Discharge late pregnancy

[Hardin Farms]

So this cow is a first time heifer. Her calf is due any time now. On Jan. 9 i noticed the clear, milky discharge and since, it has continued to be a brown or bloody discharge as in the last pic. Should i be concerned? She isn't showing any sign of discomfort. Body condition remains good and her bag starting filling in a week or so ago.

 

[southalberta]

Is there any odour to it? She stiff at all when she walks? Hunch backed etc
Pictures are difficult to tell much

 

[Hardin Farms]

Is there any odour to it? She stiff at all when she walks? Hunch backed etc
Pictures are difficult to tell much

None of the above. She isn't lethargic or anything. Very much normal otherwise.

 

[Bigfoot]

I've seen em pass slime for a long while before calving......Gotta say, that's slime looks odd though.

 

[Nesikep]

some discharge, usually translucent, is normal, that looks off!

 

[Hardin Farms]

some discharge, usually translucent, is normal, that looks off!

That's my thoughts as well. I'll watch her for the next few days and continue to observe behavior.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Call your vet and at the very least send him or her these photos.

 

[southalberta]

What part of the country are you in? Could be a mineral difficiency. Have one myself that looks like that not due for 5 weeks and mine was low on thiamine was all

 

[Katpau]

That sure doesn't look like the usual pre-calving slime. That picture makes it look like she has already slipped the calf and she has a portion of retained placenta hanging out. I'd be looking for a calf. I suspect it was not born alive, and by now something may have carried it off.

I also saw something similar once on a cow that had a calf with both feet back. She was unable to pass the calf and the placenta came out first. If that were the case though, she should be very sick or dead by now, because the calf would be dead inside. In our case we saw her in labor earlier in the day and when we came back we saw her trying to pass the afterbirth. There was no calf in sight, so we gloved up and found the problem.

 

[TCRanch]

1st pic, hard to tell. 2nd pic looks like she's already calved (or aborted), primarily based on the dark tint of the discharge wrapped around her tail. What do her teats look like? And does she look thinner? I'd take a good whiff of her hind section and glove up - and call your vet. After almost 3 weeks of noticing something is "off", I'd suggest not waiting/watching any longer.

 

[southalberta]

If something was really wrong there would be smell, more swelling , bag lethargy fever symptoms sometimes leaving stuff alone and letting nature take its course is good

 

[MurraysMutts]

I agree the second pic looks like she calved. That stuff on the tail looks pretty classic to me. I'd be looking real hard at her teats to see of anything has been nursing. And definitely looking for a calf.
Best of luck!
Let us know....

Had to edit. Looking at that first pic closer, looks like placenta and not discharge.
Perhaps that pic is decieving.

 

[wbvs58]

I'd clean her up a bit, cut some of the long hair away. I think it is just a matter of all the mucous she has passed just clinging together and forming a matt with the hair. Not real healthy having it hanging around the birth canal so practice a bit of personal hygene for her.

Ken

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I would be gloving up & looking for a calf. that is not "normal" looking anything prior to calving.
Ken, I respect your opinion, but - LOL, that is really not very "long hair" for ALL my cows. We get cold weather. Our cows have lots of hair.

 

[ccr]

1st pic don't look right to me either. If she was mine I would call the vet.

Hope things will be ok, but let us know how this turns out. Thanks.

 

[regolith]

what others have said. Both pictures suggest the animal has either calved and retained placenta, or started calving and got into trouble. Needs to be checked, she *may* be recovering without need for intervention if she is behaving normally. Or she might not be.

 

[Hardin Farms]

This was yesterday evening at feeding. I am moving my corral panels to this pasture to see if i can get her up and check her. I just bought the property and don't really have a way to handle them. The day following the first picture, I did walk the pasture for a couple hours and couldn't find calf or any signs of birth. She was acting normal and as you can see from the pics very little bag so i thought maybe she hadn't calved and it was just discharge. She doesn't appear to be any thinner and her bag is actually the biggest it has been currently. Would she not begin to dry up if she had lost a calf 2 weeks ago? I am with these cows every evening and usually can tell when one is getting ready to calve. She never had any swelling in her back end, never separated herself from other cows.. Just business as usual for her.

 

[Hardin Farms]

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPXoWyECUxjqdOjSE5wT1j6F59Kzypti1TMWkJL

 

[MurraysMutts]

Hoping for the best for u and her!

That last post didnt show a picture

 

[Hardin Farms]

What part of the country are you in? Could be a mineral difficiency. Have one myself that looks like that not due for 5 weeks and mine was low on thiamine was all

Northern Mississippi.. I'll have the vet take look at the photos and call him up if i get her in there.