cow with mass on neck and a couple of pics

[moloss]

I have an older cow who has developed a mass on her neck.....I assume it's some sort of cyst (does not appear to adhere to connective tissue and is free moving when she walks) what do y'all think?....if it is a cyst can I not just I&D it when we work cows this spring? was thinking of prepping with betadine and cutting (really just poking large hole so it will drain) with scalpel.....thanks Chris

 

[Hippie Rancher]

Is it hard or feel like it has liquid in it? If it is hard or solid feeling I wouldn't cut into it. Otherwise try sticking a large gauge needle into it to see what comes out. If pus you might want to open it and clean it out real good, if dark blood you can probably just aspirate most of it out with a disposable syringe.

(cleaning and using betadine or alcohol first of course)

 

[ryan_289]

That is exactly what one of my cows developed a couple of weeks ago. Most likely it is a hematoma. We stuck a needle in her but it was hard to get anything out. It was blood. Vet said to give her a full dose of LA200. 1/2 in the muscle and 1/2 under the skin. Said it could take up to 6 weeks to go away. He didnt think it was a very big deal. My cow still has the knot. Not sick, acts normal. Just waiting for it to go away.

 

[randiliana]

We've got a cow that developed something similar to that in Feb. Got her in and felt it, normal temp and it was soft and fluid filled. We haven't done anything with her, she still has it, although it is a bit smaller now. She is perfectly fine. Your pics are a lot better than mine were.

 

[moloss]

thanks for the replies....it helps when you get others opinions on these things :tiphat: .....we plan to work our cows in the next couple of weeks so I'll be able to tell then.....thanks again.....Chris.

 

[Farmgirl]

We have had cows with things like that before. Last one hubby used a sharp pocket knife and opened it up toward the bottom so it could drain. It probably will get well without treatment but will take longer than if you open it up. We talked to our vet about it. Said there is no need to give antibiotics because the body walls off the diseased area. Also, in our case the stuff in the knot was way too thick to draw through a needle. A knife was the only way to get a large enough opening to get the gross stuff out. A forewarning, stuff probably stinks to high heaven and when you open it up there may be pressure, so it may shoot out everywhere. Ours did.

Good luck,
Farmgirl

 

[Cowdirt]

Moloss, do you feed hay in hayrings. Many did not agree with me when I posted previously that I thought that it's caused by bruising and irritation while making contact with the hayring while eating. I had one last year; the vet gave me the above as a possible reason if the cow is otherwise healthy. Benign neglect successfully treated her. I have a different one now with the same condition. I'm treating her the same way. This condition, to this point, only comes up during hay feeding season.

 

[moloss]

Yes, I do feed in hay rings, although this is the first time I have seen this on any of my cows. That said, this particular cow I purchased Feb 2009, so this was her first winter at my farm.