Bladder infection???- need advice

[Alan]

I'll try to get most of the details in; I have a 2.5 yr old heifer, she calved the last spring but we lost the calf after 3 days, as some recall we got some bad hay with horse tail in it last winter and I paid the price. Last winter she was one of the bottom of the pecking order and got (I'm assuming) too much noxious weeds so she lost her calf. This morning I noticed the Bull trying to mount her, she should have been bred by now, in fact I have things set up to haul the bull to the sale tomorrow, now I'll wait a couple of weeks. She wanted nothing to do with him, fighting him off. Since I wasn't hauling the bull I thought I would move them to better pasture, everyone but her ran through the gate and she just stood a few hundred yards away from the open gate. I walked up and had to slap her on the buns several times to get her to move through the gate, obviously something is wrong. On the way to the gate she had an arched back and tried to urinate several times, but only a small amount came out, she looked like she strained to walk, she did have a normal bowel movement and no visual blood in the urine. A couple of hours after I got her through the gate I went to check her, she was laying by herself and let me walk up and pet her without her getting up (she is halter trained, but has not been on a halter for a couple of years, only as a weanling). Went to the Vet and got supplies to draw blood, so I thought I would draw blood, take her temp and give her a shot of Bo-Se and a simple pen shot if she had a temp. Went down to do this she was grazing with the herd, she looked and acted normal, and would not let me get past her safe point (remember she was down and let me touch her a couple of hours before). Now she acts normal.... upset stomach or just giving me a hard time? Any thoughts or suggestions.

Thanks,
Alan

 

[alisonb]

I reckon she was not ready for bull but he forced the issue - ship that bull :shock: :lol: .

 

[KNERSIE]

Cystitis usually results in a very high fever and usually going off feed completely. I only ever had one case and was told by vet to give pennicilin at a high dosage for 5 consequtive days, it did the job, but she had a relapse and a case of pinkeye so I just hit her with long acting Oxytetracycline with another 3 days of pennicilin and it cleared it up completely.

 

[Alan]

First off, Harley thank you for the straight answer. I got her roped and caught up tonight, put on a halter and tied her to a tree until I was ready to move her. About one minute in a halter and tied to the 4 wheeler she remembered everything. Okay enough non-sense, her temp is 103.2 F, I collected 6cc of blood for a complete battery of test, got a urine sample (just cause my wife was smart enough to get a jar and said be ready.... Thank you love). I gave her 36cc of Baytril 100 and a Bo-Se shot. Any other thoughts, Harley and Milkmaid PM me if you can help. Test should be back tomorrow, but any thoughts would be nice.

Thanks,
Alan

 

[alisonb]

Alan, my post may have come off as jesting but I seriously think the bull injured the cow. When she lost her calf last winter did she clean up without complications? You may want to read up on 'metritis'.

 

[Alan]

Alan, my post may have come off as jesting but I seriously think the bull injured the cow. When she lost her calf last winter did she clean up without complications? You may want to read up on 'metritis'.

Thanks Alison, but I don't think the bull had much to do with anything other than drawing my attention to a problem. All today he wanted nothing to do with her and she did nothing but fight him off yesterday... Maybe why she was so wore out and let me walk up to her while she laid down. She did clean out fine when she calved last march. I think the bull is no longer a factor, but i will read up on metritis.

Alan

 

[milkmaid]

I've only had one calf with a UTI - frequently urinated but only small amounts, didn't gain weight well, etc. I treated her 10 days with SMZs and Biomycin and never had another problem after that. With the temperature your cow has I probably would have treated her as well. See how she responds and then go from there.