Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2009 20:07:07 GMT -5
Hi! I don't know if this is exactly a 911 issue, but I'm afraid it will be if I don't treat it carefully.
I haven't been on the forums in many moons. Guess I only show up when I need help, sorry! Things have been going so well since our Jersey, Daffney, calved last May. My corporal tunnel syndrome went away when we got the surge milker - it's been working great for months now. And she's pregnant again, due July 9th! Guess she likes the bull down the road much better than the AI man. (Daffney was dry w/cysts for 2 years but this will be her 3rd or 4th calf.)
Anyway, things seemed to be going well. She's still giving 3 gallons a day and the big steer gets most of it, but I was thinking of drying her off or at least going to once a day milking. Then when I went out to milk this morning, I found a golf-ball size lump on her lower jaw. An abscess? I called the only vet around - he's good with cows - and he was out until Monday. The sub was only a small animal doctor but they gave me another name an hour away, only she was out for the weekend, too! Hmmm... I got on the Internet & searched plus talked to the farrier who was here & a neighbor with cows. We thought it might be a tooth abscess caused by a stick or something in the hay. I've drained abscesses before, but when I tried, only bright red blood came out. I then tried to draw something out with a needle but she got upset, tried to break out of the stanchion and bent it before I could draw it back. I decided to swab her with iodine and leave her for now...
The lump feels hard, but I can move it so I don't think it's connected to the bone. It might be warm but isn't hot and I don't think it was bothering her too much until I started poking at it. I didn't take her temp (never have - she's very opinionated ;D) but she seems to be acting and eating normally, until I try to mess with the lump. I searched on "lump jaw" and "abscess" on these forums and it keeps saying there's nothing found, even when I search all boards for thousands of days. Must be doing something wrong...
Is this serious? (I saw some horrible photos online!) Will it eventually drain? Maybe the pus pocket hadn't formed yet or I missed it? (I tried to drain it low and I didn't make a very big incision. Bleeding didn't last long.) Will it keep till Monday? Is there a way to treat it at home? I don't have a huge assortment of herbs or antibiotics but I have things like peroxide & colloidal silver.
We love her and depend on her and I just don't want anything to happen. We've been through enough with cow and calf problems over the years. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you! Lisa
I haven't been on the forums in many moons. Guess I only show up when I need help, sorry! Things have been going so well since our Jersey, Daffney, calved last May. My corporal tunnel syndrome went away when we got the surge milker - it's been working great for months now. And she's pregnant again, due July 9th! Guess she likes the bull down the road much better than the AI man. (Daffney was dry w/cysts for 2 years but this will be her 3rd or 4th calf.)
Anyway, things seemed to be going well. She's still giving 3 gallons a day and the big steer gets most of it, but I was thinking of drying her off or at least going to once a day milking. Then when I went out to milk this morning, I found a golf-ball size lump on her lower jaw. An abscess? I called the only vet around - he's good with cows - and he was out until Monday. The sub was only a small animal doctor but they gave me another name an hour away, only she was out for the weekend, too! Hmmm... I got on the Internet & searched plus talked to the farrier who was here & a neighbor with cows. We thought it might be a tooth abscess caused by a stick or something in the hay. I've drained abscesses before, but when I tried, only bright red blood came out. I then tried to draw something out with a needle but she got upset, tried to break out of the stanchion and bent it before I could draw it back. I decided to swab her with iodine and leave her for now...
The lump feels hard, but I can move it so I don't think it's connected to the bone. It might be warm but isn't hot and I don't think it was bothering her too much until I started poking at it. I didn't take her temp (never have - she's very opinionated ;D) but she seems to be acting and eating normally, until I try to mess with the lump. I searched on "lump jaw" and "abscess" on these forums and it keeps saying there's nothing found, even when I search all boards for thousands of days. Must be doing something wrong...
Is this serious? (I saw some horrible photos online!) Will it eventually drain? Maybe the pus pocket hadn't formed yet or I missed it? (I tried to drain it low and I didn't make a very big incision. Bleeding didn't last long.) Will it keep till Monday? Is there a way to treat it at home? I don't have a huge assortment of herbs or antibiotics but I have things like peroxide & colloidal silver.
We love her and depend on her and I just don't want anything to happen. We've been through enough with cow and calf problems over the years. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you! Lisa