Udder Edema

[inyati13]

The udder on the heifer with the white blaze faced calf has edema. The edema has spread to the navel. The calf is fine but just as a precaution, I tubed him yesterday with milk replacer. I mixed it slightly diluted. The calf is strong and active but I cannot be sure he gets all he needs with her edema. She is a docile heifer. She is now completely relaxed with me working her calf.

Amazing but he still hits every teat. She kicks her foot down because it hurts. She stands and bears it. The front teats are not too bad. They are long enough that he gets a good hold but the smaller back ones are only short nubs due to the edema. Nevertheless, he is nursing all four.

I wonder is edema can damage their udder. The calf must be favoring her right teats because that side is less swollen. The left side of her udder is extremely hard. She let me get a couple squeezes out of the front teat on the left and there was not a lot of milk. Is milk production reduced significantly when they have edema???
BTW: The udder is swollen much more than when this picture was taken.

 

[dun]

Get a shot or 2 of Lasix from your vet, usually lears it right up in a day or 2. Naquasone boluses work too put it's easier to give a shot.

 

[inyati13]

Thanks dun. See, when you speak, I listen:

 

[dun]

Thanks dun. See, when you speak, I listen:

That's more than I can say for the wife and dog

 

[Nesikep]

Sooo.. Is it Laxis or Salix?.. Lazix would be for near-sighted cows!

My late calving heifer had edema, and it spread to her navel as well, I didn't treat her for it, and the calf didn't have a problem either, she had tons of milk, and the calf is doing really well at 65 days old now. And she's got about the best udder in the herd too.

 

[dun]

Sooo.. Is it Laxis or Salix?.. Lazix would be for near-sighted cows!

Lasix/Salix, same stuff different manufacturer

 

[Nesikep]

Ahh, OK

 

[branguscowgirl]

It doesn't look that bad to me. I have never treated it and it goes down on it's own. Just figured it was a normal process. (If no infection.)
Could you please explain what the physiology behind it is that causes concern?

 

[Quigly]

Udder edema can make milking a challenge, especially in dairy cattle when you have to put an inflation cup on them. There is also some risk of damaging the suspensory ligaments of the udder. It's usually seen in heifers and is very rarely a serious issue in beef cattle, mostly something the dairy people have to worry about.

 

[branguscowgirl]

Thank you Quigly.

 

[regolith]

It doesn't look that bad to me. I have never treated it and it goes down on it's own. Just figured it was a normal process. (If no infection.)
Could you please explain what the physiology behind it is that causes concern?

I've heard that it's caused by the blood vessels that supply the udder not being developed enough to carry the fluids on past when the first milk is laid down, hence why it occurs so frequently in heifers rather than older cows.
In my experience excessive edema is painful and interferes with milking, and I've found that the use of oxytocin on these heifers prevents the udder getting so congested in the first few days that milking is a horrible experience for her.
I'd rather deal with edema than underfeed my heifers to the point that they don't suffer from it.

 

[dun]

It doesn't look that bad to me. I have never treated it and it goes down on it's own. Just figured it was a normal process. (If no infection.)
Could you please explain what the physiology behind it is that causes concern?

I've heard that it's caused by the blood vessels that supply the udder not being developed enough to carry the fluids on past when the first milk is laid down, hence why it occurs so frequently in heifers rather than older cows.
In my experience excessive edema is painful and interferes with milking, and I've found that the use of oxytocin on these heifers prevents the udder getting so congested in the first few days that milking is a horrible experience for her.
I'd rather deal with edema than underfeed my heifers to the point that they don't suffer from it.

The reson why we treat it when it's bad enough to extend to the navel is the pain/discomfort that it causes. Milk availability cna also be encountered. If it hurts the heifer/cow is going to be less patient with the calf nursing. The milk availability can also cause the calf to suck more which in turn can lead to chapped teats which in turn leads to the calf getting pushed away and getting less then the ideal amount of milk. We haven;t had it in years and I don;t have any theory on what caues it other then "sometimes it just happens"

 

[regolith]

It doesn't look that bad to me. I have never treated it and it goes down on it's own. Just figured it was a normal process. (If no infection.)
Could you please explain what the physiology behind it is that causes concern?

