PLEASE HELP!!!! yearling bloatted, diarrhea, runny nose

West Wind Acres

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I have a yearling heifer Scottish Highland Calf, this morning she didn't eat and looked a little under the weather, so I put her in her own pen to keep a better eye on her. She is now severely bloated, had very bad diarrhea and a runny nose. There is also a steer with her that isn't interested in eating. Yesterday we fed them some grass clippings from our lawn. She will not get up even when I approach her (usually she is very skittish)

Any ideas how to help her?
 

Imissmygirls

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I do hope that lawn wasn't treated with any chemicals.

Bloat is very serious. If both of them are affected, I would call the vet. You can lose an animal easily over bloat.

Also, If she is passing feces, she shouldn't be bloated. Passing something means the intestines and stomachs are working and making movements.
Normal non-invasive bloat can be fixed by walking the animal constantly until it burps and'or passes manure and gets the system operating again.
A cow that won't get up needs to be seen- NOW.
 

West Wind Acres

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We lost her before the vet could get there.

The lawn was never treated. She was having a little diarrhea, but not much.
 

rebecca100

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I'm sorry. :hugs It sounds like she may have eaten something poisonous. A lot of plants can kill livestock and it is hard to identify them all. If you have my kind of luck and there was a single poisonous plant with in 10 miles they would take turns eating it.
 

Imissmygirls

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Sorry you lost her.
Bloat is the cause of losing a lot of animals. Again, I don't' think bloat was the main case here.
Was there any yew or wilted cherry leaves in those clippings?
 

jhm47

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Bloat will kill them just as fast as poison. Bloat will make their rumen expand till it interferes with their lung and heart functions. This shuts down their respiratory and circulatory systems, and it's all over.
 

john in wa

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I would read up on bloat and how to let the air out of them. I dont think its as bad as it sounds. i have had to do it twice and it will save the cows life.
 

amysflock

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I'm really sorry for your loss. Bloat is very serious and can often come about when cattle eat early spring green grass...lawn grass, included, if the animals don't already have a belly full of hay. Wet/damp early grass is also a culprit. Bloat is an absolute life-or-death emergency.

Keep in mind that while some sources will recommend a trocar right away, often just some mineral oil or even liquid Tide detergent, I've heard (from large Scottish Highland breeders, no doubt, but I'd never pour detergent down my cattle's throats!), delivered via a tube directly into the esophagus, can help cut the gas and bubbles and fix the situation. Be sure to read up on that, too.

(BTW, the breeders who mentioned the Tide also said they keep an empty wine bottle in their show box for fairs in the event they need to quickly administer an anti-bloat aid to a show animal.)
 

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