snotty nose

[T Diamond]

We have a 3yr old cow with a calf on her and preg. She has had a snotty nose off and on now for about 6 weeks. She is eating and feeling good, temp is normal, udder is normal. The only thing is that she is not wanting to eat as much hay as normal and wants only grain. This morning she was a little bloated, but in the past she goes off her feed when she bloats too bad. Any suggestions?

Thanks

 

[msscamp]

Pastured or penned? How much grain, and how often? What kind of hay, and what quality? The bloating suggests she is getting too much of something that her system cannot handle. You don't list a location on your profile and, if your weather has been like our's, it is all over the board - that could very well account for the snotty nose. Is her snotty nose clear, opaque, or colored? How is her breathing? Is there any pattern to her bloating?

 

[T Diamond]

She is penned up with 2 other heifers. We started to up there grain to almost full feed, the heifers and cow are getting a 4-way and good alfalfa twice a day. The snot is Mustard colored and now her stool is same color. Started her on Probios tonight. Like I had said in the first post, she will not eat the hay and only wants the grain. Trying to get a little more weight on the females so we slowly added extra grain to the ration, but the cow is such a "Pig". They get about 15# hay and about 50-75# grain a day between the 3 of them. I am thinking she is eating too much at once. She will be on limited grain from now on with Probios mixed in.

 

[msscamp]

Any diarrhea? Bloat and off feed, combined with the amount of grain and her being a 'pig', suggests possible acidosis. I'm at a total loss as to the mustard colored snot, though, I've never seen that before. Have you talked with your vet?

 

[Angus Cowman]

She is penned up with 2 other heifers. We started to up there grain to almost full feed, the heifers and cow are getting a 4-way and good alfalfa twice a day. The snot is Mustard colored and now her stool is same color. Started her on Probios tonight. Like I had said in the first post, she will not eat the hay and only wants the grain. Trying to get a little more weight on the females so we slowly added extra grain to the ration, but the cow is such a "Pig". They get about 15# hay and about 50-75# grain a day between the 3 of them. I am thinking she is eating too much at once. She will be on limited grain from now on with Probios mixed in.

WHy are you feeding them so much grain are they show animals?
You way overfeeding them IMO if they are just regular cows
you would be better off just giving them free choice grass hay and if think you need a little more protein give them a few pounds of alfalfa per day and cut the grain out completely

 

[angie1]

Definatly too much grain, but do not take it away all at once ~ that will cause as many problems as not building up to it. You have to decrease steady. I don't know how pregnant she is but it can cause problems with her birthing that calf as well. How old is the calf at her side? Ready to wean?

If she has no temp, I cannot guess what the snot nose issue is and don't know that I would be concerned ~ just aware and watchful. Are they penned in a barn where the area is enclosed?

Probios never hurts. What does your vet have to say?