Sorry you lost her. We see this often on cows cleaning up the sugar beet and/or potato fields. You find them standing/staying in the water and first you suspect it is because she is running a fever, but the cow is actually wishing she could drink. If you watch the cow she will take a big gulp of water, put her head down, and then it all runs back out. Usually, the object gets stuck right where the esophagus meets the rumen. There is a sphincter type muscle there that is used to contain the elements within the rumen and opens to allow more incoming nutrition. It is also sort of a constricting point that tends to catch objects that are just a little larger than the diameter of the esophagus. Blockage here doesn't prevent them from breathing, only swallowing food and water. The cow will die of dehydration in 2 - 4 days if left untreated. We have used a rubber hose. We cut the insertion end off at an angle and then cut the tip off of the angle (so there are no sharp points). We also have used a broom handle on the tougher ones. We put a Frick speculum (aluminum piece of pipe with blunt ends) into her mouth where one end is against the back of her throat and the other is sticking out the mouth. Hold her head up high so her neck/throat is as straight as can be, lube the handle with some OB lube, and slide it in. It goes in easy enough. Once the obstruction is reached it takes just the right amount of pressure to push it on it. Just a little too much pressure and you do mortal damage(the throat swells shut from the damage done). If the rubber hose works, you are usually in the clear. The rumen will do the rest.
