Cow with bloat and not eating.

[Ronald Boggess]

I just thought I would share an experience with you all. I had the vet out today for a 4 year old hereford that is about 3 weeks from calving. She was showing bloat and not eating. He examined her and said he thinks she has an obstruction in her esophagus. We ran a tube down her and he put some concoction into her. He said there is not a lot more we can do. I asked him if I should call him back if she doesn't improve. He said no. We did all we can. I asked if she goes down if I could open her and take the calf. He said I might as well give it a try. The calf is alive and well. He said it might not do any good but is worth a try. Just thought I would share this with you. Any comments or suggestions would be welcome. Just so you know, I am not exactly new at the game. Over 60 years experience with cattle and horses. Thanks for listening!

 

[Alice]

Alright, this is a dumb question, I know...since my thing is baby calves...but...if he ran a tube down her for an obstruction in her esophagus, how did he get the tube past the obstruction? And if there's an obstruction, what was the "concoction for." Is there something that will "disolve" an obstruction? I'm being serious here...I really am curious about this.

I'm ducking...don't kill me...

Alice

 

[rkm]

I'm with you on this one Alice. I'm not doubting the diagnosis, but I'm having a little trouble comprehending. I have had problems with cows heavy with calf bloating, but that was because they would lay on their side and have trouble rolling back up.

 

[Ronald Boggess]

Alice, actually he said the stuff he put in her was basically a giant dose of pepto bismol. I believe he was just trying to calm her stomach. He did have trouble getting the tube down her throat. But he said that by working it back and forth he was able to get past the obstruction. He said the obstruction could be a piece of plastic or even a gob of hay that she couldn't swallow. He really wasn't sure. I also have had several animals with bloat, but never associated it with an obstruction. Thanks for your interest.

 

[Alice]

I asked him if I should call him back if she doesn't improve. He said no. We did all we can

I guess this is bothering me a little bit, also...altho he has the education and training...

Alice

 

[randiliana]

I asked him if I should call him back if she doesn't improve. He said no. We did all we can

I guess this is bothering me a little bit, also...altho he has the education and training...

Alice

That is a sad truth in the livestock business. There are many things that can be fixed, or cured IF you have (or want) to spend the money on the animal. However, the market value of the animal compared to the expense of any treatment is almost ALWAYS considered, and is the deciding factor. If this animal has an obstruction in her throat, there is probably very little that can be done for her, UNLESS, they want to spend a considerable amount of money on a surgery that may or may not work.

 

[msscamp]

She was showing bloat and not eating. He examined her and said he thinks she has an obstruction in her esophagus. Any comments or suggestions would be welcome.

Back in the days when probios and bloat blocks weren't available, we used a concoction of mineral oil, yeast, and liquid soap for bloat in calves. If I remember the mixture right (I can double check if you're interested), it was a pint of mineral oil, maybe 1/2 cup or so of yeast, and a 1/2 to a cup of liquid soap. We'd dump it in an esophageal feeder, finish filling with warm water and tube the calf. It could easily be modified for an adult and just might do the trick for helping her pass the obstruction as well as fixing the bloat. What do you think? Just my thoughts.

 

[Caustic Burno]

She was showing bloat and not eating. He examined her and said he thinks she has an obstruction in her esophagus. Any comments or suggestions would be welcome.

Back in the days when probios and bloat blocks weren't available, we used a concoction of mineral oil, yeast, and liquid soap for bloat in calves. If I remember the mixture right (I can double check if you're interested), it was a pint of mineral oil, maybe 1/2 cup or so of yeast, and a 1/2 to a cup of liquid soap. We'd dump it in an esophageal feeder, finish filling with warm water and tube the calf. It could easily be modified for an adult and just might do the trick for helping her pass the obstruction as well as fixing the bloat. What do you think? Just my thoughts.

Well I have poured mineral oil down them never hurt one the 45-70 fixed a few also.

 

[msscamp]

She was showing bloat and not eating. He examined her and said he thinks she has an obstruction in her esophagus. Any comments or suggestions would be welcome.

Back in the days when probios and bloat blocks weren't available, we used a concoction of mineral oil, yeast, and liquid soap for bloat in calves. If I remember the mixture right (I can double check if you're interested), it was a pint of mineral oil, maybe 1/2 cup or so of yeast, and a 1/2 to a cup of liquid soap. We'd dump it in an esophageal feeder, finish filling with warm water and tube the calf. It could easily be modified for an adult and just might do the trick for helping her pass the obstruction as well as fixing the bloat. What do you think? Just my thoughts.

Well I have poured mineral oil down them never hurt one the 45-70 fixed a few also.

I agree 100%, but a lot of the folks who have access to the newer remedies don't quite see it that way. :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[mnmtranching]

Have any of you old hands ever poked a hole in a critter and put a tube in? I've saved several bloats this way.

 

[dun]

Have any of you old hands ever poked a hole in a critter and put a tube in? I've saved several bloats this way.