I've heard that it's caused by the blood vessels that supply the udder not being developed enough to carry the fluids on past when the first milk is laid down, hence why it occurs so frequently in heifers rather than older cows.
In my experience excessive edema is painful and interferes with milking, and I've found that the use of oxytocin on these heifers prevents the udder getting so congested in the first few days that milking is a horrible experience for her.
I'd rather deal with edema than underfeed my heifers to the point that they don't suffer from it.

The reson why we treat it when it's bad enough to extend to the navel is the pain/discomfort that it causes. Milk availability cna also be encountered. If it hurts the heifer/cow is going to be less patient with the calf nursing. The milk availability can also cause the calf to suck more which in turn can lead to chapped teats which in turn leads to the calf getting pushed away and getting less then the ideal amount of milk. We haven;t had it in years and I don;t have any theory on what caues it other then "sometimes it just happens"

I don't really know why the poor milk availability, but I know in the dairy if you put the cups on a heifer with edema her teats will swell up as if there were no pulsation - once that happens you can't handmilk a drop no matter how good her hormonal let down is.
The salix/lasix is a new one to me. The only tools I've had to work with are oxytocin and frequent milking and not letting the heifer get too sore. For some reason it's been no problem this calving season, though I've seen plenty edema it hasn't interfered with milk out. Other years it can be really frustrating.

 

[dun]

I don't really know why the poor milk availability, but I know in the dairy if you put the cups on a heifer with edema her teats will swell up as if there were no pulsation - once that happens you can't handmilk a drop no matter how good her hormonal let down is.
The salix/lasix is a new one to me. The only tools I've had to work with are oxytocin and frequent milking and not letting the heifer get too sore. For some reason it's been no problem this calving season, though I've seen plenty edema it hasn't interfered with milk out. Other years it can be really frustrating.

The poor milk availability is because the swelling keeps the milk from freely letting down.

 

[inyati13]

The discussion I had with the Tri-County Vet Assisstant was exactly what dun has said above.

This cow got worse than the picture indicates. The day following this picture, the swelling had affected the teats. I tried to milk her to get an idea what was available for the calf and I could not grip the two rear teats. I confirmed there was milk.

But she was sore and I was concerned that the calf was not getting enough. I tubed the calf as a precaution once a day on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I injected her with 12 mL of the Salix on Wednesday morning. I based it on an estimated weight of 1200 pounds.

I will give her another 12 mL today.

The vet assisstant said she has a 90 cow beef operation. They use it on a regular basis immediately postpartum when they see edema unless it is mild. For all the reasons dun stated above.

 

[dun]

The discussion I had with the Tri-County Vet Assisstant was exactly what dun has said above.

This cow got worse than the picture indicates. The day following this picture, the swelling had affected the teats. I tried to milk her to get an idea what was available for the calf and I could not grip the two rear teats. I confirmed there was milk.

But she was sore and I was concerned that the calf was not getting enough. I tubed the calf as a precaution once a day on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I injected her with 12 mL of the Salix on Wednesday morning. I based it on an estimated weight of 1200 pounds.

I will give her another 12 mL today.

The vet assisstant said she has a 90 cow beef operation. They use it on a regular basis immediately postpartum when they see edema unless it is mild. For all the reasons dun stated above.

Just goes to show that even a blind hog finds an acorn once in a while

 

[branguscowgirl]

Thanks for the explanation all.
My IPad did not show the picture including the navel swelling. I only see the udder.
I have only seen the underline swelling/edema in my mares, not in the cattle. Though I have seen enlargement around the udder region slightly, was probably not too severe in those cases.
Good lesson! Thank you.