I was working my heifers the other day and noticed I have one with a really strange looking growth... it's hanging about 1/2" from her skin, just in front of her (undeveloped) udder, and is about like the size of a small potato. I can put my hand around it so it's not like it's huge, not hot, feels solid inside but with a soft cover outside. Really weird. It doesn't have a smooth, round exterior - on the contrary, it's oval shaped with wart-type things on the ends/sides. I have a vet appointment tomorrow and I'll have my vet take it off (she's short bred and there's no way anyone would buy a dairy springer with that thing hanging off her udder!), but in the meantime I was wondering if anyone else has seen anything like it?
very strange growth
- Thread starter milkmaid
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hillsdown
Well-known member
MM for some reason that sounds familiar but I cannot for the life of me remember the scenario.I think it was on a Holstein heifer as well and the vet said not to lance it but it was on the side of her belly and if I remember it went away on it's own.Let us know what it is when the vet takes a look at her.I don't know what the market is there for H heifers but here a PB registered deep pedigree AI sired animal they practically want for free and if there is even a wart on them no way.
Hillsdown -- here the price on dairy heifers is excellent. Top 150 springers this week went from $2,210 to $2530.
I looked at this growth the other day and almost wondered if I could just band it -- that's the kind of attachment it has -- but yet I don't really want to take chances when this is a heifer that'll easily top the sale when she's a springer. To me, it looks like a growth that's hanging from a pencil-width attachment of maybe 1/2" long; IMO it's not an abcess or anything like that, but when I take her to the clinic tomorrow I'll get a diagnosis on what exactly it is. My vet will probably sedate her and take it off in the morning, and I'll try to remember to take my camera and get a picture of it for y'all while she's down. I try to keep an album of "cow problems" for reference.
I looked at this growth the other day and almost wondered if I could just band it -- that's the kind of attachment it has -- but yet I don't really want to take chances when this is a heifer that'll easily top the sale when she's a springer. To me, it looks like a growth that's hanging from a pencil-width attachment of maybe 1/2" long; IMO it's not an abcess or anything like that, but when I take her to the clinic tomorrow I'll get a diagnosis on what exactly it is. My vet will probably sedate her and take it off in the morning, and I'll try to remember to take my camera and get a picture of it for y'all while she's down. I try to keep an album of "cow problems" for reference.
FYI - my vet says it's a wart, and because it's on her underside, gravity has caused it to grow big and pendulous. He banded it (as opposed to cutting it, because it would have really bled) and it should come off in a couple weeks. Hopefully all goes without incident. Just thought I'd let anyone who's interested know what it was and what we did about it.
I was sure glad it didn't require sedation and surgery. As it was, he didn't charge me a penny to diagnose and band it; he's the best!
I was sure glad it didn't require sedation and surgery.
As it was, he didn't charge me a penny to diagnose and band it; he's the best! 
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
Interesting MM. I know warts can come in all shapes & sizes, but never heard that one. Thanks for the info.
Jeanne - Simme Valley":2dgog6du said:
One of last years steers had a wart on the fold of skin between the brisket and his leg.... nasty looking thing, it was growing on both sides of the fold of skin with spikes coming out all over about 3/4" long.... looked like some kind of sea creature. Summer and green grass came, it was almost as if warts disappeared overnight.
Michele
