Post by Mitra on Jun 24, 2012 7:39:46 GMT -5
The amazing udder has gotten slightly less swollen. It does NOT look like it did in the pictoral of Winnie's birth. It is still huge and there's so much edema that I'm not able to get Nellie milked out properly. She's never held up before so I think the issue is the edema.
My dairy neighbor with the organic dairy gives the cows with edema aspirin for a few days to bring the swelling down. He did administer two boluses to Nellie after she calved but I haven't since then, 2 days ago. I have been slathering her with the Uddermint and I think that's helping more than anything. The weather having cooled off by 20 degrees and the low humidity must play a role as well. I tried making a strong raspberry leaf tea but she did not appreciate that being poured over her grain.
She's not finishing her grain and this morning her ears feel cool compared to last night but the temps are cooler too. She doesn't look droopy. She's eating her hay, cudding, and grazing. Baby is nursing well, peeing, pooping and seems fine. I've been giving Nellie Calcium boluses, crushed up on her feed and wonder if that's why she won't eat all her grain (plus there's still the tea soked grain in her bin). Today I gave her two pounds of chopped carrots, chopped apples, and 4 big whole wheat tortillas and she ate them with gusto. So that makes me think, not Ketosis. But the cool ears are bugging me. Yesterday I attempted to milk her three times and my total yield form those milking was a scant 2.5 gallons. This is a cow that gives 5 gallons on OAD milking and feeds her calf on top of that.
This morning I got one gallon after baby nursed two out of the three working quarters. She had foam all over her face and on the ground.
I don't have anymore calcium-Mag tubes. Do they have those at Tractor supply? (my only option on a Sunday)
Anything else I should be doing? I'm going to go to Joann's today to dig up more Burdock root. That's supposed to be excellent for the edema and I've used up all I had. Ooh, I just realized, I can go cut her some comfrey!
My dairy neighbor with the organic dairy gives the cows with edema aspirin for a few days to bring the swelling down. He did administer two boluses to Nellie after she calved but I haven't since then, 2 days ago. I have been slathering her with the Uddermint and I think that's helping more than anything. The weather having cooled off by 20 degrees and the low humidity must play a role as well. I tried making a strong raspberry leaf tea but she did not appreciate that being poured over her grain.
She's not finishing her grain and this morning her ears feel cool compared to last night but the temps are cooler too. She doesn't look droopy. She's eating her hay, cudding, and grazing. Baby is nursing well, peeing, pooping and seems fine. I've been giving Nellie Calcium boluses, crushed up on her feed and wonder if that's why she won't eat all her grain (plus there's still the tea soked grain in her bin). Today I gave her two pounds of chopped carrots, chopped apples, and 4 big whole wheat tortillas and she ate them with gusto. So that makes me think, not Ketosis. But the cool ears are bugging me. Yesterday I attempted to milk her three times and my total yield form those milking was a scant 2.5 gallons. This is a cow that gives 5 gallons on OAD milking and feeds her calf on top of that.
This morning I got one gallon after baby nursed two out of the three working quarters. She had foam all over her face and on the ground.
I don't have anymore calcium-Mag tubes. Do they have those at Tractor supply? (my only option on a Sunday)
Anything else I should be doing? I'm going to go to Joann's today to dig up more Burdock root. That's supposed to be excellent for the edema and I've used up all I had. Ooh, I just realized, I can go cut her some comfrey!