Coughing cow revisited

[Alan]

A few months ago I post a question about a cow with a dry cough, no other signs of trouble, here's a link to that thread;

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=82249&p=993805#p993805

The cow still has the cough, good weight and eating well. But now she has very little energy,just moving a few hundred yards between pastures she stops, drops her head and pants with her mouth open and tongue out. She did drop a good calf the other day, but it took her a good while to get the energy to get up. She has plenty of milk, looks in good shape, she's a 02 model, healthy happy calf. But she sure has something going on. I'm watching her and hoping she weans out the calf then I'll ship her as a slaughter cow. I'm just wondering if anyone has seen this or something like this before?

Alan

 

[skeeter swatter]

Prepare to lose your first cow. Hope its not a TB lunger.

 

[Alan]

Prepare to lose your first cow. Hope its not a TB lunger.

Hopefully not going to lose my first cow, as stated I have eyes on her a few times a day. It does appear she is on her way out, but she still has lots of strength and milk and one of my fat cows, gaining well on new grass, so ...... I know why you said "prepare to lose my first cow", I do have respect for that man and I enjoy his post so ...... Keep stirring the pot. :mrgreen:

Any thoughts on what's going on? I will not spend anymore $ on Vets, I'll ship her as needed.

Thanks,
Alan

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

TB would be really f'n scarey, Alan, as your whole herd would be exposed. Could she have picked up some wire or something, maybe lodged in her throat? How long have you had her?

 

[Alan]

TB would be really f'n scarey, Alan, as your whole herd would be exposed. Could she have picked up some wire or something, maybe lodged in her throat? How long have you had her?

Thanks Kathie, I seriously doubt it's TB, in the previous post I stated the vet had come out twice for her, no answers. I checked her papers and she was born in 2003, so a 10 year old. Years ago I had a cow that got some wire or metal and developed roach back ..... I shipped her before it was to late. I think something else is going on, but she is new grass fat, plenty of milk, slicking out, just a cough and no energy. So I keep an eye on her and ship her when needed or current calf is weaned.

Skeeter is giving me a hard time for giving Hook a hard time a while back, skeeter has no input worth while.

Thanks,
Alan

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

Not commenting on others comments. Hope everything works out okay for you w/ that cow, Alan. Watching one of my first time-calvers tonight. So far, so good.

 

[skeeter swatter]

:mrgreen: Maybe a little hard time, but only in fun. She sounds like a chronic lunger, and if you get a really hot/humid day it may be enough to finish her. If she were mine, I would ship her now.

 

[chippie]

I'm sorry Alan. Maybe it is a wire. Have you thought about getting her tested for TB? Is Oregon a TB free state?

 

[Alan]

Thanks skeeter, okay folks the signs are not close to TB. Move on. Dry cough, getting Fatter by the mouth full! A few mouths with a cough it's not spreading, etc.

Alan

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/ ... ne_tb_.pdf

 

[Alan]

I should add that I'm not discounting something in her throat, such as wire. The Vet did look down her throat his visit a few months ago and said it was okay .... But? Still is a lot of junk working it's way to the surface even after many years of cleaning .... It just keeps working its way to the surface.

 

[Dave]

The cow still has the cough, good weight and eating well. But now she has very little energy,just moving a few hundred yards between pastures she stops, drops her head and pants with her mouth open and tongue out.

A cow that is behaving like that I would ship while I still can. You may be able to keep her until you wean the calf but on the other hand you may walk out there some morning and find her with her feet in the air. Keeping her through the summer is a crap shoot.

 

[Alan]

A cow that is behaving like that I would ship while I still can. You may be able to keep her until you wean the calf but on the other hand you may walk out there some morning and find her with her feet in the air. Keeping her through the summer is a crap shoot.

I agree Dave, part of the problem is that she has a pretty well bred heifer at her side, just a week or so old. She only stops and starts to pant when she is getting pushed hard. Most of the time not by me, if I go to open a gate to a new pasture the herd will start to run t get to the fresh grass that's when she has trouble. When she is just grazing around the pasture she's fine and acts normal. I worked the herd yesterday and she was fine going through the working pen and chute.

I really want to give her heifer a fair chance, but I know it's a crap shoot. Hopefully I have more signs of trouble with her before I find her legs up and x's for eyes. Since our grass came on she is fat as a tick, so I'm hopeful..

Thanks for your thoughts Dave,

Alan

 

[Nite Hawk]

lungworm??
It happens,and it wouldn't hurt to try and treat her for it with a short lasting de-wormer in case you have to ship her out...