dexterlady
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Wife, mother of two daughters and five grand children
Posts: 647
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Post by dexterlady on Jul 19, 2011 21:15:30 GMT -5
Has anyone ever noticed any fresh blood in the stool of a young heifer? Our new little heifer Sunshine had frank blood in her stool this evening. I had just fed them their cubes and while she was standing there, she pooped. It looked very normal, not dry looking , was wet and formed but it had some fresh blood on both sides of the poop. I couldn't go rush and get my camera or I would have taken a picture. I know when our bull Max bred her, she went down to the ground, so I am wondering if this has anything to do with it. It has been a week or more since she got bred, she is 16 months old... And this is the first time I have seen any blood. .........So if anyone thinks I should take her to the vet, let me know. I am going to keep checking her daily and see if she has anymore bleeding. .................Thanks ..........Donna
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Post by ctownson on Jul 20, 2011 5:11:19 GMT -5
Donna, I have seen this before. Based on your comments, I assume the blood was bright red? I also assume that it was not a lot of blood - just enough to notice? If so, I would just closely watch her for a few days. Is she still in with the bull? Is she eating/drinking normally? If the blood was excessive and her stool really loose, that would indicate a bigger problem.
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Post by Olga on Jul 20, 2011 11:43:07 GMT -5
The only time I've seen blood in poop, I took my heifer to the vet and he told me she had coccidia. I treated with boluses and Corrid in water.
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Post by midhilldexters on Jul 20, 2011 13:59:26 GMT -5
Yep, same as Olga, only time I saw it vet said it was coccidia. I'm sure it could be a number of things, but best to keep an eye on the calf, watch for it being dehydrated and get the vet if you feel unsure.
Carol K
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Post by ctownson on Jul 20, 2011 14:25:18 GMT -5
It could well be coccidia. Severe cases are marked by very runny stool and blood in the stool. This is easily checked for with a stool sample by your vet. If you feel this is a possibility, I would get a stool sample asap and start treatment. This heifer is a little older than most calves that get coccidia, but it is still a real possibility. There are lots of methods to treat coccidia. If one calf has it, then all the others have been exposed and it is best to treat the entire herd.
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dexterlady
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Wife, mother of two daughters and five grand children
Posts: 647
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Post by dexterlady on Jul 20, 2011 21:50:18 GMT -5
Thank you everyone for your advise. I got so worried , I took Sunshine into the vet along with one of my pregnant cows I was worried about. As for the heifer, I too was worried about cocci , vet took a sample and said it was not cocci. He said he really didn't know what it was, it could be so many things. So he gave her three big boluses of a sulfer drug, said to keep my eye on her and if I see anymore to let him know. The pregnant heifer was another problem. She is suppose to calve on the 24th They took her temp, it was 106.6 WOW!!!! Said she COULD have bacterial pneumonia, but not sure. Said she was REAL CLOSE to calving, has some milk in her udder, but not a lot. She isn't sunk in and her vulva is not swollen, so I just knew she was not close. The vet palpated her and said he could feel the calves head, said the calf is alive, that was good news.. So hopefully we will have a calf soon from one of the three that's due soon. Oh, the vet said to hose this heifer down everyday ( which we have been doing anyway) to keep her cooled off. I have never seen heat like this year. We are having to hose all our pregnant cows down AND the bull! I sure will be glad when this heat cycle breaks, and to think we have another whole month and a week to go. Maybe we will get luck and it will cool off early. So again , thank you all for your help. Just thought ya'll would want to know what the vet said......Donna
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dexterlady
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Wife, mother of two daughters and five grand children
Posts: 647
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Post by dexterlady on Jul 20, 2011 21:56:32 GMT -5
Chales to anser some of your questions.......Yes this heifer is still in with the bull, he bred her on 6/24/11, our daughter witnessed it. I am hoping he didn't tear her or something breeding her. Vet didn't say anything about that possibility.Just that she doesn't have cocci. And yes it was just a small amount of red blood, I was watching as she was pooping. She is eating drinking etc. all OK, sure no problem with her appetite! So yes , I will keep an eye on her as well for the next few days.....Thanks.....Donna
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Post by ctownson on Jul 21, 2011 4:44:10 GMT -5
Donna, that was why I asked the question. It would not be unusual for some small amount of blood as a result of the breeding. Keep us posted on your cow! We had one born here in the midst of the heat wave and she is doing fine. I have another one that should calf in the next three weeks; she is an older cow so I am more worried about her in this heat.
