D 0 RORI - UPDATE 5/1AM

[RachelK]

Background - Rori has been feeding two calves for the past 2 months and everything has been fine. She won't share milk at all so it's either calves or milking - she can hold up like Fort Knox - literally measure in TBLS of milk when she has a calf. Monday we moved her a mile away over by my mother's house because there is so much grass there. We brought the smaller calf along because the other one was 5 mo old anyway and needed to be weaned. The smaller one should have been able to take care of the amount of milk she is producing - he is going on 3 months old. My mom has been keeping an eye on them and everything seemed to be going well.

Yesterday she wasn't her normal perky self. We went to check on her and her right front quarter was extremely full and hard. Our thoughts at that time were that the other calf wasn't nursing off of it - maybe that had always been the other calf's "teat", although when we would take her to the calves, they both always bounced around from teat to teat. This is the same side where she already has a blind rear quarter and always has to my knowledge. We brought the other calf down hoping that we would nurse and empty her out and it would be better. Well, she is obviously in pain and he wouldn't let him nurse.

We went down first thing this morning to check on her again and it is pretty clear that now she isn't letting either one nurse at all. The right side of her udder was even worse and looked almost bruised. All I could get out of it were a dozen squirts of some brownish watery stuff. It took a long time but we got her back to the house and immediately had the vet out.

He gave her a shot of an antibiotic, some banamine, and an amoxycillin antibiotic up the teat. I got a couple more doses of antibiotic from him and a vial of oxytocin to try and get her to let down for me.

I gave her the shot of oxy tonight and sat down to milk. I still could only get about a quart of milk. Her right side of her udder is soooo huge. There is even edema and swelling up in front of her udder. And, she had a couple large chunks come out of the left rear.

The weird thing is there is - NO FEVER, NO HEAT IN UDDER

I just don't understand what is happening. This is the first time we have dealt with anything like this.

Please Help!!

[Janene]

All I can offer is the usual advice: milk often (unless you're using more infusions) and warm/hot compresses. Rub the udder with Cayenne/lard or some udder balm laced with peppermint oil.
Keep us updated, it is weird its not hot...
Janene

[RachelK]

I think it's gangrenous. That would explain the purple color and the fact that it is cold. She doesn't even flinch when I massage and try to milk it. I just don't understand this. She was fine until yesterday. Yes, we have had calves on her - but we are always checking udders and there has been no physical signs that there was anything wrong. He udder has always been empty and loose, her appetite has been fine, and she has been acting like a normal cow.

I am really afraid at this point that she is going to die. I feel absolutely horrible right now and can't help but wonder if there is anything we could have done different. I just don't understand - I am so depressed over this.

She is also 3 mo pregnant. Is there any hope to have her live and also save the calf? We are going to call the vet again first thing in the morning. He didn't answer his phone when I called him back this evening.

[mtnmama]

Oh my goodness, Rachel. I'm so sorry. I had a doe this happened to last spring. It happened overnight. She was fine, The next morning I thought she had injured and bruised her udder. Then I milked her. Nothing but large chunks that were almost impossible to get past. And I have no vet. But I did what Janene just said, very warm compresses about 4-5 times a day and milkings that often, and shots of antibiotics. It took 3 rounds of these, and her teat turned black, the udder looked horrific, but she continued to nurse her baby on the other side and continued to eat well. She finally got over it, but I really thought she was going to die for a couple of weeks. She did loose the teat. But she's as fiesty and dominant as ever now, so don't give up hope!!! And milk, milk, milk!!! Good luck, prayers are with you....

[mtnmama]

I forgot to add. Probiotics, too after the antibiotics.

[RachelK]

She was up this morning, which surprised me. The brownish liquid I was getting out of her one teat was also coming out of a couple places right above her teat and also up higher on her udder.

My SIL suggested to me if it could possibly be a snake bite. Is this possible? Has anybody ever dealt with that and what were your cows symptoms?

