Questioning the vet and reproductive question
May 24, 2021 9:33:22 GMT -5
Holly in WA and kim'scows like this
Post by Meadow Creek Mama on May 24, 2021 9:33:22 GMT -5
Years ago we had a cow cycling regularly but had not settled from a couple of AI's. A bull jumped our fence the next cycle and breed her but she ended up catching a respiratory virus from him and began to get ill a several days later. A dairy cattle vet (the only one out here I know of) came and treated her for pneumonia. When we told him that she had just had successful live cover, he was surprised because he said she was cystic. She recovered but we confirmed she was not pregnant via blood test 30 days later yet she never came into a heat after the bull. We went ahead with the vet's advice to use the CIDR and synch protocol to rupture the cyst and bring on a heat. She came into heat from that, we AI'd her but she did not settle. I was surprised the synch protocol did not settle as it was all timed perfect for breeding (mucus to the floor so the tech said 'this means it will be twins'), yet a natural heat 21 days later was successful via AI. At the time I was so thrilled to have found a vet who knew dairy!
After this event, I mentioned it on this forum and bigredcow thought the vet could have been wrong about her being cystic. Wrong because a cystic cow will either not come into heat or will always be in heat I was told. And this cow was cycling regularly. The thought was that she was not cystic but having reproductive problems instead. kim'scows mentioned that it's best not to breed 40 days after an illness like pneumonia and that the synched heat could not have worked for that reason. Thank you for your advice ladies :)
As breeding season approaches, we have a different cow who is not showing heat signs since calving. I'm afraid to use the vet again if they were wrong last time and they seem to only offer solutions via drugs every time we interact with them instead of reasons as to why things happen. I'm hoping to have our AI tech out instead to check if they are cystic.
I'm learning more this year and hope that we can have a more successful dry period leading into calving for better cow heath this next round. We've moved over to Crystal Creek minerals now and found a better hay source. Right now we are still in recovery mode it seems, trying to get everyone pregnant again.
I'm aware that BCS (which we've struggled with especially after fall/winter calvings like this last year) effects reproductive health, but what else could? Do you think that vet was wrong and if so, how could they be that off about something so simple? Is there anything else I can check to see how ready they are for breeding? I haven't had disease testing done in a few years but when I did, everyone was negative for everything and other than that bull who jumped in, we have a closed herd.
After this event, I mentioned it on this forum and bigredcow thought the vet could have been wrong about her being cystic. Wrong because a cystic cow will either not come into heat or will always be in heat I was told. And this cow was cycling regularly. The thought was that she was not cystic but having reproductive problems instead. kim'scows mentioned that it's best not to breed 40 days after an illness like pneumonia and that the synched heat could not have worked for that reason. Thank you for your advice ladies :)
As breeding season approaches, we have a different cow who is not showing heat signs since calving. I'm afraid to use the vet again if they were wrong last time and they seem to only offer solutions via drugs every time we interact with them instead of reasons as to why things happen. I'm hoping to have our AI tech out instead to check if they are cystic.
I'm learning more this year and hope that we can have a more successful dry period leading into calving for better cow heath this next round. We've moved over to Crystal Creek minerals now and found a better hay source. Right now we are still in recovery mode it seems, trying to get everyone pregnant again.
I'm aware that BCS (which we've struggled with especially after fall/winter calvings like this last year) effects reproductive health, but what else could? Do you think that vet was wrong and if so, how could they be that off about something so simple? Is there anything else I can check to see how ready they are for breeding? I haven't had disease testing done in a few years but when I did, everyone was negative for everything and other than that bull who jumped in, we have a closed herd.