Cow ate hay netting

Help Support CattleToday:

garyws

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 23, 2015
Messages
85
Reaction score
1
Location
N. Central Texas
Just discovered a cow with netting slightly protruding out of her mouth. She wouldn't let me approach her to grab it so I got her into the squeeze chute and it had disappeared. Then I noticed a large lump on her left cheek under her eye which I hadn't seen before. Could the twine be lodged a cavity in that area? How would a vet proceed with treating her? Thanks ahead.
 
I'm not a vet but I'd say get in there and take a look and see what you see. Need a good strong hand or some nose tongs to get her mouth open probably.
 
Pull her tongue out between the molars on the opposite side and don't let go when you have your hand in there. I suspect it has gone down now and you will have to wait to see if it passes OK.

Ken
 
I have had several cows that have consumed netting, plastic bags and other plastic such as string. The reason I know is they died. They will get thinner and thinner and finally die. When I look at the place I have dragged the cows to I would find the twine, netting and plastic bags after the carcass had decomposed.. They would be in several wads and each wad connected to each wad with a narrow string of the plastic. I think this gets into the digestive system and prevents them from bringing up a cud and they will eventual die. Also each wad may have been each of the several stomachs a cow has. I have been pretty careful with the net and remove it the best I can to prevent this. The plastic bags blow across the pasture from people throwing them out of their cars. I also make sure when I see one that I try to get it before the cows get it.
 
hurleyjd":olq9s4mp said:
I have had several cows that have consumed netting, plastic bags and other plastic such as string. The reason I know is they died. They will get thinner and thinner and finally die. When I look at the place I have dragged the cows to I would find the twine, netting and plastic bags after the carcass had decomposed.. They would be in several wads and each wad connected to each wad with a narrow string of the plastic. I think this gets into the digestive system and prevents them from bringing up a cud and they will eventual die. Also each wad may have been each of the several stomachs a cow has. I have been pretty careful with the net and remove it the best I can to prevent this. The plastic bags blow across the pasture from people throwing them out of their cars. I also make sure when I see one that I try to get it before the cows get it.
Yikes! Hate to hear that but a good reminder about the plastic bags. I'm amazed how many find their way into our pastures, not to mention those stupid mylar balloons. Had a cow eat a bread wrapper last year & evidently she either passed it or her stomach acids dissolved it; she's still fat 'n sassy but I watched her for a long time.
 
Today she's eating hay and behaving normally but I'm still concerned because she still has the knot on the side of her face, just below the left eye. I'm thinking that it's a wad of twine that's caught between her cheek and her teeth. I've never stuck my fingers into a cows mouth because I don't know anything about where the teeth are. Don't want to lose fingers! May have to put her in the squeeze chute and try to force something about 3" round (maybe a pvc pipe), laterally across her mouth to keep it open like they do with alligators. Then hope she doesn't stroke-out on me. I'll let you know.
 
The PVC will probably block your access. Use a set of nose tongs and tie them up above her head. Also make sure you where some kind of gloves. Some of them old cows have some nasty stuff in there and tetanus can be issue but probably not in this case.
 
bird dog":3md6r9td said:
The PVC will probably block your access. Use a set of nose tongs and tie them up above her head. Also make sure you where some kind of gloves. Some of them old cows have some nasty stuff in there and tetanus can be issue but probably not in this case.
Add Rabies to the list of nasties.
 
I don't know how many cows I've performed necropsies on in the past 40+ years... gotta be into the thousands...but never saw one that died of ingesting hay twine/net/plastic. Yeah, I've found some with wads of that sort of material in their rumen... but never enough to have caused a problem; may have been sitting in there for years.
Can it happen? Others testify fervently that it does... and I try not to leave it where they can get to it, but I don't worry about it for a second.
 
garyws":12nq7rln said:
Just discovered a cow with netting slightly protruding out of her mouth. She wouldn't let me approach her to grab it so I got her into the squeeze chute and it had disappeared. Then I noticed a large lump on her left cheek under her eye which I hadn't seen before. Could the twine be lodged a cavity in that area? How would a vet proceed with treating her? Thanks ahead.
Any updates on the lump on her cheek?
 

Latest posts

Top