??? hereford sick, not sure what she has ???

[coolpop]

I have a 27 mths hereford, just calved one mth ago, she started with coughing, then bad breath, now brown rings on her nose. I believe it's something bacterial, but I don't know what. She has a great appetite, plenty of energy, lots of milk for her calf, no signs of being sick other than those mentioned above. ?? Any ideas what she has and how to treat it ?? We live in a race track town and can't get a vet for cattle. HELP. Thanks.

 

[Susie David]

Are the brown rings the result of breathing dust...(plain o'l snot and dust can make for a ugly mix) some of ours get green rings and a cough from the fines in the alflafa. Is the cow coughing all the time or only at certain times of the day, like during and after feeding. I'd take her temp. How is her manure, no scours.
Bad breath...not the semi-sweet, digesting grass odor that we'd love to bottle.
IMO...I'd keep an eye on her, wipe her nose, take her temp and wait....how's the calf doing?
We've had our first cold mornings and the noses started to run and the eyes weep...gone in a few days...just like people.
Good luck....DMc

 

[coolpop]

no temp, manure is normal no scours, coughing mostly after eating and running. her calf is doing great, growing fast. brown rings are actually in the pigment of her nose. the snot from her nose is thick and dark. bad breath odor actually smells like someone farted - that type of bad. any thoughts??

 

[J]

I can't say that I have ever smelled ones breath. Should I be?

Maybe I'll try it tonight... :lol: :lol:

 

[Texan]

Trying harder to locate a vet is my first suggestion. Other than that, random thoughts include---

If she doesn't have an elevated temp, it's likely not bacterial, in my experience. Or if it is, it would be in the early stages. Any time I've had a cow sick enough to have a dark nasal discharge, she had an obvious fever. What makes you think it could be bacterial?

Is your cow ruminating and chewing her cud normally? Any changes in her feed recently? Some of the symptoms you describe can suggest a cow that is having digestive trouble, although the normal appetite you described really doesn't indicate that.

I know you said her manure is normal, but is there a normal volume? Is she bloated at all? Cows with digestive troubles will often cough after eating and rumen contents will come through their nose during vomiting or regurgitation, giving the appearance of dark snot. You also said that she coughs after running. Why is she running? Lastly, refer back to first suggestion.

 

[Caustic Burno']

Trying harder to locate a vet is my first suggestion. Other than that, random thoughts include---

If she doesn't have an elevated temp, it's likely not bacterial, in my experience. Or if it is, it would be in the early stages. Any time I've had a cow sick enough to have a dark nasal discharge, she had an obvious fever. What makes you think it could be bacterial?

Is your cow ruminating and chewing her cud normally? Any changes in her feed recently? Some of the symptoms you describe can suggest a cow that is having digestive trouble, although the normal appetite you described really doesn't indicate that.

I know you said her manure is normal, but is there a normal volume? Is she bloated at all? Cows with digestive troubles will often cough after eating and rumen contents will come through their nose during vomiting or regurgitation, giving the appearance of dark snot. You also said that she coughs after running. Why is she running? Lastly, refer back to first suggestion.

I have to agree with Texan on this one find a Vet and in my experience it has been viral also.

 

[Beefy]

it sounds viral to me also. I have seen cows with symptoms like you describe die FAST. with a vet doctoring them everyday too. viruses are nasty. i suggest you get a vet out and hope that i'm wrong.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Sorry, I disagree. If she does NOT have a fever, is eating good - just observe her. Even if she has a bug, if she keeps eating well, let it run it's course.
If she's still running & playing with her calf (that's an assumption) then why worry??
Just watch her for a change - watch her ears - make sure they don't droop - sure sign of a fever.

 

[dun]

Sorry, I disagree. If she does NOT have a fever, is eating good - just observe her. Even if she has a bug, if she keeps eating well, let it run it's course.
If she's still running & playing with her calf (that's an assumption) then why worry??
Just watch her for a change - watch her ears - make sure they don't droop - sure sign of a fever.

Frequently benign neglect is the proper course.

dun

 

[coolpop]

Valley Vets offered a suggestion over the phone - wouldn't come out. Oxytetracycline for 4 days which I did, no cough, brown rings dissappeared. week later, cough comes back, now I have a few other young herefords coughing. So I put terramycin in the drinking water and plan to continue for 14 days. Thank you everyone for your information and suggestions, anything you can think of, please let me know.

 

[coolpop]

It's now March 06' Hereford doing very well, but still has a cough. I thinking leason's in her throat ??? don't know.

 

[Howdyjabo]

Allergies

 

[coolpop]

Allergies ?? how do I handle that??

 

[rkm]

It could could be lung damage from untreated problem she had when she was a calf or young heifer. It shows up again when she under stress. like calving. The older she gets it may get worse. If It is old lung damage oxytet will give tempory relief but probably won't cure her.

 

[Howdyjabo]

Lung damage or allergies
As in Mother goose........To market to market to sell a fat heiferette.

Actually I know of a very aged cow in the neighborhood that has had allergies forever and just keeps going and going. Doesn't seem to bother her or her calves-- but she'd irritate me.
Shes allergic to hay(or whatever in hay). a month or so into grass she'll quit till next time to feed hay.

 

[coolpop]

she does seem to cough more when eating hay. She sticks her tougue out, coughs several times, her eyes go buggy, saliva falls from her mouth. I tell her to go get a drink of water, she goes to the trough, drinks, stops coughing. I got her when she was only one day old, she was born at a stock sale, the mother didn't claim her, clean her, nothing. Of course the stock sale didn't do anything for her, just push her in the ring. She was blind when I brought her home. I summized a vitamin D defiency on the mother's part, treated her, she slowly regained all of her sight. She has taken the first time we AI'd twice, she takes great care of her calves, nothing else wrong but this blasted cough for the past 8 mths.

 

[Howdyjabo]

Then she had no colostrum--- she's gonna be extra sensitive and reactive. Odd are sooner or latter something is gonna get her.

 

[Bez!]

Why in the name of heavens do you still have this animal?

Get rid of it.

Sooner the better.

Sounds like probable junk. And do not say it is your favourite pet please. It is an animal designed to produce offspring and food. Treat it well and learn that all of them have a shelf life.

Find a better animal and buy it.

Use it as a replacement.

Any calves this animal has had are potential problems simply because they are daughters. Sell them too.

End of trouble.

A cow herd is supposed to be trouble free. They never are truly that way. But ..... you should be STRIVING to make it so.

Next post from you should read - "sold cow and acquired two replacement heifers"

You acquired two, because you know you are going to cull one of them - or sell it as a bred heifer to help cover your costs on the new keeper.

Regards,

Bez!

 

[coolpop]

yes - the day she was born I brought her home and gave her colostrum from a dairy cow I had in the freezer. Gave it to her for 3 days. she seems to be very strong and healthy in all other aspects.