Q: When
and Why should hooves be trimmed?
A: Hooves should be trimmed at anytime they impede the mobility
(walking) of the animal. In some areas of the country, due to wet
muddy conditions, the hooves won't wear down naturally and should be
trimmed.
Q: What is udder edema, how do I prevent it and what is the
treatment?
A: When the cow's udder is gearing or bagging up for milk
production the bag will sometimes swell and the tissue in front of the
bag will swell all the way to the front legs in the most severe cases.
It is treated with dexamethasone and diuretics after the calf is
born. Dexamethasone may cause premature labor so you must
be extremely careful when using this drug. Always consult your
local vet for treatment protocol.
Q: What
causes mastitis and how do we treat it? What is the worst type and
why is it so hard to treat?
A: All the word mastitis means is inflammation of the udder.
It can be due to mechanical damage (i.e. the bag rubbing against the
back legs - a kick injury to the bag from another cow), fungal causes or
bacterial infection. The worst kind is coliform mastitis, which is
caused by bacteria found in manure. Symptoms are the bag will have
a blueish tint and be cold to the touch - if you experience this call a
vet immediately as the cow can die within 24 hours. Needless to
say, this is a life threatening situation and must be treated very
aggressively with injections of antibiotics, inflammatory drugs and
antibiotics in the udder through the teats. Please consult your
vet for specific protocol based on the individual severity.
Q: What
problems occur when the tail head is set too far forward?
A: The anus will be set in and fecal matter will fall over and
into the vagin which can set up an infection that will cause the cow to
breed back slower or not at all.
Q: Is
repeated TB testing detrimental to the animal long term?
A: No. There is no documented cases of residual effects in
prolonged testing. Most all states require TB testing for
interstate shipment of cattle. Some states have TB free status at
this time. The second part of this question is requirement of test
before purchase in the same state. As in any sale it can be
requested by the purchaser, but the purchaser may have to pay for it.
Q: What
is the difference between 5, 6, and 10 way vaccines and when should you
use what?
A: All contain black leg vaccine and combinations of other
vaccines that effect respiratory and reproductive diseases.
Depending upon your individual locale, your personal vet will know which
your cattle need to be protected against.
Q:
Should my cows be inoculated against rabies?
A: Cattle can be infected with rabies; in areas of high incidence
of rabies, inoculation should be considered.
Q: Is
DE (diatomaceous earth) a good wormer? What is a good anthelmentic?
How often should I deworm? Should I alternate dewormers?
A: There is no scientific data showing DE to be a good dewormer.
Deworming trials using DE checked fecal samples over several months and
it made no difference. Most commercial dewormers work well.
The pour-ons (no matter the brand) miss about 20% of the worm total
population. It is therefore better to use oral or injectable
dewormer. As for timing of wormings, as soon as possible after the
first good frost in the fall and in the spring 6 weeks after the grass
greens up. If you live in an area of the country i.e. south
Florida, south Texas or southern California with no freezes contact your
local vet for proper timing. I personally use an oral in the
spring for the best results as worms are associated with green pasture
grasses and in the fall I use a pour-on to alternate. This is my
personal preference.
Q:
Explain NeoSporum Canus and the after effects of vaccination; will
future calves suffer neurological side effects?
A: It is a naturally occuring intestinal parasite (coccidian)
present in all canines. NeoSporum Canus is found in dogs, coyotes
and fox. Anywhere these animals leave excrement, and it is
ingested by cattle, they can abort. After cattle are vaccinated,
there are no problems of carrying full term in the future and no
documented evidence of neurological damage to future off-springs.
They will titer suspect in future toxic screens, so you should keep
accurate records for possible future owners. The vaccine
manufacturer, Intervet, has a toll free number for other specific
questions (1-800-992-8051)
Q: I
have a 3 year old heifer who has filled her udder with milk but by
palpation does not have a calf. What are the signs/steps in the
growth cycle of a calf born by a Dexter?
A: Gestation for Dexters is the same as a regular size cow (i.e.
9-9.5 months gestation). There are certain grasses and weeds that
contain a lot of estrogen (called phytoestrogens) and eating these
plants can cause the bag to swell. Another possibility is this
could also be from mating a chondrodysplasia carrying cow to a
chondrodysplasia carrying bull producing a bulldog calf. I have
personally witnessed two of these and within 2 hours the buzzards had
completely devoured the entire calf as there is minimal bone structure.
You might want to test your bull for the chondro gene to ensure this is
not the problem.
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