Post by LillysRgirl on Apr 1, 2010 23:11:21 GMT -5
Hi all. Dont know if anyone's still up, but I have a couple questions.
Sadie calved (her first) 15 days ago (I wrote in about her very sick 3 day old calf, who is bouncing around wonderfully now, thanks to you all) and I think she may have a beginning/mild case of either ketosis or milk fever. I've read quite a bit in the tree of knowledge and need to read more, but have a few questions I just can't seem to find the answer to.
1) Is it safe to continue to drink her milk if she has either ketosis or milk fever? I did read about the issue of it being safe to drink it while she is getting the vitamin B injections.
2) Can I use the drench and a calcium/magnesium paste together to cover the milk fever possibility also?
We have given her 2 doses of the drench tonight, vitamin b injection and a ketosis paste from Farm and Fleet. I have a calcium/magnesium paste for milk fever, but was concerned it would overdose on the magnesium since I used the drench with epsom salts already, and was a little hesitant about the calcium with what I'd read about it affecting the heart. She is up, not down, just not eating real well, has lost condition rapidly and my main clue was finally realizing that that funny taste the milk had was acetone, which started a few days ago.
We having been milking Lilly for 2 lactations now and never realized how easy we've had it - no problems except for a couple mild mastitises. Looking back, she may have been slightly ketotic at times also, but we did not know. Beginner's luck, I guess. Now it is time for the Crash Course
Why is the vet always not on call when I have a problem?
I THINK (hope and pray) that she will be ok tonight when we wake up to go check on her around 2, but just in case she is down, I wanted to try to find out beforehand.
I don't know what I would do without all this wonderful information on this forum! I'm afraid we would have lost a few battles.
Thanks for any advice you may have,
Karen
Sadie calved (her first) 15 days ago (I wrote in about her very sick 3 day old calf, who is bouncing around wonderfully now, thanks to you all) and I think she may have a beginning/mild case of either ketosis or milk fever. I've read quite a bit in the tree of knowledge and need to read more, but have a few questions I just can't seem to find the answer to.
1) Is it safe to continue to drink her milk if she has either ketosis or milk fever? I did read about the issue of it being safe to drink it while she is getting the vitamin B injections.
2) Can I use the drench and a calcium/magnesium paste together to cover the milk fever possibility also?
We have given her 2 doses of the drench tonight, vitamin b injection and a ketosis paste from Farm and Fleet. I have a calcium/magnesium paste for milk fever, but was concerned it would overdose on the magnesium since I used the drench with epsom salts already, and was a little hesitant about the calcium with what I'd read about it affecting the heart. She is up, not down, just not eating real well, has lost condition rapidly and my main clue was finally realizing that that funny taste the milk had was acetone, which started a few days ago.
We having been milking Lilly for 2 lactations now and never realized how easy we've had it - no problems except for a couple mild mastitises. Looking back, she may have been slightly ketotic at times also, but we did not know. Beginner's luck, I guess. Now it is time for the Crash Course
Why is the vet always not on call when I have a problem?
I THINK (hope and pray) that she will be ok tonight when we wake up to go check on her around 2, but just in case she is down, I wanted to try to find out beforehand.
I don't know what I would do without all this wonderful information on this forum! I'm afraid we would have lost a few battles.
Thanks for any advice you may have,
Karen