Her tail is gone!

[TCRanch]

Interesting, but in August??

Residual. Sometimes it can take a few months. Plus, we don't know where the OP lives. August may be hot where I'm from but feel like winter somewhere else - especially so if the initial injury/trauma/event happened a while ago.

 

[Mark Reynolds]

Residual. Sometimes it can take a few months. Plus, we don't know where the OP lives. August may be hot where I'm from but feel like winter somewhere else - especially so if the initial injury/trauma/event happened a while ago.

True, and I thought about it before I typed. That's why I put "??" instead of saying/typing: "Not in August!", which was my initial thought, but location changes initial perceptions, possibilities, and scenarios.

 

[coachg]

They split the tail and put salt in it for hollow tail.

But the tail fell off didn't it ?

 

[kenny thomas]

But the tail fell off didn't it ?

Never heard of it falling off but never seen it done either.
From what i heard the cow would start getting thin and some would say its hollow tail. It was really hollow belly. They would split the tail and put salt in, then put the cow in the barn and feed her really good for a few weeks. She would gain weight so they said they cured her when all they had really done was feed her good.

 

[coachg]

Years ago we had a couple of cows lose their tails . They were on a pasture we knew had high fescue toxicity. Cows had every sign of the fescue fungus . Both lost their tales about half way up and both were hollow . My grandfather called it hollow tail . Haven't seen it in years and don't know that's what caused it . Just relating a possible cause for a cow losing a tail .

 

[Travlr]

This from google: Do you know what hollow tail is? Answer: Hollow tail is a folklore name for a disease that does not exist. Many years ago before veterinarians received any formal training, backwoods self-proclaimed veterinarians diagnosed this disease in cattle.

And further down: What causes tail loss in cattle?

Ergot's connection with tail loss is that it contains toxic alkaloids that constrict blood vessels in the animals' extremities (e.g. the tail). Those tissues are starved of blood flow. A dry gangrene can result, and the withered body part falls off.

 

[Mark Reynolds]

I've never heard of 'hollow tail' as a disease. However, the symptoms as described (which do not fit the loss of this tail) do fit with fescue toxicosis which is caused by alkaloids produced by the endophyte specific to KY31 tall fescue. The dry gangrene can result in withered body parts that potentially can be hollow from withering/tissue shrinkage after tissue death. Normally tail switches (not the whole tail) top half of ears, and feet. 'hollow tail' is an apt description for this condition, and often low/no weight gain or weight loss is associated with the condition as well, and a low grade fever. A change of feed will solve many of the symptoms. Won't make the body parts grow back though. Put salt in the tail, OUCH! unless the tail is dead already.

 

[alacowman1]

I've heard of Hollow tail..always thought it was like the bloodletting in the old days. Don't know if it'll work ,but let's try it

 

[kenny thomas]

I've heard of Hollow tail..always thought it was like the bloodletting in the old days. Don't know if it'll work ,but let's try it

I think thats exactly what happened back then.

 

[RNW]

My husband was checking his herd this morning and found a cow missing her tail! Totally ripped off! What could have caused this? View attachment 34178

i have had peple tell me that it is fescue in my pasture and it weakens the tail...my opinion, she was laying down, chewing her cud and another cow stepped on her tail and she stood up suddenly...simple but it has happened here 3 times...that is what i believe

 

[Mark Reynolds]

i have had peple tell me that it is fescue in my pasture and it weakens the tail...my opinion, she was laying down, chewing her cud and another cow stepped on her tail and she stood up suddenly...simple but it has happened here 3 times...that is what i believe

Um....that's not really what the fescue does. I can see how that maybe it is thought of this way, but no. Look at @Travlr post and my last post on this thread for the truth behind what causes fescue to have an effect on the tail, and what that effect is.

In short (sort of) its the alkaloid produced by the fungus (endophyte) found within the tall fescue that restricts blood flow in body extremities (tail included) which causes dry gangrene which kills the extremities (weakens I suppose, if death is weakening) and results in the now dead extremities falling off.