Hardware Disease

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I was wondering if anybody knows if putting a magnet in a cow that possibly has hardware disease would hurt her worse if whatever might be in there would move in the wrong direction. ( have just been reading up on it and she has alot of the symptoms) The symptoms have been there for quite a long time thinking back on it . The last time we had the vet look at her we were treating her for her feet because of how she was walking and that was more than a year ago. Now putting symptoms together - walking tenderly, a little hunched over, decreased manure output ( little at a time) not very active, coughs sometimes. She is a very fat cow and loves to eat, so we always put a lot of these things to being over weight and have been trying to get her to get in better condition by cutting her grain. She has not gotten bred for 3 years in a row but someone has always talked me into giving her 1 more chance! Now if she is not bred she is down the road ! If she does have hardware disease , can I still send her in for hamburger or is there a way that that affects the meat? Thanks for your help!
 
Dropping a magnet in her can't hurt, but I doubt very seriously if it will help. She'll go as cutters and canners anyway, save the money and ship her.

dun

Kelly":399m7p6h said:
I was wondering if anybody knows if putting a magnet in a cow that possibly has hardware disease would hurt her worse if whatever might be in there would move in the wrong direction. ( have just been reading up on it and she has alot of the symptoms) The symptoms have been there for quite a long time thinking back on it . The last time we had the vet look at her we were treating her for her feet because of how she was walking and that was more than a year ago. Now putting symptoms together - walking tenderly, a little hunched over, decreased manure output ( little at a time) not very active, coughs sometimes. She is a very fat cow and loves to eat, so we always put a lot of these things to being over weight and have been trying to get her to get in better condition by cutting her grain. She has not gotten bred for 3 years in a row but someone has always talked me into giving her 1 more chance! Now if she is not bred she is down the road ! If she does have hardware disease , can I still send her in for hamburger or is there a way that that affects the meat? Thanks for your help!
 
It seems like the Vets would carry metal detectors with them. It wouldn't be all that difficult to tie the animal to a post away from any metal. Wouldn't this eliminate a lot of guess work? I know if I suspected hardware the first thing I would do is run a metal detector over the animal. Just a thought! :?

Rod
 
Like Dun says, can't hurt to run a magnet down her. Pretty inexpensive treatment for a cow. Only time I've seen hardware here, the cow got thinner, not fatter and it was over a couple of months time frame.

Just a little suggestion on your cow. Don't take it personally, but if she's been open that long, the chances of her re-breeding are pretty slim. It just seems like those kind of cows get too fat to rebreed. Look nice, but essentially Welfare animals. Don't pay their way and are just a financial drain on the operation. Usually just best to can her and replace her with a bred or pair.

Anyway, good luck with your cow. Hope things work out well for you.
Take care.
 
Another thing to remember is that metal is not the culprit in every case of hardware, much less ferrous metal.

Craig-TX
 
Also it doesn't take a very big piece to cause serious problems.

dun

Craig-TX":f7m32tet said:
Another thing to remember is that metal is not the culprit in every case of hardware, much less ferrous metal.

Craig-TX
 
Think you've waited too long to give her wheels. One missed pregnancy during one year year is too much in my book. I don't think "three strikes and you're out" should apply with missed pregnances.

On Hardware Disease:

Generically, we can consider such non-ferrous items (harmful to livestock) as bits of glass, plastic, string from hay bales, aluminum can tabs, and other trash that finds its way into pastures and pens. To me, a magnet would only "collect" more ferrous material in a blob--wouldn't get rid of it.

Keep livestock areas "policed" for foreign objects--not that difficult unless one's pasture(s) are hundreds or thousands of acres.

Just some thoughts...
 
dun":2yq7doxa said:
Dropping a magnet in her can't hurt, but I doubt very seriously if it will help. She'll go as cutters and canners anyway, save the money and ship her.

dun

Kelly":2yq7doxa said:
I was wondering if anybody knows if putting a magnet in a cow that possibly has hardware disease would hurt her worse if whatever might be in there would move in the wrong direction. ( have just been reading up on it and she has alot of the symptoms) The symptoms have been there for quite a long time thinking back on it . The last time we had the vet look at her we were treating her for her feet because of how she was walking and that was more than a year ago. Now putting symptoms together - walking tenderly, a little hunched over, decreased manure output ( little at a time) not very active, coughs sometimes. She is a very fat cow and loves to eat, so we always put a lot of these things to being over weight and have been trying to get her to get in better condition by cutting her grain. She has not gotten bred for 3 years in a row but someone has always talked me into giving her 1 more chance! Now if she is not bred she is down the road ! If she does have hardware disease , can I still send her in for hamburger or is there a way that that affects the meat? Thanks for your help!

If A cow has Hardware her carcass is condemned. The meat is bad.
 
Thanks for suggestions. I have the vet coming out to preg check - if she is bred I will try a magnet if not she is gone! I have a hard time believing she ate metal of any sort as I am always picking up anything in the pastures , unless it was something buried in a rock pile of a pasture we lease. I did think about a metal detector but would have to go buy one.
Thanks again
 

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