Prolapse

[skyline]

Rough day. Last night I found one of my cows with a vaginal prolapse about the size of a baseball. First one for me. Had checked on the herd 24 hours before and she was fine. Found a vet this morning, who came out at 3 pm today. The prolapse was by that time hard and almost the size of a volleyball. Took 3 hours and a lot of work, but we got her put back together and sewn up. The vet says this is genetic.

I'm thinking I should sell her as soon as she heals up (at the auction barn for slaughter). Really don't want to go through this ordeal again. I'm down $250 and a lot of lost sleep over this deal. This may be a no-brainer, but Dun, Bez, Caustic, Backhoe, et. al. - do you agree with my sell decision? I guess my question is are prolapsed cows more likely to do it again?

BTW, for all the newbies (include me as a newbie) out there that think they can run cattle a long way from the house and just check them occasionally, this is a good example of why you need to look at your cows fairly often.

 

[skyline]

A little more information. She's a 2003 model and has given me my best heifer calves the last 2 years.

 

[Brute 23]

I would say she has to go... but then again I have never kept one around to see if they would do it again.

Any calving issues that require me,, or even worse a vet, and they gots to go.:wave: I only check cows once or maybe twice a week. They need to be pretty self sufficient.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Rough day. Last night I found one of my cows with a vaginal prolapse about the size of a baseball. First one for me. Had checked on the herd 24 hours before and she was fine. Found a vet this morning, who came out at 3 pm today. The prolapse was by that time hard and almost the size of a volleyball. Took 3 hours and a lot of work, but we got her put back together and sewn up. The vet says this is genetic.

I'm thinking I should sell her as soon as she heals up (at the auction barn for slaughter). Really don't want to go through this ordeal again. I'm down $250 and a lot of lost sleep over this deal. This may be a no-brainer, but Dun, Bez, Caustic, Backhoe, et. al. - do you agree with my sell decision? I guess my question is are prolapsed cows more likely to do it again?

BTW, for all the newbies (include me as a newbie) out there that think they can run cattle a long way from the house and just check them occasionally, this is a good example of why you need to look at your cows fairly often.

Hi Ho Hi Ho to the salebarn she goes, it's cheaper to keep a good cow than a bad one. After the vet bill she doesn't add anything to the bottom line for the next two years.

 

[WORANCH]

A little more information. She's a 2003 model and has given me my best heifer calves the last 2 years.

I would sell the 2 heifers also.

 

[skyline]

A little more information. She's a 2003 model and has given me my best heifer calves the last 2 years.

I would sell the 2 heifers also.

Good point. Hadn't thought of that. Genetic...

 

[EIEIO]

Will go against the grain. Had a prolapsed uterus this last week with a heifer. Had to pull a huge bull calf. Calf and mama are doing fine. Yea, had a $140 vet bill but am going to keep the gal around or least I think I am. Got to take the stitches out tomorrow or Friday.

Prolapsed uterus not always a sale barn cow as I've had them do fine the next year. Vaginal prolapse ALWAYS goes to the sale barn.

Did you lose the calf? Would not consider it "genetic" if she has given you two good calves in the past.

JMO

J

 

[skyline]

Will go against the grain. Had a prolapsed uterus this last week with a heifer. Had to pull a huge bull calf. Calf and mama are doing fine. Yea, had a $140 vet bill but am going to keep the gal around or least I think I am. Got to take the stitches out tomorrow or Friday.

Prolapsed uterus not always a sale barn cow as I've had them do fine the next year. Vaginal prolapse ALWAYS goes to the sale barn.

Did you lose the calf? Would not consider it "genetic" if she has given you two good calves in the past.

JMO

J

It was a vaginal prolapse. No sign of a calf. She last calved in August 2006 - 9 months ago. The vet palpated and could not be sure if she found a calf - everything was so swollen it was hard to determine for sure. She is definitely not springing.

 

[EIEIO]

Sorry Skyline, did not read your post good. Guess I need to get to bed.

Will agree that she needs to head for the sale barn. Guess I was just thinking of my hefier from last week.

Sell her!!

J

 

[rockridgecattle]

hi,
from experience they get worse each year and the daughters seem to catch on to this later in their life as well.
Just a tip, I did my first prolapse last year with my father in laws guidance. I'm the type to do and learn, he's the type to show and learn (he does it). With this being our cow and not his i wanted the experience cause he won't always be there.
So the tips,
Predef or such to help reduce the swelling so she won't try and push it out.
Clean the prolapse with water and iodine solution. Coat in icing sugar...you read right...icing sugar. It draws some of the moisture to help put it back in.
Remember to wear gloves.
then slowly push it in and continue to put your arm inside gentley (like unrolling an bunched up sock). Hold that positionfor a while. Cause she will push it back out.
It's good to have a guy to push her back down to stop the pushing. And wait for a bit, you'll know how long. Sew her up. We've done the criss cross and the purse string method. both work well.
Remember to watch real close so you can cut the strings before she calves.
Good luck and sell at weaning time.

