Worst month ever!

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So here I am, venting because sometimes things go wrong despite your best efforts. In the past 4 weeks we had a 2 month old steer calf die of pneumonia. Treated him 4 times over the course of 3 weeks with Resflor Gold, Draxxin, Banamine, Sustain, Vit B Complex and drenched him with electrolytes numerous times. Couldn't save him. Had a 2 month old heifer calf that was with the herd and nursing but looked a little scoury so treated her with LA300, Sustain and drenched with electrolytes. Temp was normal but the thermometer came out bloody, was dead the next morning. Buzzards had her almost picked clean by the time we found her so couldn't have her posted but our vet is fairly certain it was a clostridial disease. The next week one of our older cows calved - and stepped on her calf's head. Lost one of my favorite first calf heifers to lightning 2 nights ago. Her heifer calf is 3 months old and I've started her on cubes before I let her re-join the herd.

But wait, there's more. Yesterday I about freaked when I saw one of my fave 6 year old cows with bulging eyes. Vet is fairly certain it's lymphoma but waiting on results of the blood tests. No other lymph nodes are swollen, temp is normal, healthy appetite and poo, just freakishly huge eyes. We lost a cow a few years ago to lymphoma and have since changed our protocol to using only disposable needles/syringes but it's possible she's had it for a while and just now showing symptoms.

What else can possibly go wrong? :cry2:

 
So sorry...sounds like my last year....This year is going pretty smoothly. We did lose our annual calf to a accident. We almost always loose on calf to an accident and not the same kind of accident. Lightning, falling tree, snake bite and this year was a heifer (we are guessing) crushed by a bull and cow breeding. She was pushed through a fence and crawled till she died. Not a small calf either, maybe 300 pounds...Hang in there, next year will be better..
 
Wow, that's really tough... If you look at the numbers, my season has been pretty good, I did lose 1 cow.. but it had to be my BEST cow... so that really put a damper on it.. Her orphan calf has a couple mommas he steals from, and despite being short of milk, he is growing alright and outdoing some first-timer's calves
 
So sorry to hear of all of the crap going on. :frowns: When it rains it pours. I hope you're done with the bad, for a long, long time. Good luck with the pop-eyed cow.

And I learned, a loooong time ago, NEVER to ask what else, what more, etc. :|
 
TCRanch":1kzdai8z said:
So here I am, venting because sometimes things go wrong despite your best efforts. In the past 4 weeks we had a 2 month old steer calf die of pneumonia. Treated him 4 times over the course of 3 weeks with Resflor Gold, Draxxin, Banamine, Sustain, Vit B Complex and drenched him with electrolytes numerous times. Couldn't save him. Had a 2 month old heifer calf that was with the herd and nursing but looked a little scoury so treated her with LA300, Sustain and drenched with electrolytes. Temp was normal but the thermometer came out bloody, was dead the next morning. Buzzards had her almost picked clean by the time we found her so couldn't have her posted but our vet is fairly certain it was a clostridial disease. The next week one of our older cows calved - and stepped on her calf's head. Lost one of my favorite first calf heifers to lightning 2 nights ago. Her heifer calf is 3 months old and I've started her on cubes before I let her re-join the herd.

But wait, there's more. Yesterday I about freaked when I saw one of my fave 6 year old cows with bulging eyes. Vet is fairly certain it's lymphoma but waiting on results of the blood tests. No other lymph nodes are swollen, temp is normal, healthy appetite and poo, just freakishly huge eyes. We lost a cow a few years ago to lymphoma and have since changed our protocol to using only disposable needles/syringes but it's possible she's had it for a while and just now showing symptoms.

What else can possibly go wrong? :cry2:


im sorry about your run of bad luck.. I hope it gets better but agree with m5 never say what else.
 
TC, is it both eyes bulging? Can she chew OK and open the mouth without pain?

Yeh $hit happens, just gotta ride it through but that doesn't help the pain, sorry about things. Only comfort is that all those things you can't really blame yourself or management.

Ken
 
wbvs58":2t9yezuz said:
TC, is it both eyes bulging? Can she chew OK and open the mouth without pain?

Yeh $hit happens, just gotta ride it through but that doesn't help the pain, sorry about things. Only comfort is that all those things you can't really blame yourself or management.

Ken
Yes, it's both eyes but the right one is protruding more, has more red "stuff" showing. Not cancer eye, there are no lesions. I read about iodine deficiencies and even potentially glaucoma, mentioned both to our vet but he's fairly certain it's lymphoma. The cow we lost a few years ago was born in '07, this cow was born in '11, we switched to disposable needles/syringes probably two years ago. No other cattle have exhibited symptoms and none other posted as BLV positive. Vector transmission is possible but unlikely and we don't de-horn, the vet tattoos/palps, we don't brand or AI. And yes, not only can she chew/no mouth pain or sores, she's a solid 1700 lbs, hasn't lost condition and has (always!) a ravenous appetite - loaded her easily in the trailer with cubes. WTH?
Kevette
 
wbvs58":21vq7bao said:
With no pain and bilateral it does sound like something more systemic like lymphoma TC

Ken
Yeah, that's what I was afraid of. She has a 2 month old calf and I have them both at the barn. I doubt her calf will take a bottle at this stage so I'm trying to get her started on cubes with my other orphan before I let them join the herd. And hopefully they'll rob off other cows.
 
I really feel for you. Anyone who has raised animals know how much time, effort, and money one spends in that pursuit. Is it worth it?
 
garyws":37izk9uu said:
I really feel for you. Anyone who has raised animals know how much time, effort, and money one spends in that pursuit. Is it worth it?
Sometimes I wonder. But then I look at my 2 preemies that are now healthy mamas (one on her 5th calf, one on her 2nd). And I look at my abandoned twin that we searched for 3 days before finding her, amazingly still alive, and see her with her 3rd calf (she prolapsed in the middle of the night with her first). And my bull we almost lost to a systemic infection from a cut on his leg - doctored him for 8 weeks. And Bebe, who I rescued from the freezing lake when she was just a few hours old, now on her 6th calf. The list goes on but yes, it's worth it. Because for all the tragedy and heartbreak there's also a bunch of healthy, bunky calves running around each year and a lot of happy (fat) cows. :heart:
 
garyws":31h9slfd said:
I really feel for you. Anyone who has raised animals know how much time, effort, and money one spends in that pursuit. Is it worth it?

I've had a winter like that. Had, what seemed like a year, where I wondered that as well. During drought I wondered. But, in the long run, I've determined that it is worth it, for me anyhow.
 
Workinonit Farm":3m4rijh3 said:
garyws":3m4rijh3 said:
I really feel for you. Anyone who has raised animals know how much time, effort, and money one spends in that pursuit. Is it worth it?

I've had a winter like that. Had, what seemed like a year, where I wondered that as well. During drought I wondered. But, in the long run, I've determined that it is worth it, for me anyhow.
Absolutely!!! 3 years in a row. Breaking ice in the lake so you can pump/haul water to other pastures and paying a fortune for junk hay makes you question your sanity. Still worth it.
 

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