I could not get much out of any of the quarters and she was passing a lot of gas. She has not pooped either since we put her in the barn. She is in a clean area. She isn't eating hardly anything though either so I wouldn't expect her to be pooping a whole lot.

[djb]

I lost a cow with black mastitis 2 years ago.It was very quick,she died less than 24 hrs.after her first antibiotic.I recommend banamine [they have lots of pain]injectible antis.,maybe drenching her with lots of molasses water as they usually stop drinking & eating.In my experience you cant usually get anything out of their udder but keep trying.The teat will be cold & if the cow survives the affected quarter will usually slough off.I f she has a high temp she will probably abort her calf[the banamine may help prevent this.]If she is still alive she may just have a very bad case of normal mastitis

[nightskyfarm]

My friend's doe got gangrenous mastitis and did loose the teat, but saved the goat. She treated her with Banamine, Nuflor, peppermint oil, hot compresses and frequent milking. The bacteria is in the soil and wherever your cow lives needs to be scraped down deep, limed and re-bed. I would put down a fairly think layer of lime. Anyway, I am so sorry you have to deal with this and hopefully your cow will recover, but you may loose that side of her udder.

[RachelK]

I just got done giving her 45cc of penicillin, 10cc vit B, a molasses/ACV/Epsom Salt/Yogurt Drench, teat infusions is all quarters, and some oxytocin to try and get some milk out (not necessarily in that order). The blackish/blue coloring is very distinct now and seems to be affecting more that just the one quarter. I am still puzzled on how this started. She has a couple of scratches on two of her teats but they aren't very deep and I have seen much worse, as far as scratches go.

DH has been giving her comfrey tea and some echinacea plus tincture in her water. He also made an olive oil rub with garlic and habanero pepper.

I am soooo sad for her and mad at myself. She is definitely in pain and I don't know if I am doing the right thing.

[Rhein-O-Ranch]

You really need to get some Banamine in her......It helps with the pain and makes the anti-biotic work better. Plus lowers any fever that there may be.
And I will reinforce what is said above....You are doing your best. No matter what the outcome.

[RachelK]

Apr 24, 2010 16:57:50 GMT -5 Rhein-O-Ranch said:

You really need to get some Banamine in her......It helps with the pain and makes the anti-biotic work better. Plus lowers any fever that there may be.
And I will reinforce what is said above....You are doing your best. No matter what the outcome.

The vet gave her banamine yesterday. When I talked to him this afternoon, I asked him about giving her more and he said that it should stay in her system for a couple of days. And she has no fever, which I think is really odd.

[tabitha]

I am so sorry. I know how hard it is to have a medical mystery with an animal. You are doing everything you know how and I would not want for better caregivers if I were Rori. I will pray she pulls through. Please be easy on yourself- I know when I have been there the worst part is the second guessing and worry.

Tabitha

[Joann]

Might you try vitamin C ? I have had remarkable results from it at times. I buy the dry crystalline form. It is a sort of all purpose support. I would try 1 tablespoon in a molasses drench. That would be 15 grams. I would repeat this 3 times a day.

There have been some reports of cures to gangrenous tissue (in case this is what it is) by applying honey. It sounds pretty messy and likely to draw insects too, and I have not tried it myself. But great claims were made.

Something I have used with success for various conditions is comfrey. Comfrey is pretty amazing, but you need a lot. It can be applied as a compress and also fed.

Please try not to feel badly. You are doing a wonderful job.

Joann

[Becky]

Hang in there. You are doing all you can, and dong it well.
The only thing I would add would be to keep up with the banamine daily as it will help with the pain. After 24 hours it won't have much, if any, effect anymore.
One thing I recently learned is to use yogurt culture powder instead of the yogurt. You can get a higher # of good "cooties" in them than if you just use the yogurt.

I hope this has a positive outcome for you. Take care of yourself along the way!!