 

[gertjie]

hi,
from experience they get worse each year and the daughters seem to catch on to this later in their life as well.
Just a tip, I did my first prolapse last year with my father in laws guidance. I'm the type to do and learn, he's the type to show and learn (he does it). With this being our cow and not his i wanted the experience cause he won't always be there.
So the tips,
Predef or such to help reduce the swelling so she won't try and push it out.
Clean the prolapse with water and iodine solution. Coat in icing sugar...you read right...icing sugar. It draws some of the moisture to help put it back in.
Remember to wear gloves.
then slowly push it in and continue to put your arm inside gentley (like unrolling an bunched up sock). Hold that positionfor a while. Cause she will push it back out.
It's good to have a guy to push her back down to stop the pushing. And wait for a bit, you'll know how long. Sew her up. We've done the criss cross and the purse string method. both work well.
Remember to watch real close so you can cut the strings before she calves.
Good luck and sell at weaning time.

You can also use normal sugar, if you don't have any icing sugar.

 

[gertjie]

You can use normal sugar, if you don't have any icing sugar. We had a sheep we once used sugar on, but ended up culling her in the end.

 

[skyline]

hi,
from experience they get worse each year and the daughters seem to catch on to this later in their life as well.
Just a tip, I did my first prolapse last year with my father in laws guidance. I'm the type to do and learn, he's the type to show and learn (he does it). With this being our cow and not his i wanted the experience cause he won't always be there.
So the tips,
Predef or such to help reduce the swelling so she won't try and push it out. Clean the prolapse with water and iodine solution. Coat in icing sugar...you read right...icing sugar. It draws some of the moisture to help put it back in.
Remember to wear gloves.
then slowly push it in and continue to put your arm inside gentley (like unrolling an bunched up sock). Hold that positionfor a while. Cause she will push it back out.
It's good to have a guy to push her back down to stop the pushing. And wait for a bit, you'll know how long. Sew her up. We've done the criss cross and the purse string method. both work well.
Remember to watch real close so you can cut the strings before she calves.
Good luck and sell at weaning time.

This is pretty much what the vet did. Used regular sugar and wrapped with a tight bandage (3 times) to reduce the swelling. Gave her an epidural to try to get her to quit pushing. (Although I'm not too sure how effective that was.) After lots of work, got her back in and sewed her up. Antibiotic and banamine.

What is predef to reduce swelling?

 

[rockridgecattle]

Predef is a cheap anti inflamitory. Works well, in easy cases. Anafin is better. We use predef for almost every case it needs it. It's good to use especially when you don't want to rack up big vet bills.
predef $30.00 for 100ml and Anafin is $90.00 of 50ml

 

[skyline]

Predef is a cheap anti inflamitory. Works well, in easy cases. Anafin is better. We use predef for almost every case it needs it. It's good to use especially when you don't want to rack up big vet bills.
predef $30.00 for 100ml and Anafin is $90.00 of 50ml

Thanks Rockridge.

Update.... The cow's doing fine today. I'm keeping her up and feeding her for a few days to make sure everything stays put. I'm thinking that I might go ahead and take her to town next week. I'm really going to miss the girl. She's one of my favorites, but again, I don't want a repeat.

Thanks everyone for all the advice.

 

[dun]

We had a cow that prolapsed and we kept her as an open cow for a couple of years when we ran stockers. When a new bunch of stockers came in we turned the old girl in and she taught them the ropes. When we sold the last of the stockers she was on the trailer with them.

dun

 

[milkmaid]

Predef is a cheap anti inflamitory. Works well, in easy cases. Anafin is better. We use predef for almost every case it needs it. It's good to use especially when you don't want to rack up big vet bills.
predef $30.00 for 100ml and Anafin is $90.00 of 50ml

Predef also has a slaughter withdrawal -- I believe it's 7 days. I prefer dexamethasone; no slaughter withdrawal and if I remember right it's much cheaper.

 

[Little Cow]

Just curious, what do you mean the vet wrapped her three times?

Also, anyone know if predef go by a different name down here in the States? Is it a NSAID? Not anticipating any probs with my cows, just curious.

 

[rockridgecattle]

Predef 5d withdrawl.
Dexamethasone (sp?) can not be used on bred cows. Very, very likely to cause abortions...words of wisdom from a vet. especially when close to term.
To abort a calf in late stages here, they use lute and dex.
Any time we have had a prolapse the cow has been in late stage preg. Would hate to get that far and have her abort the calf, drug and possible vet costs, and ship the cow. @ under 300 for a cow, is it worth it?

Predef 2X is the bottle name. drug in the bottle is...isoflupredone acetate 2mg/ml.

 

[milkmaid]

Predef 5d withdrawl.
Dexamethasone (sp?) can not be used on bred cows. Very, very likely to cause abortions...words of wisdom from a vet. especially when close to term.
To abort a calf in late stages here, they use lute and dex.
Any time we have had a prolapse the cow has been in late stage preg. Would hate to get that far and have her abort the calf, drug and possible vet costs, and ship the cow. @ under 300 for a cow, is it worth it?

Predef 2X is the bottle name. drug in the bottle is...isoflupredone acetate 2mg/ml.

Both Predef and Dexamethasone are anti-inflammatory steriods and both will cause abortions if given in the third trimester, sometimes second trimester. Predef 2X is the name in the states.