Bred heifer, gut bulge

[j.p]

When feeding today I noticed one of my bred heifers has this bulge on her lower left side. She seems to be in no pain or discomfort, walks normally, in there fighting to get at the hay with all the rest of the cows, etc. Didn't get my hands on it, but it doesn't appear to be any harder or softer then the surrounding area. Everything seems completely normal except this dang bulge that has me worried. Abcess? Infection? Hernia?

Anyone have any idea whats going on here?

 

[Keren]

Doesnt look right, does it?

First rule of lumps - touch it!

Abcess - generally will be 'loose' and able to move. Can be soft (fluid filled) or hard. If they have been there a while or are particularly bad, they can fuse to the bone and are relatively immovable.

Infection - would be hot/warm to touch. But I would think she would be sick with it.

Hernia - put her in the crush, and try to push the lump back up into her body. If you can push it up, and can feel it pop through a 'ridge', then its a hernia.

Sorry, I cant help any more than that. It looks weird, not sure what it is. I would hesitantly put my money on an accumulation of fluid, or an abcess from a wound (maybe she was poked by a stick, or bit of wire)?

 

[Wild Cattle]

get her in a chute, temp, and get your hands on it. If she is hot get some antibiotics in her.

 

[Caustic Burno]

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index ... ord=hernia

First thing that heifer needs is a call to the vet.

 

[angie2]

Yeah ~ I'm with CB on this one, I'd say thats a hernia....

 

[Brad D]

Looks like a bladder problem, how old is buldge? if the heifer is urinateing, lance the buldge and get it cleaned out. But if you can get a vet out that is the best. Try not to wait to long if it an abcess it will get in the blood stream and be dead in a couple of days.

 

[angie2]

Ugh ~ hate to disagree, but this is too dangerous to ignore....don't lance the bulge until you know what it is. Feel for heat, check for temp before you do that. Call a vet! Just don't lance it........

 

[milkmaid]

In addition to the other things mentioned... it could be a hematoma.

I'm thinking it's a bit big to be a hernia, JMO.

 

[angie2]

You would maybe think is too big to be a hernia but did you see the size of the one on the foal on the web site CB put up? Is huge!

(Love your sig line MM)

 

[milkmaid]

Ugh ~ hate to disagree, but this is too dangerous to ignore....don't lance the bulge until you know what it is. Feel for heat, check for temp before you do that. Call a vet! Just don't lance it........

Ditto. There's a lot of lancing advice given for anything that is slightly abnormal... a lot of problems will clear up on their own and heal better if they're not opened to the environment - especially something that is on the lower part of an animal and would be in contact with the ground and everything on the ground when the animal lies down.

 

[milkmaid]

You would maybe think is too big to be a hernia but did you see the size of the one on the foal on the web site CB put up? Is huge!

(Love your sig line MM)

Thanks! ;-) A compliment sure does go a long ways. :nod:

The foal on that link does have a ginormous hernia, but picture the animal's skeletal structure. There's no bone in that area; it's all abdominal muscle, which evidently suffered trauma or something, and is too weak to hold the intestines inside. That's why the foal's hernia is so large.

On the contrary, the cow in the pic the original poster put up has a lump extending up the rib cage, an area that's contained by bone. I'm having a hard time picturing the intestines managing to get out (where? maybe there's a hole near the flank?) and then spilling out between the hide and ribs until it appears to almost reach the heart girth/shoulders. It could be possible, I suppose, but if it were a hernia I'd expect it to be smaller and more localized... also the animal would likely be off feed with a hernia of that size, and this heifer is acting normal. The hide is usually pretty firmly attached which tends to keep a hernia in one area. Seems more probable that it's an accumulation of fluid.

I'm perfectly willing to accept the possibility that I may be wrong, , and the heifer could certainly use a trip to the vet, so j.p. -- let us know what the vet says about the lump. ;-)

 

[KNERSIE]

Looks like a bladder problem, how old is buldge? if the heifer is urinateing, lance the buldge and get it cleaned out. But if you can get a vet out that is the best. Try not to wait to long if it an abcess it will get in the blood stream and be dead in a couple of days.

The bladders in my cattle isn't situated even close to where the bulge is in the picture posted. :shock:

In the case of a bladder problem, they tend to stand with an arched back for a very long time after urinating/trying to urinate. They have a high fever and frequently tries to urinate, often just a few drops at a time.

 

[vquinn2]

The same thing happened to one of my dads cows. We watched her a couple of days...side got much bigger. Took her to the vet. He said usually you end up loosing the calf (sometimes multiple births) and the cow also. It's fluid and when the cow delivers and has a c section she will loose soo much fluid it will put her in shock and eventually take her life too We lost the cow and calf. I hope you have much better luck than we did. Let me know
Thanks

 

[cfpinz]

Looks like a baby bulge to me all of mine bulge out on the left side like that when they are preggo. The heavier bred the are the bigger the bulge is. She is fine. Havent lost a calf or cow in years. That is usually how I can tell if they are bred or not I look for that bulge on the left side.

That pretty much sums up your knowledge of cattle.

Cow is anything but normal. My vote is a hernia. Don't futz with her, don't cut anything. Get a good vet to look at her, then please post what he/she says. I'm curious to know.

cfpinz

 

[Roadapple]

Looks like a baby bulge to me all of mine bulge out on the left side like that when they are preggo. The heavier bred the are the bigger the bulge is. She is fine. Havent lost a calf or cow in years. That is usually how I can tell if they are bred or not I look for that bulge on the left side.

If any vets just read this, they must be PO'd that you can preg check like that.There goes a lot of their business and now you know why there's a vet shortage. And I've spent a lot of money for nothin'. Coulda just went and checked their belly.... Ok, just got back from checking mine and dang it, not a one of mine is pregnant. Now I gotta go get my bulls seman tested. More money gone. Never ends.

 

[dun]

I'm curious how looking at the bulge from the rumen can indicate pregnancy

 

[Caustic Burno]

I'm curious how looking at the bulge from the rumen can indicate pregnancy

:lol2: :lol2:

 

[rockridgecattle]

how can that be a baby bulge? If it were that would mean that the lining that holds the guts and such bust...need a vet.

post the results please.

i mean no disrespect when i say this...if they are close to calving, where they are standing is a good risk for navel infection. If they are not close please disregard, and my apologies

 

[ollie?]

Some people should be banned from giving advice.

 

[redfornow]

Some people should be banned from giving advice.

:nod: