Heifer off to herself UPDATED she gave birth

[b&langusfarms]

First calf heifer, who shouldnt be due till April but was exposed to a bull nonstop (my bad) For 2 days now she keeps going off by herself and lying down and she normally is one who doesnt like to be touched. But I can walk up to her and touch her a few times before she gets up to go away from me. I have seen her drinkning and eating from the hay bale a few times. Although I offered her grain and she didnt want any. She hasnt gooten hurt in any way that I know of and doesnt appear to be sick. I am wondering if she bred earlier than we think and is getting ready to calve?? Just not used to days of being off by themselves like that. Thought??

 

[hillsdown]

First thing I would do is take her temp.Should be 100-103 f.

Btw is she making an udder at all?

 

[b&langusfarms]

I am at work now but tomorrow will try and get her up in the shoot to get a temp. I can definately see her udders more pronounced but no large bag per say.

 

[hillsdown]

If her temp is normal I am more inclined to think that she is due sooner than expected. If that is the case then the most you can do is keep a close eye on her and assist her if she needs it.

If you are really worried and the temp is normal glove up and see what's going on and if not sure about gloving up and what you are supposed to feel, call a vet out.

Good luck and keep us all posted.

BTW if it is a temp make sure you have meds on hand so you can treat her asap when you check her..




"please excuse typos and spelling "

 

[b&langusfarms]

If she has a temp, and that is possibly the only thing I notice wrong at that time, what antibotic would be recommended? Penicillin??

 

[hillsdown]

Can you take her temp before work tomorrow ? If she has a temp stop by your vet clinic and tell them what is going on and do not leave without a stronger med than pen, like Nuflor Excenel or Trivetrin. Don't go for Exceed or Draxxin as those are only really good for pneumonia you want a brood spectrum antibiotic and no pen is not good enough.

GL

 

[larryshoat]

Read the "Thirsty Cow" thread and try not to fall into that same trap .I usually don't post on brood cow questions because there are people on here that know a lot more about it than I do . If the " Thirsty Cow " owner had followed hillsdowns advice it would probably still be alive . In these pnuemonia cases (if that's what you have) you don't have long to figure it out . hillsdown has given some good advice here,and it needs to be implemented quickly . Pull temp and if needed a good antibiotic .

Larry

 

[novatech]

Some cows don,t make much of a bag. Are her teats full of milk? Have you checked for other signs of her maybe getting ready to calve. Could she actually be in labor?

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Does not sign like going into labor to me. Sounds like she's sick. Possibly she has a respiratory problem or calf died & is making her sick???
If it was just a matter of her going into first stages of labor - she would be LESS likely to let anyone TOUCH HER! I would get antibiotics in her PRONTO. Of course, take a temp first, but I would be surprised if she doesn't have a temp. Or, if her temp is LOW, she may be too far gone to save.

 

[Limomike]

I tend to agree with Nova. Alot of first year heifers dont produce much of a bag in their first calfing. I have had heifers calve in January, when I thought they were bred for an April calf. I dont know if I would just go shooting her with antibiotics... If she is drinking and eating fine, then I would just take a wait and see approach.

 

[b&langusfarms]

I think she looks worse now that I have gotten home from work. She is just lying there. I can make her get up, but she doesnt pop straight up like normal. It took her 3 tries I think to get standing. Her temp was 100.4 and I palpated her rectally and she is pregnate but baby feels really little(I was VERY gentle) so I am inclined to think she is actually due in March as I originally thought. But she has dark bloody loose stool with some mucous in it. There was alot of gas and she only walked around for possibly 2 min and then layed down again and I did all this with her just laying there. Something is very wrong for me to even be able to touch her much less palpate her with her not in the chute. Please give me any sugestions you have.... I have a call into the vet, but they wont come out in the middle of the day around here and I honestly dont think I can load her alone.

 

[b&langusfarms]

I can definately do that, I guess I just understood it as though if no fever no antibotics????

 

[b&langusfarms]

I have called them and am on the way now to pick up antibotics and gave the sulfa pills too for the diarehea... Will update

 

[Howdyjabo]

Give her a big dose of Epsom salts.

 

[dun]

Did you take a stool sample in to the vet when you went?

 

[SRBeef]

what has she been eating lately (in the past week or two)? Anything different?

 

[b&langusfarms]

Not eating anything any different but thry are building a house next door and I was worried she ei\either ate somrthing that blew over from there or the wrap on the hay bale. I dont know???

 

[bandit80]

A thought for someone who might know. Since they are building a house next door, what might some fiberglass insulation do to a cow if she happened to consume some of it??

 

[b&langusfarms]

Not sure on the insulation question, but they havent started installing it yet. But there is constantly plastic bags and trash blowing over. Talked with the vet on the phone a little bit ago and she seems to think it is either hardware disease or the eating of some kind of plastic. So she has me giving antibotics for 5 days and we gave her a magnet just in case and I guess we will wait and see what happens. I dont know what else to do. :help:

 

[hillsdown]

A magnet will not hurt and I have been known to shove one down a throat now and again when stumped..

It doesn't sound like hardware ,symptoms are grunting ,hunched up and in a lot of pain.

If it was a blockage she most likely wouldn't pass anything..Now other things are twisted bowl /twisted stomach but that is most common after they calve. But usually they are in pain and not really pooping.

What meds were you given and did you take her temp again?