Panting

[lancemart]

My Heifer is breathing shallow and fast, on a full stomach after eating very green pasture. She is getting very big and I cut way back on her grain. How can I tell when the day is near. I did not keep track of when she was bred. Probably Nov or December 2004. After hearing from eveyone I can assume she is panting because she is pregnant. The Vet will be out to check the horses on Friday so I will have him look at her. What do you think?

 

[Farminlund]

I think it is hot - we had nearly 90 yesterday & about the same today. Some really pant & breath hard in hot weather.

 

[Farminlund]

I didn't answer your question. It is hard to tell for sure but if she is getting close to calving she will begin to bag up & will start swelling in the back end. Some bag as much as a couple months prior to calving others in just a week or so. The swelling again varies but is much closer to delivery say about a couple weeks to 3 weeks prior. These are pretty gross estimates, suspect others might have more definative timetables.

 

[jerry27150]

takes 9 months & 10 days or somewhere close from breeding time. why are you feeding her grain? it will sometimes make a bigger calf.

 

[Daybreak]

Howdy,
A few things come to mind.
first time heifer? well, the calf inside and making room, and organs get pushed around. Her lung capacity is reduced due to the calf in there.

Fescue heating. Fescue can heat the blood, er officially, lowers the exchange rate for lungs, air to blood. Once the daytime high, around 2pm here, goes by, and 7pm comes, they all spread back out and go about eating again.

Both items are normal events. Do not be overly concerned. I would suggest that you keep an eye on that first time heifer in case of complications.