My new Jersey has a fever...

[supermom723]

Hi! I'm new here and new to cattle. I got a Jersey for Mothers day, and she's lovely! Sweet, gentle, and gave us 3 gallons a day. Until Sunday, when she dropped down to a just over a gallon, and then yesterday I milked her 3 times and got just a quart each time. She hasn't but nibbled her grain, though she's grazing normally. She may be laying down more than normal, but we had a bit of a heat wave through the weekend, so I thought the neat and the flies were stressing her out.

The vet came today, and took her temp twice, and it was 105, and she was in the shade for a while. He said he heard "a little rattle" in one lung and her respiration were 78, which he said is twice what they should be. He doesn't think its pneumonia, or something transmitted by a fly, and no mastitis. So he gave her a big ol shot of antibiotics, and said to wait and see. He did warn it may be hardware sickness, and she could either recover within the week or go down, time will tell.

I've spent three hours watching her in the yard. She's munching the clover like crazy, she ate about 20 of my corn stalks while I was rounding up a goat, and she nosed around and found a bale of alfalfa and dug right into it. She doesn't grunt or have trouble layingg or getting up, she's drinking and dropping the "proper" poo all over just as usual. I went out and grabbed a couple of bags of NutraBeef which check loves, and a bag of cracked corn to get her back up and running again, but I'm still worried she will abort, or worse, die. If anyone has any ideas, or has seen things just turn right around, I'd love to hear. And if it looks like we shouldn't get our hopes up, I can handle it. I just can't believe she was fine last week, and now this...and she's so new to is, amd we are in love with her! I can't afford to replace her, either...we got her for a song...thanks for reading this...

Prada-wearin' city lawyer turned Farm Girl
Married to Mr. Don't Look at Me, I'm Not a Farmer
Homeschool mom to 7 littles and one done grown!
Honey, Jersey milk cow, calf due early December
Sugar, Sammy & Holly, Anatolian X Maremma
Moses, 6 month old English Stiff
Starting in Nigerian Dwarf Goats

 

[jkwilson]

I'd go easy on the grain, but let her have hay. The antibiotic may mess up her digestive system.

The fact that she's eating is a good sign. Temp is pretty high, but it's pretty common to have things like this happen with cows and they usually get over it just fine.

It would be well worth your while to be able to take her temperature yourself. Be sure to get a thermometer with a loop for a string.

 

[dun]

I'd go easy on the grain, but let her have hay. The antibiotic may mess up her digestive system.

The fact that she's eating is a good sign. Temp is pretty high, but it's pretty common to have things like this happen with cows and they usually get over it just fine.

It would be well worth your while to be able to take her temperature yourself. Be sure to get a thermometer with a loop for a string.

Put an alligator clip on the end of the string so you can clip it to the hair. Keeps them from hitting thnd/etc and breaking.

 

[supermom723]

Thanks for the thermometer tips! I've been vetting my dogs and cats for a few years, so I'm game for learning how to do basics on our cow. We are surrounded by cattle on all sides and some old farmer neighbors with whom we are friendly, so I'm taking your advice, and I'll have help nearby. I had already scheduled for the vet come out to give her a routine checkup, it just so happened she was sick. But yeah, good tips...thanks! oh, and she is back on full feed, on a probiotic, and she trotted up the hill to be milked, where she gave a full gallon, as opposed to last might's measly quart! and a friend is feeding it to her piggies, so it's not a total waste!

 

[supermom723]

Ok, after spending most of the night reading these boards, I'm afraid that a few days of a 105 fever will cause birth defects or cause my cow to abort...she's 4 months, seems the fever is gone today, but what can I expect with her calving in December? I will call the vet toward he end of his day when he's not in the middle of things and ask, but I have a feeling I should pray for the best and expect the worst...

 

[djinwa]

Don't know if you're still around, but here's my two cents. I've got more book learning than practical, so take it for what it's worth.

Where are you from, and how hot and humid has it been?

In the breed section, there is a thread about shade, and discussion of heat stress. So that's on my mind and I've been reading about it.

So when I see your story, that's what popped out at me. You mention the heat wave.

Question is whether your cow had a fever from infection or from the heat, or a combination. When assessing body temp, you need to consider outside temps. I bet if you took her temp in Feb, she'd be at or near normal. Could have an infection, but probably not as bad as body temp in the heat makes it look. Would be interesting to take temps of random cows during the heat wave.

Heat stress could explain her symptoms. Cows are somewhat like dogs, in that they increase repiration to cool themselves - could explain her rapid respiration. Likewise, with heat stress, the last thing they want to do is eat, as digestion increases body temp. And without eating, the milk production would drop.

Jerseys are the first type I'd think of for overheating, as they're low on fat, but cows heat builds up over time - especially if nights are warm and they can't dissipate their heat. Here's some reading.

http://vetmed.iastate.edu/vdpam/extensi ... eef-cattle

http://www.cattletoday.com/archive/2007 ... 1033.shtml

 

[djinwa]

Don't know if you're still around, but here's my two cents. I've got more book learning than practical, so take it for what it's worth.

Where are you from, and how hot and humid has it been?

In the breed section, there is a thread about shade, and discussion of heat stress. So that's on my mind and I've been reading about it.

So when I see your story, that's what popped out at me. You mention the heat wave.

Question is whether your cow had a fever from infection or from the heat, or a combination. When assessing body temp, you need to consider outside temps. I bet if you took her temp in Feb, she'd be at or near normal. Could have an infection, but probably not as bad as body temp in the heat makes it look. Would be interesting to take temps of random cows during the heat wave.

Heat stress could explain her symptoms. Cows are somewhat like dogs, in that they increase repiration to cool themselves - could explain her rapid respiration. Likewise, with heat stress, the last thing they want to do is eat, as digestion increases body temp. And without eating, the milk production would drop.

Jerseys are the first type I'd think of for overheating, as they're low on fat, but cows heat builds up over time - especially if nights are warm and they can't dissipate their heat. Here's some reading.

http://vetmed.iastate.edu/vdpam/extensi ... eef-cattle

http://www.cattletoday.com/archive/2007 ... 1033.shtml

As for aborting, I don't know the incidence of that for heat stress. If your neighbor has black cows that aren't aborting in the heat, you might be okay.

 

[hillsdown]

If you suspect hardware at all, throw a magnet down her. You should be able to buy them at any ag supply store and make sure it is the good kind not the cheap coated ones. You will need a large bolus gun .

What meds did your vet give her. I hope it was Nuflor at least . You can be giving her probiotics as well .