Post by gumbymilk on Oct 14, 2014 7:12:53 GMT -5
Hello!
I am new and a sponge for cow info! Hopefully it was okay to post this here.
Three years ago, I picked a heifer from my friend's dairy farm to raise and show at the 4H fairs and such. After I was done showing her for the summer she went back to the dairy farm. Last spring she was bred and had her first calf this spring. She was doing great, and then it went downhill. First she got a foot fungus, which to my understanding is like thrush in horses. Then she got mastitis. And then her foot fungus came back. And then she lost A LOT of weight. And then I was notified about it and they said if I want her, to take her. They said that she should be drying up and I wouldn't have to worry about milking her. I milked her yesterday because she looked pretty wet, and I noticed her right rear quarter was plugged up. I read how to unplug one on here. thanks y'all!
So, I have had her for two days. She is looking happier and her foot fungus is getting a little better, because I am used to dealing with that. But milking, drying up, and mastitis I am a newbie and I have been reading a lot about it on here. But I couldn't quite find the answer to my questions. So, here they are!
When do you normally let a cow dry up?
Can I let her dry up if she still has mastitis?
Should I call my vet out?
How firm/soft should her udders be?
What is the name for the fungus, or are there many types?
Could she have scar tissue from having mastitis?
Or any other knowledge about it, would be awesome. Oh, and does anyone know scientifically what it is and what causes mastitis?
Can stress cause mastitis? If so, does it have to be treated like any other types of bacterial mastitis?
I will be searching for some mastitis tests today.
I welcome links to related articles.
Sincerely with many thanks, Victoria and Maggie (Guernsey Brown Swiss Mix)
I am new and a sponge for cow info! Hopefully it was okay to post this here.
Three years ago, I picked a heifer from my friend's dairy farm to raise and show at the 4H fairs and such. After I was done showing her for the summer she went back to the dairy farm. Last spring she was bred and had her first calf this spring. She was doing great, and then it went downhill. First she got a foot fungus, which to my understanding is like thrush in horses. Then she got mastitis. And then her foot fungus came back. And then she lost A LOT of weight. And then I was notified about it and they said if I want her, to take her. They said that she should be drying up and I wouldn't have to worry about milking her. I milked her yesterday because she looked pretty wet, and I noticed her right rear quarter was plugged up. I read how to unplug one on here. thanks y'all!
So, I have had her for two days. She is looking happier and her foot fungus is getting a little better, because I am used to dealing with that. But milking, drying up, and mastitis I am a newbie and I have been reading a lot about it on here. But I couldn't quite find the answer to my questions. So, here they are!
When do you normally let a cow dry up?
Can I let her dry up if she still has mastitis?
Should I call my vet out?
How firm/soft should her udders be?
What is the name for the fungus, or are there many types?
Could she have scar tissue from having mastitis?
Or any other knowledge about it, would be awesome. Oh, and does anyone know scientifically what it is and what causes mastitis?
Can stress cause mastitis? If so, does it have to be treated like any other types of bacterial mastitis?
I will be searching for some mastitis tests today.
I welcome links to related articles.
Sincerely with many thanks, Victoria and Maggie (Guernsey Brown Swiss Mix)