WOODY TONGUE??

[calfbuyer]

I keep some nurse cows around my house and since May I have had them turned out in a brush pasture a few miles from my house with some of our beef cows ( they are dry now, will calve in the fall). On the 4th i was off and dad and i got the cattle in and castrated and vaccinated calves and wormed the cows. The cow in question is a Holstien heifer that i raised and is coming with her second calf, when we had her in the chute to worm her, i noticed that she had a little swelling under her jaw but it wasnt hard, i just thought she may have gotten a cactus thorn stuck in her jaw. On Sunday evening, when I went to check them, her whole jaw was swollen and she had her tongue out of her mouth slobbering, I got her in the chute and checked her out. The swelling isn't a hard lump just swelling, and her tongue is still soft. I brought her back to my house so I can watch her. Yesterday morning, she looked fine and was grazing in the lot. Yesterday evening at about 6 when i got home, she had her tongue back out slobbering again. I got her in the chute and gave her 60cc of tetracycaline. This morning before i left for work she looked fine (other than the swollen jaw) and was grazing. Is this woody tongue and will tetracycline remedy it?? I was raised around cattle and have owned cattle all of my adult life and have never had this problem. I would really hate to lose her, she raised about 2400 dollars worth of calves last year.

 

[chippie]

If she were mine, I would haul to the vet so that he could look in her mouth with a speculum to see if she has something stuck in there and if so, get it out.

 

[Galloways1]

If she were mine, I would haul to the vet so that he could look in her mouth with a speculum to see if she has something stuck in there and if so, get it out.

X2
I lost one many years ago, because i thought she was getting better.

 

[Anonymous]

X3. Sounds like she has a foreign body stuck in her craw that is affecting her swallowing and also getting infected.

 

[cross_7]

i vote lumpy jaw
i'd get her in the chute, have someone hold her with nose tongs and see if there is thorn or something inside her mouth back in the jaw area.
we used to have a problem when we fed cotton burs.
sometimes the jaws would be full of crud and sometimes cuts would just get infected
iodized salt seemed to help some.
you can give her sodium iodide iv (SLOWLY) then give a shot once a week for a couple weeks or until she's well.
my :2cents: anyway

 

[cross_7]

i vote lumpy jaw
i'd get her in the chute, have someone hold her with nose tongs and see if there is thorn or something inside her mouth back in the jaw area.
we used to have a problem when we fed cotton burs.
sometimes the jaws would be full of crud and sometimes cuts would just get infected
iodized salt seemed to help some.
you can give her sodium iodide iv (SLOWLY) then give a shot once a week for a couple weeks or until she's well.
my :2cents: anyway

 

[calfbuyer]

I don't know what it is, this morning early, before i left for work, she was grazing in the lot (no more tongue hanging out, slobbering). This evening when i got home from work, she was fine grazing and had filled back up on water. I had thrown a little hay out this morning to see if she could eat it and she had eaten most of it. Her jaw is still a little swollen but at least her tongue is back in her mouth and she is eating and drinking. I will probably keep her right here close at the house so that i can watch her for a week or so. I guess maybe the tetracycline is working on whatever it is. The bottle of did say "for treatment of woody tongue" among other things. I'm glad i found her when i did, she would probably be dead by now. BTW thanks for all the input.

 

[chippie]

That is good news.