Excessive drool and swollen?

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Could you take a fecal in (if you're considering worms) anywhere sooner than a vet could come out? That might eliminate one variable.
Not that I'm aware of.
Stillwater does emergency but imagine its pricey!

That's why I've been kind of weighing just taking her there today. Kind of like an office visit or the emergency room. I'm thinking office visit..
 
Had a cow with a simular issue. It had a stolen lump like that. Vet said a puncture or cut on inside of mouth by jaw. Pretty common in poor years when cows are hustling grass and people are bailing any thing to sell.

He did an iv I think in kneck vein and gave penicillin.

By the time I got her in she was drooling and had started losing condition. She didn't kick what was probably an infection and went down hill.
 
Had a cow with a simular issue. It had a stolen lump like that. Vet said a puncture or cut on inside of mouth by jaw. Pretty common in poor years when cows are hustling grass and people are bailing any thing to sell.

He did an iv I think in kneck vein and gave penicillin.

By the time I got her in she was drooling and had started losing condition. She didn't kick what was probably an infection and went down hill.
I do believe that's we have here. Drought hay that was SUPPOSED to be good hay!
Put out a fresh bale today and here's what I find in the old....
20221231_095212.jpg
I certainly hope they broke more than just knives on their equipment. Can't stand being lied to
 
I'm with Ken... the likelihood of 'worms' causing bottle jaw in a 6-yr old cow is pretty slim.
Back in the day, I used to see cows with so-called 'Type II Ostertagiasis' that would almost double for a Johne's cow... but the macrocyclic lactone dewormers (ivermectin, doramectin, moxidectin, etc.) have been so widely used that it's been nearly 25 years since I saw Ostertagia as an issue in adult cows.
 
@MurraysMutts that is ridiculous but not uncommon.

I know I beat this drum a lot but after you get burned enough you will start to decide depending on others does not pay. When people talk about how cheap hay is for feed... remember this.
I agree.
Been working on being self sufficient, but it's a struggle to be sure.

I know things happen in the hay field. Lord knows I've been there. The other bales from this load were not nice either. Very disappointed. I won't be doing that again
 
I agree.
Been working on being self sufficient, but it's a struggle to be sure.

I know things happen in the hay field. Lord knows I've been there. The other bales from this load were not nice either. Very disappointed. I won't be doing that again
That cable in the hay is a case of hardware disease in the making.
 
Whatever the vet trip finds, and I agree that you ought to be okay for a few days til you can get an appt... If it is something like an infection/abcess/wooden tongue... and she is coming home... Get the vet to put a magnet in her also. They don't cost much and it won't hurt her or you... but it could save her life down the road. With the crap in that last bale, I agree that a little piece of that cable is a case of hardware just waiting to happen.

I am praying for Bessie.... I am her biggest fan/supporter after you....
 
Another thing... if the weather will cooperate... roll out these crappier bales... the cows will be less likely to pick up any wire/metal if it can fall to the ground rather than be in a big mouthful they pull out of the bale... You would need to go along with a magnet thing to maybe cleanup some of the little pieces of metal, but they will be less likely to get a piece stuck in their mouth/throat/jaw if the \hay is "loose" on the ground rather than rolled in a tight bale and pulled out to eat.
I well understand about crap that gets into bales... we have a couple hayfields alongside roads.. all sorts of garbage in them.... so unrolling will at least give the heavier stuff like some cable/metal/glass a chance to work it's way down through since they will not be as likely to have it in a mouth full they pull out.
 
Sodium iodide, IV, by your vet is the preferred treatment for woody tongue. When you check, look for sores or an abscess and the tongue will be hard (hence, woody). And give her a magnet. Woody tongue (if that's what it is) is sometimes a precursor to hardware - ingesting something that caused a cut/puncture/abrasion on the tongue and is now in the rumen.

Worms are another possibility. You'll see more of a bottle jaw and an injectable wormer is your best.

Anaplasmosis can cause excessive drooling. Check to see if her gums and vulva are white instead of a healthy pink, eyes may look jaundice.

Vet!!!!!
Sodium iodide iv aborts cows.
 
