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Sydney2015

1156 Posts


Posted - Nov 30 2015 :  4:31:16 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
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?

A good laugh overcomes more difficulties and dissipates more dark clouds than any other one thing - Laura Ingalls Wilder

I live on a small farm of seventy acres called Green Forest Farm, with 10 horses, a donkey, 5 beef cows, 2 beef heifers, 3 Hereford heifers, around 60 chickens, 8 dogs, my amazing cow, AppleButter, and her little Jersey calf HoneyButter!

maryjane

7072 Posts


Posted - Nov 30 2015 :  5:11:47 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
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?

MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~
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txbikergirl

3197 Posts


Posted - Nov 30 2015 :  5:31:04 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
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.

Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy")
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Sydney2015

1156 Posts


Posted - Nov 30 2015 :  7:46:25 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
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.

A good laugh overcomes more difficulties and dissipates more dark clouds than any other one thing - Laura Ingalls Wilder

I live on a small farm of seventy acres called Green Forest Farm, with 10 horses, a donkey, 5 beef cows, 2 beef heifers, 3 Hereford heifers, around 60 chickens, 8 dogs, my amazing cow, AppleButter, and her little Jersey calf HoneyButter!
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Sydney2015

1156 Posts


Posted - Dec 01 2015 :  07:58:00 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
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.

A good laugh overcomes more difficulties and dissipates more dark clouds than any other one thing - Laura Ingalls Wilder

I live on a small farm of seventy acres called Green Forest Farm, with 10 horses, a donkey, 5 beef cows, 2 beef heifers, 3 Hereford heifers, around 60 chickens, 8 dogs, my amazing cow, AppleButter, and her little Jersey calf HoneyButter!
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NellieBelle

11214 Posts


Posted - Dec 01 2015 :  08:44:10 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
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.

To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown
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Sydney2015

1156 Posts


Posted - Dec 01 2015 :  09:36:30 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
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.

A good laugh overcomes more difficulties and dissipates more dark clouds than any other one thing - Laura Ingalls Wilder

I live on a small farm of seventy acres called Green Forest Farm, with 10 horses, a donkey, 5 beef cows, 2 beef heifers, 3 Hereford heifers, around 60 chickens, 8 dogs, my amazing cow, AppleButter, and her little Jersey calf HoneyButter!
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NellieBelle

11214 Posts


Posted - Dec 01 2015 :  10:11:35 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
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?

To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown
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Sydney2015

1156 Posts


Posted - Dec 01 2015 :  10:13:05 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I can't remember right now, I'm sure I'll think of it soon. I try to think...

A good laugh overcomes more difficulties and dissipates more dark clouds than any other one thing - Laura Ingalls Wilder

I live on a small farm of seventy acres called Green Forest Farm, with 10 horses, a donkey, 5 beef cows, 2 beef heifers, 3 Hereford heifers, around 60 chickens, 8 dogs, my amazing cow, AppleButter, and her little Jersey calf HoneyButter!
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NellieBelle

11214 Posts


Posted - Dec 01 2015 :  10:13:45 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Is it Bovine Leukemia?

To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown
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CloversMum

3486 Posts


Posted - Dec 01 2015 :  1:23:23 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
So sorry, Sydney, to hear about your beef cow. This is the part of animal husbandry no one enjoys ... it just plain hurts.

Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens
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txbikergirl

3197 Posts


Posted - Dec 01 2015 :  5:06:56 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
oh sydney i am so sorry for you and your poor heifer. sending good thoughts and blessings from texas.

Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy")
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farmlife

1413 Posts


Posted - Dec 01 2015 :  7:00:36 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
That's so hard, Sydney. Is there something you can do to prevent it in the rest of your cattle?
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Sydney2015

1156 Posts


Posted - Dec 01 2015 :  7:58:28 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Thank You everyone! Yes, Janet, I believe it was. He called it something else but then said it was the same as bovine leukemia.

A good laugh overcomes more difficulties and dissipates more dark clouds than any other one thing - Laura Ingalls Wilder

I live on a small farm of seventy acres called Green Forest Farm, with 10 horses, a donkey, 5 beef cows, 2 beef heifers, 3 Hereford heifers, around 60 chickens, 8 dogs, my amazing cow, AppleButter, and her little Jersey calf HoneyButter!
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maryjane

7072 Posts


Posted - Dec 02 2015 :  11:49:52 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
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?

MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~
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Sydney2015

1156 Posts


Posted - Dec 03 2015 :  07:29:16 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
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!

A good laugh overcomes more difficulties and dissipates more dark clouds than any other one thing - Laura Ingalls Wilder

I live on a small farm of seventy acres called Green Forest Farm, with 10 horses, a donkey, 5 beef cows, 2 beef heifers, 3 Hereford heifers, around 60 chickens, 8 dogs, my amazing cow, AppleButter, and her little Jersey calf HoneyButter!
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CloversMum

3486 Posts


Posted - Dec 03 2015 :  08:30:59 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
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.

Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens
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Sydney2015

1156 Posts


Posted - Dec 03 2015 :  09:05:15 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
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.

A good laugh overcomes more difficulties and dissipates more dark clouds than any other one thing - Laura Ingalls Wilder

I live on a small farm of seventy acres called Green Forest Farm, with 10 horses, a donkey, 5 beef cows, 2 beef heifers, 3 Hereford heifers, around 60 chickens, 8 dogs, my amazing cow, AppleButter, and her little Jersey calf HoneyButter!
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maryjane

7072 Posts


Posted - Dec 03 2015 :  3:02:19 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
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.

MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~
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Sydney2015

1156 Posts


Posted - Dec 04 2015 :  07:20:37 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Ok, MaryJane. I think we will probably have Josie and AppleButter done at the very least.

A good laugh overcomes more difficulties and dissipates more dark clouds than any other one thing - Laura Ingalls Wilder

I live on a small farm of seventy acres called Green Forest Farm, with 10 horses, a donkey, 5 beef cows, 2 beef heifers, 3 Hereford heifers, around 60 chickens, 8 dogs, my amazing cow, AppleButter, and her little Jersey calf HoneyButter!
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Sydney2015

1156 Posts


Posted - Jan 15 2016 :  3:56:22 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
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.

A good laugh overcomes more difficulties and dissipates more dark clouds than any other one thing - Laura Ingalls Wilder

I live on a small farm of seventy acres called Green Forest Farm, with 10 horses, a donkey, 5 beef cows, 2 beef heifers, 3 Hereford heifers, around 60 chickens, 8 dogs, my amazing cow, AppleButter, and her little Jersey calf HoneyButter!
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NellieBelle

11214 Posts


Posted - Jan 16 2016 :  04:39:12 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
So sorry to hear about your heifer Sydney. It's never easy.

To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown
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CloversMum

3486 Posts


Posted - Jan 17 2016 :  2:29:45 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Sorry, Sydney, but so kind of the vet to have named her. :-) It's the little things that help.

Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens
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Sydney2015

1156 Posts


Posted - Jan 17 2016 :  9:28:42 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I agree Charlene! Thank you guys, but Hope is now in peace.

A good laugh overcomes more difficulties and dissipates more dark clouds than any other one thing - Laura Ingalls Wilder

I live on a small farm of seventy acres called Green Forest Farm, with 10 horses, a donkey, 5 beef cows, 2 beef heifers, 3 Hereford heifers, around 60 chickens, 8 dogs, my amazing cow, AppleButter, and her little Jersey calf HoneyButter!
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