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Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2006 9:18 pm
by monica waltho
Just found my favourite calf dead in pen-born 24 Nov last year- she was still warm but flat out in middle of pen with alot of pink liquid coming out of both nostrils. Has anyone come across anything like this? Guessing some sort of haemorage/perforated lungs?
Monica Waltho
Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2006 11:18 pm
by Duncan MacIntyre
A very distressing thing to find, I am sure others in this group will join with me in offering our sympathy.
Speculation without a pm is a bit dodgy but it is likely that there has been some sort of pneumonia involved here. Straighforward heart failures and haemorrhages not very common, embolic pneumonia or inhalation pneumonia resulting in haemorrhage would be more likely to produce large quantity of pure blood from nose or mouth than the froth type you have seen. If you have a group of other similar calves you should discuss with your vet likely causes and whether any vaccinations would be appropriate.
Duncan
Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2006 12:58 am
by monica waltho
Thank-you Duncan,
Not having a good day, just been round checking everything and found an old cow flat out- she is 15 -a Red Poll and was due to go on the Older Cow Disposal Scheme on Thursday although I was thinking I might not send her yet and perhaps have her put down on the farm it seems she may be making the decision for me. Have sat her up and although she tried hard to stand unable to get her front end up,finally she decided to lie down. Have gave her some Calcium to be on safe side but she seems quite content and chewing her cud as if nothing happened whether she gets up again remains to be seen
Monica
Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2006 1:10 am
by Duncan MacIntyre
A sad time indeed, though by the sound of it the old cow is fairly comfortable at the moment, chewing the cud is a good sign and one that would imply that she is not too distressed. However I would not delay too long if she is unable to rise, the pressure on muscles can do a lot of damage to an animal the weight of a cow, and unless they can do a certain amount of weight shifting permanent damage just from being down and immobile results. By the sound of it she is unlikely to be able to go on a float, and unlikely to conform to the OCDS on farm slaughter guidelines unless your vet can certify that she is unfit to travel due to an accident. If she has reached 15 and had a good life and served you well what more can we ask of a cow and vice versa.
I am off to bed now, hope tomorrow brings you better times.
Duncan
Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2006 12:16 pm
by Issy
I am so sorry to hear of your loss and problems with your cow. I hope things are looking brighter for her this morning.
Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2006 1:28 pm
by hazel clarke
What bad luck, hope things are looking a little brighter for you today. I know just how hard it can be to make the decision about an older cow (I always hope that the cow will make that one for me, but it seldom works that way and I have ended up feeling quite guilty in the end that I did not act sooner.) It isn't easy keeping livestock of any sort is it? Anyway just know that most of us have been in your situation at some time or other and there are lots of happy events too! My first calf of 2006 arrived yesterday and it is always good to see a happy mum and new calf
Hazel
Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 11:09 pm
by monica waltho
Thank-you for your kind words.
Polly was put down the following day, she had good night but never got up and even if she had I would have worried about her going down when there was no one around .
I spoke to our vet about the calf which he thought was probably a one off it may have been an abscess in the lung or possilbly pneumonia related although she has never been ill and was the healthiest little calf or so I thought.
Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2006 9:37 pm
by val
Very sorry to hear of your bad luck.
We lost 2 cows last autumn in a few weeks from the same symptoms but even with a pm no cause was ever found and the remaining 4 heifers were moved away from that field and touch wood are fit and well.
It was suspected they were poisioned maliciously and this has not been ruled out.
I hope you have a lot better luck as it is hard not to think it is somehow your fault its happened.....its not its just one of those things!.....
Val