Post by tassie on Jul 8, 2008 6:47:27 GMT -5
I'd really appreciate some input on this as I think it's getting serious.
About 4 weeks ago I noticed that Giselle's calf (Petroushka)) had blistery things on her nose. I thought she had stuck her nose in something that had stung her and kept my eye on her but didn't worry. She appeared in perfect health otherwise.
2 weeks ago, day after milking (we milk about twice a week), I noticed that Giselle's teats had lots of poxy red papules and her udder was covered in same, amongst the hair, although they seemed dry and flakier. She was fine and eating, and the lesions weren't there the day before. I made the connection straight away with Petroushka's nose and scrutinised the others (my jersey heifer Blossum, Linda the milker, her calf, and a 3 month orphan, Chokkie). Nothing on them.
Did some reading and thought: pseudocowpox. But how did it get here?? The only way would be from the arrival of Blossum in mid-May, but she still hasn't shown any symptoms. She was born in a dairy and may have been exposed to whatever it is and developed immunity, but can she be contagious with no active pox??
Since discovering Giselle's thingies (coz I don't know what they are for sure ;D), Linda has gone on to develop them over the last 10 days and they are much worse than Giselle had. Her teats are like smooth bananas, at least 4 inches long (front)and 3 at back, and now they are scabby and horrible. She has a weaker constitution and tends to get poorly more easily but she is still eating healthily and fine apart from being very sore. Poor girl, she was standing with her head resting on her calf's back kicking one hind leg while the calf drank (cow version of biting on a stick ).
So, as of today, Petroushka's nose is clean, Linda's calf's nose is clean (she hasn't had any thingies yet), Chokkie is clean (she drinks from Giselle), Blossum is clean, BUT Giselle, who had pretty-well cleared up, is getting a fresh batch on her teats and some on her nose. Linda has them on her nose and teats.
Both Chokkie and Blossum have black noses while all the others have pink noses.
Some of our cows have gunky yellow stuff in their eyes at the moment, including Giselle and now Linda (as of a few days ago). I can't recall if it has developed independently of contact with Blossum, but it seems a bit odd that both things have cropped up. I am keeping them isolated from the other cows (they were anyway) and I've checked everyone out for signs and am inconclusive -- there's nothing overt but there is the odd lesion here and there that might come to something.
I don't want to wean the calves until Mousse calves next month because we don't want to milk every day to keep them in milk, although it may be necessary if mother and calf keep reinfecting each other. From what I've read, the pox just run their course and are only a danger if the cow gets mastitis from the lesions getting infected so I haven't rung a vet yet. I gave Giselle some Euphrasia 30C from our emergency homeopathic kit as soon as I saw the thingies and she only had it mildly and wasn't sore (there weren't really any scabs) but Linda's teats are just awful and it's hurting her. She had mastitis with her first calf but we milked it out and this time she was fine.
Could Blossum be the culprit? She's so exuberantly healthy and a total joy to be with ....she even comes up behind me and fits my body in between her horns and gives me a gentle shove (love-shove?). I can't believe she's toxic! But whatever it is, it's viral and it lives on noses and udders - haven't found it anywhere else on the body.
Check it out (had to put the photos in big or you can't see it properly.
Linda's teats
Linda again
Giselle healing
Linda's nose
The yellow gunk.
Oh what to do? If it's still rampant at the end of the week I will have to isolate the calves I think. Any thoughts?
Trina
About 4 weeks ago I noticed that Giselle's calf (Petroushka)) had blistery things on her nose. I thought she had stuck her nose in something that had stung her and kept my eye on her but didn't worry. She appeared in perfect health otherwise.
2 weeks ago, day after milking (we milk about twice a week), I noticed that Giselle's teats had lots of poxy red papules and her udder was covered in same, amongst the hair, although they seemed dry and flakier. She was fine and eating, and the lesions weren't there the day before. I made the connection straight away with Petroushka's nose and scrutinised the others (my jersey heifer Blossum, Linda the milker, her calf, and a 3 month orphan, Chokkie). Nothing on them.
Did some reading and thought: pseudocowpox. But how did it get here?? The only way would be from the arrival of Blossum in mid-May, but she still hasn't shown any symptoms. She was born in a dairy and may have been exposed to whatever it is and developed immunity, but can she be contagious with no active pox??
Since discovering Giselle's thingies (coz I don't know what they are for sure ;D), Linda has gone on to develop them over the last 10 days and they are much worse than Giselle had. Her teats are like smooth bananas, at least 4 inches long (front)and 3 at back, and now they are scabby and horrible. She has a weaker constitution and tends to get poorly more easily but she is still eating healthily and fine apart from being very sore. Poor girl, she was standing with her head resting on her calf's back kicking one hind leg while the calf drank (cow version of biting on a stick ).
So, as of today, Petroushka's nose is clean, Linda's calf's nose is clean (she hasn't had any thingies yet), Chokkie is clean (she drinks from Giselle), Blossum is clean, BUT Giselle, who had pretty-well cleared up, is getting a fresh batch on her teats and some on her nose. Linda has them on her nose and teats.
Both Chokkie and Blossum have black noses while all the others have pink noses.
Some of our cows have gunky yellow stuff in their eyes at the moment, including Giselle and now Linda (as of a few days ago). I can't recall if it has developed independently of contact with Blossum, but it seems a bit odd that both things have cropped up. I am keeping them isolated from the other cows (they were anyway) and I've checked everyone out for signs and am inconclusive -- there's nothing overt but there is the odd lesion here and there that might come to something.
I don't want to wean the calves until Mousse calves next month because we don't want to milk every day to keep them in milk, although it may be necessary if mother and calf keep reinfecting each other. From what I've read, the pox just run their course and are only a danger if the cow gets mastitis from the lesions getting infected so I haven't rung a vet yet. I gave Giselle some Euphrasia 30C from our emergency homeopathic kit as soon as I saw the thingies and she only had it mildly and wasn't sore (there weren't really any scabs) but Linda's teats are just awful and it's hurting her. She had mastitis with her first calf but we milked it out and this time she was fine.
Could Blossum be the culprit? She's so exuberantly healthy and a total joy to be with ....she even comes up behind me and fits my body in between her horns and gives me a gentle shove (love-shove?). I can't believe she's toxic! But whatever it is, it's viral and it lives on noses and udders - haven't found it anywhere else on the body.
Check it out (had to put the photos in big or you can't see it properly.
Linda's teats
Linda again
Giselle healing
Linda's nose
The yellow gunk.
Oh what to do? If it's still rampant at the end of the week I will have to isolate the calves I think. Any thoughts?
Trina