Sodium iodide iv aborts cows.
I had always heard that, but have since read that that is not true.
Merck Veterinary Manual says this:

Treatment of Actinomycosis in Cattle, Swine, and Other Animals

  • Sodium iodide is the treatment of choice in ruminants
The goal of treatment for actinomycosis is to kill the bacteria and stop the spread of the lesion. However, the size of the hard mass will usually not regress significantly. Sodium iodide is the treatment of choice in ruminant actinomycosis. Intravenous sodium iodide (70 mg/kg of a 10%–20% solution) is given once and then repeated several times at 7–10 day intervals. If clinical signs of iodine toxicity develop (including dandruff, diarrhea, anorexia, coughing, and excessive lacrimation), iodine administration should be discontinued or treatments given at greater intervals. Sodium iodide has been shown to be safe for use in pregnant cows and presents little risk of abortion. Concurrent administration of antimicrobials, including penicillin, florfenicol, or oxytetracycline, is recommended.
 
I would still test for johnnes , as I bought a Jersey heifer and bred her to calve at 2 , she had a nice heifer , I sent off a milk sample for mycoplasma testing because her calf developed an ear infection , and had them run BLV,BVD, and johnnes at the same time , she came back suspect on johnnes , so had fecal testing done and she was positive so both her and her calf went to butcher , luckily she had been kept seperated most of the time since she had calved , my other 2 cows were neg , and I am testing every 6 months , also left my pasture un irrigated with just a couple steers that went to butcher , I had always tested new cows in milk while they were in quarantine, but had bought this one at 300lbs so to young for testing , and there was nothing for me to think johnnes , she was a little thin but that is normal on some first calf dairy heifers
Suzanne
 
Sodium iodide iv aborts cows.
What @Silver posted. Not that there isn't the possibility because I wouldn't rule anything out, but both cows I had that were treated for woody tongue and one for lump jaw did not abort. Two made a full recovery. Kept one until mastitis ended her career and one until she was so old, she only had 3 teeth. One cow didn't make it and the woody tongue segued into hardware - and in spite of having a magnet.
 
Learned my lesson the hard way and now all my cows, bulls and retained heifers have a magnet. Cheap insurance and the best way to be proactive against hardware. Assuming it's something metal they ingested. Nothing you can do about shards of glass, sharp rocks, plastic, honey locust thorns, etc.

This is a pic of a magnet postmortem (not my cow). And the following link is where I buy my magnets, but you can get them at most farm stores.
1672524999042.png

 
What @Silver posted. Not that there isn't the possibility because I wouldn't rule anything out, but both cows I had that were treated for woody tongue and one for lump jaw did not abort. Two made a full recovery. Kept one until mastitis ended her career and one until she was so old, she only had 3 teeth. One cow didn't make it and the woody tongue segued into hardware - and in spite of having a magnet.
We just use iodine chrystals down the hatch and negate the question. In conjunction with LA. Have treated many over the years and some actual lump jaw cows that we stopped the advance of infection in the bone and got a few more years out of a couple cows
 
We just use iodine chrystals down the hatch and negate the question. In conjunction with LA. Have treated many over the years and some actual lump jaw cows that we stopped the advance of infection in the bone and got a few more years out of a couple cows
Learned my lesson the hard way and now all my cows, bulls and retained heifers have a magnet. Cheap insurance and the best way to be proactive against hardware. Assuming it's something metal they ingested. Nothing you can do about shards of glass, sharp rocks, plastic, honey locust thorns, etc.

This is a pic of a magnet postmortem (not my cow). And the following link is where I buy my magnets, but you can get them at most farm stores.
View attachment 24415

Looks like my pocket contents
 
Do you have one of those big magnets on wheels that you can push around? It's amazing how much debris I pick up around the barnyard, primarily because most of the outbuildings were built in the '30's and the previous owners weren't diligent about picking up. Anyway, might help sort out some of the metal in those shyt bales. Or doze as much as you can & haul it off.

I really would consider magnets for your girls. They're inserted with a balling gun, like you do with Sustain, and the magnet settles in the reticulum.
 

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