Lethargic/ Not Eating Steer

[JillianeSchro]

Got home tonight & Kringle hadn't touch his hay or Grain all day (he'll sniff & nudge at the food but that's it) he's acting lethargic - isn't sure if he's drank anything. Very unlike him. Anyone have any ideas to help him?? We did some work in his stall the other day, I checked the bedding or any foreign objects, nails ect. and didn't see any so we let him back in.. could he have Hardwear Disease? We never gave him a magnet, yet have one.. should we give him one now just in case??

 

[Roadapple]

If you dropped a nail in the bedding, there's a good chance you did'nt find it without a magnet. Along with the magnet, take his temp. and give a good shot of penn. Magnet won't hurt anything anyway.

 

[colleen]

Could someone explain dropping a magnet and what it does. I have an idea, but not sure. Do they pass the magnet? Please and thank you!

 

[JillianeSchro]

Colleen, A magnet is administered to cattle via a piller type device to help catch all the metallic objects they may ingest such as nails or wires which could easily get wrapped up in their stomachs causing perforations... this condition is usually referred to as "hardware disease". The magnet its self isn't passed though the body but resides in the rumen or reticulum for the life of the animal. This is where all the metallic objects collect as well. It isn't uncommon for an animal to be feed more than magnet throughout its life depending on how long the animal is around, there are even magnet retrievers that some farmers use to retrieve the magnets back out of their animals to be cleaned and reinserted. But usually they reside in the animal for life as a preventive measure against hardware disease.

 

[dun]

Could someone explain dropping a magnet and what it does. I have an idea, but not sure. Do they pass the magnet? Please and thank you!

A magnet gets placed so that it is swalloed and it stays in the rumen. The magnet will attract and hold small ferous metal pieces and hold them until they can break down. Hardware disease/wired are the terms usually used for metalic objects in the guts.

 

[colleen]

I see! Thanks, Dun.

 

[colleen]

So the magnet stays in the rumen, it's not passed. How big is it? Lol. Sorry for the questions!

 

[hillsdown]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cow_magnet

 

[colleen]

Thanks

 

[B&M Farms]

Got home tonight & Kringle hadn't touch his hay or Grain all day (he'll sniff & nudge at the food but that's it) he's acting lethargic - isn't sure if he's drank anything. Very unlike him. Anyone have any ideas to help him?? We did some work in his stall the other day, I checked the bedding or any foreign objects, nails ect. and didn't see any so we let him back in.. could he have Hardwear Disease? We never gave him a magnet, yet have one.. should we give him one now just in case??

Ive seen steers go off feed for a day or two and then go back to normal with no treatment. Has he started eating yet? Hardware disease is a possibility but he could just be feeling a little ill. Maybe an antibiotic would help but he may go back to normal on his own. I wouldn't worry about one day of not eating unless it continued.

 

[snickers]

our holstein steer did the same thing when i gave him a extra scoop of grain and apparently he wasnt ready to get more, he ate it but the next day he wouldnt eat any of the grain but he came around and i stuck to the program and he did fine. this was in the mid summer though and it was hot so i dont know if that contributed to it or not.