Becky

[sherrye]

i want to suggest that if you use comfrey, to use castor oil in the pack or compress or ointment. castor oil is a wonderful carrier oil. it will carry all the healing properties from the (must be raw unfiltered ) honey just like raw apple cider vinegar. you can use comfrey castoe honey and some diluted epsom salts. the castor oil has been used for centuries to heal. it will penetrate the tissue to 6 inches deep. just my thoughts maybe they can help you . you are doing super she has a wonderful milkmaid . sherrye

[RachelK]

She is still up but her udder/body looks much worse. She is walking around although not much and very slowly. I can see a definite dark line all the way around her udder. She has some spunk though so I am still holding out some hope that she will live.

It was swollen and squishy in front of her udder by her milk vein when this all started. It started to harden there yesterday and by today it was also swollen on the other side. It has spread about 8 or 9 inches further towards her brisket on both sides since this morning. It is well past her umbilicus right now.

I don't think we are dealing with anything very typical from what I have been reading. I know we have some bad gangrenous mastitis but I think that there must have been some injury or snake bite near her milk vein that triggered it and what has made is spread to her entire udder. There is brown liquid seeping our her skin and even her blind quarter is swollen and there are drips coming from that teat as well. I don't get more than a tsp out of that one when I try to strip her out. I am only getting a cup or so out each time I go out and strip her.

We dosed her with penicillin again this morning as well as giving her some more molasses/yogurt/epsom salt/vinegar drench, teat infusions. My SIL is helping me and we have made some comfrey/garlic/castor oil and also are brewing a poulice to put on. We are also brewing a liver/blood cleansing tea to give her. I am going to get some yogurt down her this afternoon after Matt comes home from church.

The one teat on her right side where is all started seems to sound like there is a lot of air in it. Now I am doing all this reading on gas mastitis caused by clostridium bacteria and I am really freaking out.

[briarrose]

What kind of poisonous snakes do you have in your area? What about piosonous spiders? My son who does a lot of research on this type of thing says it sounds more like some sort of venom or blood poisoning. I had a milk goat that got gangrene in her bag but it sounded nothing like what you have going on. It didn't spread near as fast, granted I'm not as up on goats but I would think the process is pretty much the same. Maybe I missed it but did you infuse anything into her bag? or have you just been giving her shots and oral medication? Just some thoughts, I feel so bad for the both of you. The helpless feeling is so horrible. Grit your teeth, your'e doing the best you can for her. God Bless you.

Kristy

[RachelK]

we have copperheads and pigmy rattlers

[Janene]

I'd put a call into the vet and see what they say in the morning.
I'm worrying/wondering along with you.....
(((((hugs!)))))
Janene

[RachelK]

Apr 25, 2010 22:13:38 GMT -5 Janene said:

I'd put a call into the vet and see what they say in the morning.
I'm worrying/wondering along with you.....
(((((hugs!)))))
Janene

We put a call in to our friends who AI for us. The own a dairy just a couple of miles away. Basically he laughed at everything that I said the vet told us. The vet said that there wasn't actually anything wrong with her, just possibly an injury and only gave us some mastitis infusions as a preventative. 12 hours later she was remarkable worse and it has already started to spread through her blood stream. Our friends knew exactly what was wrong as soon as I started describing what was going on. She has coliform mastitis (how is started I don't know). They have not dealt with it in a long time they said but knew for sure what it was.

Our friends brought us some more banamine for her and are going to give us another dose for her today. She is still up and apart from the fact that she must be in so much pain, she is very bright and her hers are perky, not drooping. She is drinking and urinating, although not a whole lot, but does not appear to be dehydrated.

We are giving her a detox tea a couple of times a day along with the molasses drench and a probiotic that our friends gave us. I am still rubbing her down with the comfrey/garlic oil but I added some cayenne to it as well. She is getting vit B injections and an antibiotic as well.

Our friends were very hopeful that she would pull through with her pregnancy still in tact. There is no hope to save her udder at this point. She are just trying to help her live and eventually have her calf. They thought is was very strange for her to develop this so late into her lactation as it usually effects cows who have just freshened.

Keep praying!!