Dead calf

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

OK Guru's - I've been calving for over 30 years and this is new to me. Found a cow that showed signs that she had calved - 3 weeks early. Went looking & found the calf. At first, I couldn't figure out why it looked so strange. Than I began pulling the sack off of it. It wasn't the normal brith sack - it was the placenta. The umbilical cord was totally attached. I talked with my "old" vet, and he said the calf had to be dead before delivery.
Anyone see anything like this??

 

[dun]

We had a rash of those types back in the 70s. Chlamydia aka Foothills abortion. The face of the placenta and for that matter the whole mess had kind of a pink frothy substance covering it. Similar to a strawberry milkshake, but kind of chunky.

dun

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

We had a rash of those types back in the 70s. Chlamydia aka Foothills abortion. The face of the placenta and for that matter the whole mess had kind of a pink frothy substance covering it. Similar to a strawberry milkshake, but kind of chunky.

dun

Didn't see anything that looked like that - but it had snow on it & don't know how many hours old it was. These cows are still in the "back 40" and only see them once a day.
Did something "cause" your abortions?? Chlamydia??? I remember that word but can't put a description in my head. Is that when the placenta seperates too early - very painful for the cow if I remember??

 

[dun]

I just went back and looked up chlamydia and it's (was at the time) in the western US and europe.
That's exactly what it does. The virus or bacteria or whatever it is, grows between the connective tissue on the placenta and the uterus and cause them to disconnect and the fetus to die. If they have been disconnecting for a long time, when you actaully pull the fetus, the bones are rubbery and it usually comes apart so you pull it out piece by piece. Others die right at or just prior to birth. Disgusting and a real stinker to treat. A real stinker to smell too.

dun

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I just went back and looked up chlamydia and it's (was at the time) in the western US and europe.
That's exactly what it does. The virus or bacteria or whatever it is, grows between the connective tissue on the placenta and the uterus and cause them to disconnect and the fetus to die. If they have been disconnecting for a long time, when you actaully pull the fetus, the bones are rubbery and it usually comes apart so you pull it out piece by piece. Others die right at or just prior to birth. Disgusting and a real stinker to treat. A real stinker to smell too.

dun

This is one of my oldest cows so I plan on shipping her rather than keeping her open. BUT, are you saying this is a "disease" and I may be expecting MORE!! Not a pleasant thought. First cows/heifers due to calf starts 1-20. They are vaccinated for everything - Cornell Recommendations followed. This calf was not decomposed at all. Calf looked normal.

 

[dun]

If it doesn't have the strawberry milkshake look or decomposed it's almost surly not chlamydia.
The really nasty part about chlamydia is that exposure to the fetal membranes or even the pink yuck will infect all of them that come in contact with it. In our case it took one that was due just two weeks ahead of everything else. We ended up with 90% plus of loss of babys that year. If they don't abort the year they're infected, they'll abort the next. But once they've aborted they never do it again and they don't contaminate anymore.
In your case I would think it's what we all refer to as da-- bad luck and an issolated instance.

dun

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

If it doesn't have the strawberry milkshake look or decomposed it's almost surly not chlamydia.
The really nasty part about chlamydia is that exposure to the fetal membranes or even the pink yuck will infect all of them that come in contact with it. In our case it took one that was due just two weeks ahead of everything else. We ended up with 90% plus of loss of babys that year. If they don't abort the year they're infected, they'll abort the next. But once they've aborted they never do it again and they don't contaminate anymore.
In your case I would think it's what we all refer to as da-- bad luck and an issolated instance.

dun

Well, that's what my vet thought, but wanted to throw it out there for other opinions.
By the way, check out the Breeders Page - I put a poll on it.