Fire Sweep Ranch
Well-known member
So, one of my recip cows seemed a bit off last weekend. Upon looking closer, I noticed a slight swelling under her jaw:
So I have been watching her closely, and she eats like a horse that needs their teeth floated. I brought her up into the barn, and put her in the chute to inspect it, and found it had a little heat, but nothing major. I thought maybe she bumped it on the hay ring, or injured it breaking into a new bale (they scratch their heads back and forth to remove the outer layer). I gave her a scoop of grain, and watched her closely. She ate very slowly. and dribbled a bunch. She drools a ton, so I know something is bothering her. I kicked her back out, and she went to the water. We have a Mirafount, so it has a small hole they stick their heads in to drink. I watched her for 15 minutes, she would put her head up to the hole, and not drink. She would smack away any lower pecking animals if they tried to get a drink, but would not drink herself. So, I went back to the barn, filled up an old mineral lick tub with water, and brought her back in the barn. She drank it until it was empty. So, obviously, her chin hurts enough to not stick her head in the Mirafount.
So I watched her all week. Excessive drool, I never saw her eating at the bale ring, and she came in each night begging for a scoop of grain. Then would drink deeply from the water in the big tub.
Well, I took her to the vet yesterday, because we just put an embryo in her last weekend, and she is raising a December embryo calf. Here are the pics I took of her at the vet's office. It was a little bigger, but not much.
Vet tempted her, and did a close inspection of her jaw and mouth. He thinks she has a cut or splinter under her tongue, which is causing her tongue to swell and pain in the lower jaw. She does not have a fever, nor a bad tooth. So he gave her 200 ML IV Sodium Iodine, and Baytril 200 IV (I forgot to ask how much, but I would say at least 60 ml since it was a large syringe). He said she has a form of lumpy jaw, caused from an injury. He said I caught it early, and that they can get ugly.
Last night and today, not only is she drooling, but she has TONS of snot draining from her nose. Most of it is clear, but some of it is whitish. So, I hope I caught it early. The swelling looks smaller today, but I have to watch her closely. She might need retreatment he said if it does not go down. I sure hope not! Until then, she will come up to the barn to get grain and some alfalfa to make sure she does not loose condition.
So I have been watching her closely, and she eats like a horse that needs their teeth floated. I brought her up into the barn, and put her in the chute to inspect it, and found it had a little heat, but nothing major. I thought maybe she bumped it on the hay ring, or injured it breaking into a new bale (they scratch their heads back and forth to remove the outer layer). I gave her a scoop of grain, and watched her closely. She ate very slowly. and dribbled a bunch. She drools a ton, so I know something is bothering her. I kicked her back out, and she went to the water. We have a Mirafount, so it has a small hole they stick their heads in to drink. I watched her for 15 minutes, she would put her head up to the hole, and not drink. She would smack away any lower pecking animals if they tried to get a drink, but would not drink herself. So, I went back to the barn, filled up an old mineral lick tub with water, and brought her back in the barn. She drank it until it was empty. So, obviously, her chin hurts enough to not stick her head in the Mirafount.
So I watched her all week. Excessive drool, I never saw her eating at the bale ring, and she came in each night begging for a scoop of grain. Then would drink deeply from the water in the big tub.
Well, I took her to the vet yesterday, because we just put an embryo in her last weekend, and she is raising a December embryo calf. Here are the pics I took of her at the vet's office. It was a little bigger, but not much.
Vet tempted her, and did a close inspection of her jaw and mouth. He thinks she has a cut or splinter under her tongue, which is causing her tongue to swell and pain in the lower jaw. She does not have a fever, nor a bad tooth. So he gave her 200 ML IV Sodium Iodine, and Baytril 200 IV (I forgot to ask how much, but I would say at least 60 ml since it was a large syringe). He said she has a form of lumpy jaw, caused from an injury. He said I caught it early, and that they can get ugly.
Last night and today, not only is she drooling, but she has TONS of snot draining from her nose. Most of it is clear, but some of it is whitish. So, I hope I caught it early. The swelling looks smaller today, but I have to watch her closely. She might need retreatment he said if it does not go down. I sure hope not! Until then, she will come up to the barn to get grain and some alfalfa to make sure she does not loose condition.