Any Ideas??

[randiliana]

DH spotted this girl a couple days ago. Not sure what is going on with her. Look at her brisket and you will see what I am talking about. 7 year old cow, she is in good condition, probably a BCS 6 or so, eats good, and as you can see is feeling good enough to fight at the bale feeder. My first thought was Heart Failure, but I don't think so, she doesn't act like a cow whose heart is failing, lots of energy. Then I thought Hardware, but she doesn't have any other symptoms, she's fat and shows no signs of pain. My last thought is an abcess, guess we'll see.

Since she isn't showing any signs of illness other than this we'll just watch and see, for now.

Any other ideas out there??

 

[rockridgecattle]

kinda looks like an absess. Maybe some rough housing around the bale ring?
I asked our vet about a cow that had extra "flesh" around the neck or brisket when she was out preg checking. She thought that it was a weak heart, or a troubled heart. I asked because we have a cow with quite a bit in that area. She is a healthy cow, eats good, keeps up with the herd, boss cow, raises a good calf, etc, but the vet figures if she stays long enough her death will be to a heart condition.

 

[hillsdown]

I can`t remember what a cow looks like with the first symptoms of hardware, I think the brisket is one of the last to show . Darn, I guess it is a good thing though that I haven`t had to diagnose hardware in years.

Could just be some bruising and swelling from what RR suggested, rough housing. I guess this is a benign neglect until more symptoms show. Have you pulled a temp at all and felt the brisket yet .

 

[DavisBeefmasters]

Perhaps too much condition on her -- she's a good eater and storing some extra fat up front?

We have a cow that will do that when she's not in the pasture with the boss cow -- apparently she's 2nd in command and becomes the boss of the feeder when apart from #1 cow... she fattens up quite easily...

 

[Jovid]

My guess would be an abscess based on the location. It appears to be up on her neck on not in the brisket area.

 

[randiliana]

RR, an abcess is the way I'm leaning too. We've had 2 cows in the past with what the vet called heart failure. One didn't manifest until her brisket filled, and when it did it was huge. The other never did that. But both noticably slowed down, just didn't have the energy to keep going. And both were old cows, at least 10 years old if not older.

HD, we haven't brought her in to check her out yet. She's not showing any symptoms other than the brisket. She's bright and alert, and she's probably one of our more lively cows. And it's too icy and slippery to be running her around trying to get her in. But we're planning to bring them in tomorrow so we will run her down the chute and check her out.

Davis, I doubt that is it. She is in good condition, but she certainly isn't obese. And, you can definitely see that it is a lump and also some swelling lower down in the brisket.

Jovid, I would totally agree with that except that she also looks swollen down low. Maybe hard to see that in the photos though.

 

[hillsdown]

When you listen to their ticker Randi can you tell by that if there is a heart problem ?

I think it is an abscess or bruising too, good luck and keep us posted.

 

[Cowdirt]

Randi, I think it's almost certain to be caused by eating from a hayring. I had one last yr that was like that except more in the brisket. The vet said that it was not uncommon to have that fluid build-up from eating at a hayring. He said, and understandably so, that it's slow to spread out and disappear because gravity keeps in the lowest place(brisket). It eventually disappeared. BTW, I have another like that right now and it's a different animal.

 

[randiliana]

When you listen to their ticker Randi can you tell by that if there is a heart problem ?

I think it is an abscess or bruising too, good luck and keep us posted.

I have never listened, and the vet didn't either. Just told us what he thought the problem was by their symptoms. Bright and healthy enough looking except they were really slow to move and had no energy, and the one had the edema in the brisket.

 

[randiliana]

Randi, I think it's almost certain to be caused by eating from a hayring. I had one last yr that was like that except more in the brisket. The vet said that it was not uncommon to have that fluid build-up from eating at a hayring. He said, and understandably so, that it's slow to spread out and disappear because gravity keeps in the lowest place(brisket). It eventually disappeared. BTW, I have another like that right now and it's a different animal.

Hmm, hadn't even considered that possibility. Certainly possible, even likely, although they only eat out of the feeders every other day, when we fill them with straw. All their feed on one day, and 2/3 on the next is rolled out on the ground.

 

[AngusLimoX]

Any other ideas out there??

Ever see the movie "Alien"?

Well you did ask! :lol:

 

[milkmaid]

I'd guess an abcess. Have you gotten your hands on it? what's it feel like? I can see there's swelling below, but the lump itself looks localized (ie abcess) and the extra fluid could well be a result of an abcess above it.

 

[randiliana]

No, we haven't gotten her in yet. Was planning to maybe today, but not too worried about it because she seems quite happy and healthy other wise.

 

[Roadapple]

You say she's bright, alert, and has plenty of energy. The vet said, if heart disease, bright, alert, and no energy, so if it's heart disease, would'nt she have slowed down before the swelling? Don't see it being from the bale ring as the swelling looks to be higher than the 2nd ring of the feeder. Now I'm no vet, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn one night, about 30 yrs. ago, but I think abcess.

 

[ChrisB]

Since she's in good shape I would agree with abcess. But I had a thin cow that seemed to be going down hill with what I thought was an abcess in that area and it turned out to be cancer. At least that is what I was told when she sold for $0.05/cwt.

 

[3waycross]

Since I live in an area where Brisket Disease is a reality, that we deal with all the time I will tell you the quick and easy test for Briskett(heart disease) Get her in the chute and palpate her carotid artery. If it feels hard and ropey then it could very well be Briskett. That is as far as I know the most reliable indicator.

If they are very advanced then you see edema in the brisket but the artery is a better indicator and shows up much earlier.

 

[randiliana]

Now, that is one thing I am sure it isn't. I'm not sure what our altitude is here, but I know it isn't that high. We're on the prairies, no where near any mountains....

 

[randiliana]

Well, finally got her in yesterday to feel this thing. She is not sick, and hasn't lost any weight. I felt her whole brisket, the actual lump is squishy and fluid filled. The rest of her brisket is normal feeling. So, not sure what the deal is, but she's still acting like normal and eating like a pig, and it is just a localized thing, so I'm not worrying about it.

 

[AngusLimoX]

Well, finally got her in yesterday to feel this thing. She is not sick, and hasn't lost any weight. I felt her whole brisket, the actual lump is squishy and fluid filled. The rest of her brisket is normal feeling. So, not sure what the deal is, but she's still acting like normal and eating like a pig, and it is just a localized thing, so I'm not worrying about it.

I wonder how many pages "Benign Neglect" takes up in the vet manuals?
It sure is an appropriate treatment in a lot of cases. :lol:

 

[AudieWyoming]

I know you have already turned her out and I agree its probably not going to be a problem. If they felt like fluid we would find the soft spot and stick them with a 14x1.5 needle to see if its blood or puss, some times it will just be a clear thin syrup. Pre puss white blood cells I think. It might turn to a hard knot by the next time you have her in, but again I'm not certain it needs drained based in where it is. Likely has a sticker in it. @