randiliana
Well-known member
We have this heifer who has looked rough most of the summer, not real bad and not obviously sick, but just off. I had put it down to her being a 'poor doer'. When we went to pull bulls is when I noticed that there really was something wrong with her. I was in a hurry (it was darn near dark, which is another story), and trying to move them along at a higher rate of speed than normal, read trot, rather than amble here. She made it about 1/4 mile before she quit on me totally, and I had to leave her behind. Today I was finally able to go up, get her in, and bring her home.
So, her is a list of symptoms
First off, she is a March yearling, replacement heifer.
She's about a 4-5 BCS, the other heifers would be 6-7
Hair coat is rough, she has not shed out, and she is not at all shiny.
Very lethargic
Very loose limbed when she walks, everything sways
You can here her stomach contents sloshing around if you can get her out of a walk
Urine is very limited and a dark yellow color, not normal at all
Manure is dark brownish, runny and a bit smelly. Doesn't smell normal.
No apparent fever, nor any indication that she ever had one.
Ears are perky, eyes are bright and normal looking
She doesn't drag her feet, still picks them up enough to clear the ground.
She stays with the herd, inasmuch as you don't see her off by herself
She is eating and drinking (or she'd be dead or a lot thinner than she is)
Looks to me that she was in heat in the last few days, hair is all matted down on her hindquarters. Which means that she did not breed during the breeding season (8 weeks)
Took me about an hour to move her a bit over a mile, and she never tried to go back to the herd.
I'm thinking possibly a kidney or bladder infection, or something wrong with her stomach/s
Now, I'm going to have a look at Merck and see what I can come up with, then depending on what I do or do not find out I will call the vet and see what he says.
So, her is a list of symptoms
First off, she is a March yearling, replacement heifer.
She's about a 4-5 BCS, the other heifers would be 6-7
Hair coat is rough, she has not shed out, and she is not at all shiny.
Very lethargic
Very loose limbed when she walks, everything sways
You can here her stomach contents sloshing around if you can get her out of a walk
Urine is very limited and a dark yellow color, not normal at all
Manure is dark brownish, runny and a bit smelly. Doesn't smell normal.
No apparent fever, nor any indication that she ever had one.
Ears are perky, eyes are bright and normal looking
She doesn't drag her feet, still picks them up enough to clear the ground.
She stays with the herd, inasmuch as you don't see her off by herself
She is eating and drinking (or she'd be dead or a lot thinner than she is)
Looks to me that she was in heat in the last few days, hair is all matted down on her hindquarters. Which means that she did not breed during the breeding season (8 weeks)
Took me about an hour to move her a bit over a mile, and she never tried to go back to the herd.
I'm thinking possibly a kidney or bladder infection, or something wrong with her stomach/s
Now, I'm going to have a look at Merck and see what I can come up with, then depending on what I do or do not find out I will call the vet and see what he says.