Emaciated cow eats hay but eats one cube and stops

[M.Magis]

Glad she's eating good now, I hope she picks up weight. And fast.
As bad as she looks, I have to assume that trash wasn't just sitting in there. I would be worried that's not all of it.

 

[farmerjan]

Wow, amazing that she got it out is now eating. If you get her back to a decent weight, she needs to go. You don't need to deal with a trash eating cow.

 

[alisonb]

That animal arrived at your place with issues, don't want to sound negative but doubt that her problems are over. Anti inflammatory drugs can do wonders...for a while only. Honestly, I would not have been able to watch that cow every day, getting thinner and thinner, suffering...

Wish you luck and hope you make the right decision.

 

[Highpoint]

Thank you as I have picked those up multiple times and will give the guy leaving in pasture a heads up

 

[mjnetex]

Cow is still eating better (maybe 2 to 3 lbs. twice a day--not near as much as she should). She is still eating hay very well, but she has all along. She spit up another bolus of trash on Thursday (see pic). I am going to ask vet Monday what if anything I can give her to encourage more trash regurgitation if she does indeed have more trash in her rumen. All this trash has been in her since May or June, when she was on the property with the trash dump.
In the meantime, does anyone know of anything I can give her to encourage more trash regurgitation? So far two fist-size globs of mostly rope (some plastic trash bag in first one). And she has the run of a large pasture so there could be more she has spit up that I have not found. She is still acting as if she feels good, has befriended a heifer (licks her and they hang out together) and won't eat without her friend eating beside her for some reason.

 

[M.Magis]

There's a very good chance the rope/string is entangled in her intestines or stomachs. Theres also a good chance that in time it'll wear a hole causing a pretty ucomfortable death. I'm not sure what your goal with her is, but I don't think there's anything thats going to "cure" her. Personally, I'd cut my losses now.

 

[mjnetex]

Makes sense. Thanks.

 

[Putangitangi]

I was once in contact with a couple in Indonesia, one of whom was a vet - no nearby vet practices. She operated on a cow to remove something in the rumen that was blocking the exit to the rest of the system. You obviously want to save this cow, so maybe she's going to require a similar procedure, to remove whatever other trash is in there and stopping her feed from getting through.

 

[M.Magis]

Forgot to mention, vet may think surgery is an option but it may not be worth the cost.
Edit: beat me to it. Won't hurt to ask.

 

[wbvs58]

A rumenotomy is not that difficult a procedure with the right gear, done standing in a crush.

Ken

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

But does she have enough energy to withstand any kind of surgery?

 

[mjnetex]

I will talk to my vet today since we know what the problem is (exactly what he suspected). Sometimes she eats cubes pretty well and sometimes not, still scarfing down the hay but still very thin.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

If she were mine I'd hit her with a shot of B12...to increase her appetite...