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Beef Emergency

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T O P I C R E V I E W
Sydney2015	Posted - Nov 30 2015 : 4:31:16 PM We have a beef heifer who isn't looking to good. She got bred earlier this fall when she got in a pen with all the other cows(including the bull), we wanted her to get bred about a month after that. Well, anyways, she aborted a few days ago. She has been losing a lot of weight, and now she has a big, softball sized lump at her throat. What is this? It is a hard lump. We don't know what it is, if it can spread to other cows, or even to horses. We will probably have to have the vet out tomorrow. Can you help us?
23 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First)
Sydney2015	Posted - Jan 17 2016 : 9:28:42 PM I agree Charlene! Thank you guys, but Hope is now in peace.
CloversMum	Posted - Jan 17 2016 : 2:29:45 PM Sorry, Sydney, but so kind of the vet to have named her. :-) It's the little things that help.
NellieBelle	Posted - Jan 16 2016 : 04:39:12 AM So sorry to hear about your heifer Sydney. It's never easy.
Sydney2015	Posted - Jan 15 2016 : 3:56:22 PM I just wanted to let you all know that we had to put the heifer down. On the bill from the the vet, it says "blood draw for Hope". Our vet decided to name her Hope, and it suits her perfectly.
Sydney2015	Posted - Dec 04 2015 : 07:20:37 AM Ok, MaryJane. I think we will probably have Josie and AppleButter done at the very least.
maryjane	Posted - Dec 03 2015 : 3:02:19 PM Sydney, for peace of mind you might want to have your vet do a simple blood draw on your cattle, including AppleButter and run a BLV lab test. You might as well get them checked for Q fever, and Johne's while you're at it. Your vet probably vaccinated for BVD.
Sydney2015	Posted - Dec 03 2015 : 09:05:15 AM She's separate, in a stall in the barn, out of the cold. We just hope we don't have a carrier in the herd.
CloversMum	Posted - Dec 03 2015 : 08:30:59 AM There is indeed a leukemia vaccine for cats ... but the cats need to first be tested for the virus, then if they are negative for the virus, they can be vaccinated. Just did this with our two new barn kittens. We had them tested first as I did not want to be responsible for passing any diseases onto any stray or neighbor cats. Another question for WSU vet hospital the next time either one of us travels over there, MaryJane, to ask them if they know if there is a bovine leukemia vaccine or what is the research on it. So glad to hear your heifer, Sydney, seems to be improving. Are you keeping her isolated from the other cows now? I'd be worried that she could transmit her illness/disease to the others. Again, I'm really sorry about the whole thing, Sydney.
Sydney2015	Posted - Dec 03 2015 : 07:29:16 AM I don't know, MaryJane. It would be great if they did! We haven't gotten any new animals for a while, just AppleButter last January. The heifer has been standing up, eating, and seems to be doing much better!
maryjane	Posted - Dec 02 2015 : 11:49:52 PM Hang in there Sydney. That's rotten news. BLV (bovine leukemia virus) is one of the things I test my herd for every year and tested Sally for just before she left. It's always been my goal for my animals to test negative for BLV and so far I have. Sydney, it doesn't always manifest in ill health like in your case but many bovine animals are now carriers, like your vet said. And yes, it is spread through saliva, milk, etc. This is an instance in which cleanliness and attention to what other animals you bring home is important. Every animal you bring onto your property should test negative beforehand if you want to keep your herd free of it. I had a thought. Don't they have a leukemia vaccine for cats? I wonder if they're working on one for cattle?
Sydney2015	Posted - Dec 01 2015 : 7:58:28 PM Thank You everyone! Yes, Janet, I believe it was. He called it something else but then said it was the same as bovine leukemia.
farmlife	Posted - Dec 01 2015 : 7:00:36 PM That's so hard, Sydney. Is there something you can do to prevent it in the rest of your cattle?
txbikergirl	Posted - Dec 01 2015 : 5:06:56 PM oh sydney i am so sorry for you and your poor heifer. sending good thoughts and blessings from texas.
CloversMum	Posted - Dec 01 2015 : 1:23:23 PM So sorry, Sydney, to hear about your beef cow. This is the part of animal husbandry no one enjoys ... it just plain hurts.
NellieBelle	Posted - Dec 01 2015 : 10:13:45 AM Is it Bovine Leukemia?
Sydney2015	Posted - Dec 01 2015 : 10:13:05 AM I can't remember right now, I'm sure I'll think of it soon. I try to think...
NellieBelle	Posted - Dec 01 2015 : 10:11:35 AM Truly sorry Sydney. My heart aches for the poor thing. I don't like to see anything or body have to go through such a thing. Do they have a specific name for the type of cancer or virus?
Sydney2015	Posted - Dec 01 2015 : 09:36:30 AM We found out that she most likely has cancer. It is caused by a virus, through needles, flies, a mother's colostrum, or we could have a cow who is a carrier that has never shown any symptoms. She is also anemic and has jaundice. It isn't looking good, we will probably have to put her down. The vet said he has never seen this cancer in such a young cow. The vet took blood and is sending it in for testing. She is drinking and got some antibiotics and one other thing I can't think of off the top of my head. We'll just have to wait and see.
NellieBelle	Posted - Dec 01 2015 : 08:44:10 AM Keep us posted Sydney. It will be interesting to see what the vet's diagnosis is and what treatment prescribed. Learning experience for us all when a new situation arises.
Sydney2015	Posted - Dec 01 2015 : 07:58:00 AM The vet is on his way out. The heifer has a fever and won't eat anything. I don't think she can swallow with her lump where it is. She drank a bit of water this morning when we offered it to her. She also coughed once. We're hoping it's just an abcess((I think so), but you never know. Otherwise, she was chewing her cud, standing up, and walking around normally.
Sydney2015	Posted - Nov 30 2015 : 7:46:25 PM We have no clue MaryJane. We think something might have been wrong with the calf. Otherwise I do not know. Thank you so much Cindy. She has been eating and drinking normally and seems comfortable. She is in a barn(We are in the middle of a snow storm), with hay, water, and bedding. We did give her 10 cc. of penicillin earlier, just in case. Thanks for the information! I just wanted to make sure it wasn't something bad. We'll call the vet first thing tomorrow because it's too late to call now.
txbikergirl	Posted - Nov 30 2015 : 5:31:04 PM my heart goes out to you sydney. i am absolutely no help other than thinking good thoughts for you and your cow. blessings from texas.
maryjane	Posted - Nov 30 2015 : 5:11:47 PM Can a vet come to help you today or can you call and speak with a vet who might tell you what you can do tonight until they can get there tomorrow? The lump might not be related to her losing her calf. Last week, Connie was brushing Fanci and found a 2-inch splinter in her neck. If we hadn't found it, I'm sure it would have swollen and abscessed. She must have scratched her neck on something wooden and lodged it there. Do you know why she lost her calf?