes it nice when I need to do something like that. And No tugging necessary. Thank ya'll.

 

[puzzled in oregon]

Little Calf, not Curly.

I always understood two weeks was maximum to leave a cow that hasn't cleaned, then it needs to be addressed. In the picture, I don't think the cow looks like she feels very well It doesn't matter if the calf and cow are curly or straight haired or big or small, if mom may benefit from so antibiotics or other medication then she should get some.

 

[Redgully]

I always understood two weeks was maximum to leave a cow that hasn't cleaned, then it needs to be addressed. In the picture, I don't think the cow looks like she feels very well It doesn't matter if the calf and cow are curly or straight haired or big or small, if mom may benefit from so antibiotics or other medication then she should get some.

When you say antibiotics, do you mean flushing the uterus? Can't imagine an injection would do anything.

Last year i had a cow with retained afterbirth, left her be. Took a week to drop out and had a dirty discharge for a bit after. At around 50 days noticed her standing, took her to bull, he wasted no time, took her back to her paddock, yesterday tested 6 weeks in calf.

 

[greybeard]

Bolus or dissolve it in water and flush it in.

Stinky job that is too..

 

[Redgully]

Bolus or dissolve it in water and flush it in.

Stinky job that is too..

I've been told before that if a cow ever has a hard birth stick a bolus straight in before cervix shuts.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

NO antibiotics unless she is showing signs of being SICK. Years ago everyone called the vet out and had them "unbutton" the placenta if cow didn't clean. And, vet would put antibiotic boluses inside her when he was done. Research has shown that the cow will breed back faster if you leave her alone. The cow has natural bugs that will eat up all the little pieces left behind inside of her and get her repro tract ready to re-breed. If you give antibiotics, you KILL the good bugs that will clean her out.
Do not clean her out. Do not treat with antibiotics - UNLESS she is sick. A shot of PG (Lute) after about 10-14 days will help her body "clean out" faster by expelling the "junk" left behind.
Yes, she will get stinky - leave her alone. If she has the whole afterbirth hanging, you can knot it up so she is not dragging or stepping on it. The extra weight helps it to detach and slide out.

 

[Buck Randall]

When you say antibiotics, do you mean flushing the uterus? Can't imagine an injection would do anything.

Last year i had a cow with retained afterbirth, left her be. Took a week to drop out and had a dirty discharge for a bit after. At around 50 days noticed her standing, took her to bull, he wasted no time, took her back to her paddock, yesterday tested 6 weeks in calf.

Injections are more effective than flushing the uterus or putting pills in it.