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Post by Star Creek Dexters on Jul 21, 2011 9:52:10 GMT -5
Glad to hear that she's doing better. I have seen blood after a heifer was bred for the first time, so that may be the cause. Keep us posted on your girls!
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dexterlady
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Wife, mother of two daughters and five grand children
Posts: 647
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Post by dexterlady on Jul 21, 2011 22:42:09 GMT -5
Hello everyone again. The heifer and cow are doing fine today We bought a sprinkler that is flat, heavey metal, and lays flat on the ground and sprays upward. Carl went out and hooked it up and sprayed down the pregnant heifer and she just stood there, she was so hot by the time we got home today. Anyway, after he sprayed her down he put it down on the ground and the heifer went over and stood over it so the spray could get her belly. When she had enough, she just walked off content. So I guess everyting will be OK as long as I keep spraying the cows down. One of our bulls is mad at me tonight , he didn't get his spray down tonight, it was late and getting dark so I thought I'd better wait till morning. It is so easy for animals to get pneumonia with this kind of weather, so I wasn't going to take a chance on him getting chilled at night! Oh, Charles, wanted to ask you a dumb question. Why would the younger heifer have blood in her STOOLS from the breeding. I could understand it from her vulva right after breeding , but wouldn't think from the rectum? ?........Thanks.....Donna
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Post by ctownson on Jul 22, 2011 3:54:00 GMT -5
Donna, glad to hear things are going well. This heat is incredible. In terms of the blood in the stool after breeding - if the blood was bright red, that means it is coming from near the end of the rectum. Otherwise, the blood would be dark red/black in color. My thought was this was just a side effect of the recent breeding and the bull mounting her repeatedly, etc.
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dexterlady
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Wife, mother of two daughters and five grand children
Posts: 647
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Post by dexterlady on Jul 22, 2011 10:56:19 GMT -5
Thanks Charles. Hopefully, this will be the end of the blood issue, I don't see anymore. Hoping to have a calf soon from one of the thre due any minute ow!! I am so nervous and worried with this heat! All I can do is keep hosing them down. My electric bill will proably astronomic!!!!(sp) We do have a well though, so maybe it won't be as bad as I think......Thanks again......Donna
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Post by ctownson on Jul 22, 2011 18:30:53 GMT -5
I had a call from another person today with a cow about to calf and walked them through some suggestions to follow in this heat. If mine goes full term, she should calve on August 7th. I am hoping she holds out that long in hopes that the temps will drop before then. She is pretty miserable right now.
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dexterlady
member
Wife, mother of two daughters and five grand children
Posts: 647
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Post by dexterlady on Jul 23, 2011 0:15:25 GMT -5
Hey Charles, I have three due to calve, one was due on the 14th--no calf yet, second one due the24th, and the third one due on the 4th of August. The third one looks like she is going to calve any minute, she is swollen, her teats are almost to the strutting stage, and I think she is starting to string, so MAYBE tomorrow we will have a red polled HEIFER on the ground!!!! Gosh this waiting is so nerve racking! Let us know when your "heifer" gets here.......Donna
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Post by ctownson on Jul 23, 2011 16:38:04 GMT -5
Keep that "heifer" thought going for me. We have had a great calving season this year. With 2 cows to go, we would be really happy with one more heifer! My next one is due on August 7th or a few days before. I hope this heat pulls back some by then.
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