Post by providentialpastur on Oct 4, 2008 17:09:28 GMT -5
This is where maggiesherd was exposed
I was elated last week to find out Caramels blood test came back negative. Then, yesterday I got a message that her fecal test came back positive. We've had her for about a year now. She has scoured off and on, once the vet said worms and we treated for that, and she stopped scouring. She started again, then, he said she had coccidia, we treated for that and she got better for a short while, then started scouring again and he said treat for coccidia again. I've just finished treating her 21 days with corid and then the prevention dose for 21 days and she has not been scouring for a while. I thought if they had johnnes once they started showing symptoms they would literally just waste away and not get better. In the pictures you can see that she has a pretty big belly now, but is still quite bony along the top. My DD Jessica who loves her and was her milkmaid is in the pic w/her. Her calf is now 3 months old and he's been with her 24/7 while she was on the corid.
The other cow I have, Vanilla (the one with the retained placenta still hanging out and hoding up her milk) came from the same farm at the same time.
If her calf never shows signs of Johnnes would he be good for meat?
Here's part of an email from a dear friend:
"Here are my thoughts:
1. If this disease is so highly contagious, wouldnt all of the Westlehopts cows have it? (they have several other cows that came from this same dairy with no problems)
2. Wouldnt any of our cows show signs other than Caramel?
3. I have been doing a lot of reading lately on Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Anyway, in my reading I have come across several references to Crohns Disease which is a advanced form of IBS. Most of the reading I have done
says Crohns Disease is the same as Johnnes Disease in cattle.
Further, I have read that both are a sign of a rampant imbalance in the microflora brought on by taking antibiotics and some other issues. This causes bad bacteria to spread (like candida) which then causes the symptoms of Crohns and Johnnes.
4. Before putting Caramel down, would you be willing to try a several month treatment of probiotics and change of diet? Grains can exacerbate the problem so I would assume taking her off all grains would be good - just alfalfa and grass maybe? If you and Adam dont feel comfortable with that, would you be willing to let me try? She would still be your cow, if you want her- we can work those things out."
So, now what?
I was elated last week to find out Caramels blood test came back negative. Then, yesterday I got a message that her fecal test came back positive. We've had her for about a year now. She has scoured off and on, once the vet said worms and we treated for that, and she stopped scouring. She started again, then, he said she had coccidia, we treated for that and she got better for a short while, then started scouring again and he said treat for coccidia again. I've just finished treating her 21 days with corid and then the prevention dose for 21 days and she has not been scouring for a while. I thought if they had johnnes once they started showing symptoms they would literally just waste away and not get better. In the pictures you can see that she has a pretty big belly now, but is still quite bony along the top. My DD Jessica who loves her and was her milkmaid is in the pic w/her. Her calf is now 3 months old and he's been with her 24/7 while she was on the corid.
The other cow I have, Vanilla (the one with the retained placenta still hanging out and hoding up her milk) came from the same farm at the same time.
If her calf never shows signs of Johnnes would he be good for meat?
Here's part of an email from a dear friend:
"Here are my thoughts:
1. If this disease is so highly contagious, wouldnt all of the Westlehopts cows have it? (they have several other cows that came from this same dairy with no problems)
2. Wouldnt any of our cows show signs other than Caramel?
3. I have been doing a lot of reading lately on Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Anyway, in my reading I have come across several references to Crohns Disease which is a advanced form of IBS. Most of the reading I have done
says Crohns Disease is the same as Johnnes Disease in cattle.
Further, I have read that both are a sign of a rampant imbalance in the microflora brought on by taking antibiotics and some other issues. This causes bad bacteria to spread (like candida) which then causes the symptoms of Crohns and Johnnes.
4. Before putting Caramel down, would you be willing to try a several month treatment of probiotics and change of diet? Grains can exacerbate the problem so I would assume taking her off all grains would be good - just alfalfa and grass maybe? If you and Adam dont feel comfortable with that, would you be willing to let me try? She would still be your cow, if you want her- we can work those things out."
So, now what?