Yup, far more then I cared to

dun

 

[Alice]

She was showing bloat and not eating. He examined her and said he thinks she has an obstruction in her esophagus. Any comments or suggestions would be welcome.

Back in the days when probios and bloat blocks weren't available, we used a concoction of mineral oil, yeast, and liquid soap for bloat in calves. If I remember the mixture right (I can double check if you're interested), it was a pint of mineral oil, maybe 1/2 cup or so of yeast, and a 1/2 to a cup of liquid soap. We'd dump it in an esophageal feeder, finish filling with warm water and tube the calf. It could easily be modified for an adult and just might do the trick for helping her pass the obstruction as well as fixing the bloat. What do you think? Just my thoughts.

At this stage of the game, with the grim diagnosis left by that vet, I'd figure, what the hey! Give it a whirl. The worst that can happen is the animal won't pass the obstruction...the best is that she will!

When I was raising baby holstein bulls to sell to this man who then shipped them to a feedlot, some would be in such bad shape I'd figure whatever last ditch remedy I came up with would either cure 'em or kill 'em...they were on their way out anyway. Don't think I ever actually killed one, but by golly about 50% of the time I saved one.

Now, I am NOT recommending that approach or mindset...especially to someone who is waiting for his/her cow to calve...but msscamp's recipe wouldn't hurt the unborn calf, and it just might help the mama.

Alice

 

[AngusLimoX]

Sounded pretty straight forward to me. I presume the tube and concoction was for the bloat problem. May solve the whole thing.

Vet obviosly knows you and what you are capable of. At least you have some time to prepare for the calf and I have little doubt you will get it out just fine.

Welcome to the boards! :D

And pls let us know how you fare, so often folks bring a problem in here and you never here back from them.

 

[AngusLimoX]

I asked him if I should call him back if she doesn't improve. He said no. We did all we can

I guess this is bothering me a little bit, also...altho he has the education and training...

Alice

That is a sad truth in the livestock business. There are many things that can be fixed, or cured IF you have (or want) to spend the money on the animal. However, the market value of the animal compared to the expense of any treatment is almost ALWAYS considered, and is the deciding factor. If this animal has an obstruction in her throat, there is probably very little that can be done for her, UNLESS, they want to spend a considerable amount of money on a surgery that may or may not work.

What are you saying here about our industry?? What is sad??

If the cow was on a range somewhere in the wild she wouldn't have even had a vet examination. I don't think Ronald was complaining about his vet?

What point are you making randilianna? Are you asking a question?

It has nothing to do with our industry, it is about life and death and nature, little we can do about it. We have enough people outside our industry whining without those within it chipping in.

 

[Ronald Boggess]

Thanks everyone for the comments. I enjoy reading all the entrys. I may be an old farmer, but I am fairly new to the computer and very new to discussion boards. I guess I don't really know how to put my thoughts down on the keyboard. If we were sitting across the table having a cup of joe, I could tell you exactly what I mean. So if I don't explain everything so it's easy to understand, I apologize. The cow was some better today. No bloat and she was drinking water. Still doesn't seem to want to eat, but moves around well and doesn't seem terribly distressed. I will let you know how it turns out. Talk to you later. Ron

 

[Double R Ranch]

I asked him if I should call him back if she doesn't improve. He said no. We did all we can

I guess this is bothering me a little bit, also...altho he has the education and training...

Alice

Per my post, it seems that a lot of us are hearing this lately. Atleast yours came out in the first place. :roll:

RR

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

Ron, occasionally you will run into a chronic bloater and no matter how many times you relieve them, it won't help, but those are few and far between. Do yourself a favor and buy a trocar for 15 bucks. If she goes down again, stick her and relieve the bloat again. Do this a few times, and if it keeps happening, shoot her and take the calf. If she's that close to calving, I'd be tempted to keep crippling her along, and let her deliver the calf. Often times, that will also take care of the chronic bloating. Let her raise the calf, then cull her out of the herd.

If you don't know where to stick her, you want to be just behind the ribs by an inch or two and a handwidth away from the spine. If you don't have a trocar or can't get one, use a spike or awl to poke the hole, then stuff a pen (without the ink of course, so its a tube) into the hole. Give her a heavy dose of penicillin to counter act any infection you might get. If you don't have a way to get the mineral oil into the old girl, you can try mixing a few handfuls of clover seeds into some oats, when she starts eating again. Not too many oats though, as they can exasperate the bloat. The oil seed will help clean her out.

Rod

 

[Double R Ranch]

If you don't know where to stick her, you want to be just behind the ribs by an inch or two and a handwidth away from the spine. If you don't have a trocar or can't get one, use a spike or awl to poke the hole, then stuff a pen (without the ink of course, so its a tube) into the hole. Give her a heavy dose of penicillin to counter act any infection you might get. If you don't have a way to get the mineral oil into the old girl, you can try mixing a few handfuls of clover seeds into some oats, when she starts eating again. Not too many oats though, as they can exasperate the bloat. The oil seed will help clean her out.

Rod

Very well put! Haven't heard of the clover seeds. Will have to try that if the time ever comes again.
RR