SWOLLEN QUARTER ON DRY HEREFORD

[moonie's mother]

Yesterday I noticed a swollen quarter on a 7 year old cow. She hasnt nursed a calf since spring and I really dont know if she is breed or not. She sure doesnt look like it to me. I tried to touch her bag but of course she would have nothing to do with it. It doesnt look red (yet) it just looks like it looks when she's got a calf on her only just in one quarter. Any ideas? This small stuff always seems to get very big, very fast on me and I thought I'd ask for some help now.
Thanks

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Sounds like mastitis or an injury. Even dry cows can get mastitis if an injury occurs or some bacteria manage to get up into the quarter. I would get her in somewhere and try to strip the quarter to see. If mastitis you will need to treat her in the quarter and it wouldn't hurt to give her 20cc of penicillan IM (in muscle) once a day if not to bad, twice a day if the masitis stinks or is yellow, clear, or greenish. Then you should strip that quarter twice a day to clear it up. If it is mastitis and not an injury if you leave it she can get very sick. It sounds like a beef cow so I hope you have somewhere to lock her up and work with her. She probably won't like being stripped out so here's a tip:
Try putting a halter on her and pull her head around to the side that you are milking her on. Tie the halter to her hind leg. Cows kick out backwards before they kick forward and this jerks them and helps break the habit. If the halter doesn't work then you can try a nose leader.

If it is an injury you will have to keep watch that she doesn't get mastitis.

Good luck and don't be afraid to post more questions if any arise.

 

[wynedot55]

sounds to me like she has mastitis in that teat.if you can get her up.an put her in the chute.feel the teat if its hot or hard then she has mastitis.milk the teat out.an see if any clumps come out.you can treat her with pen.but you need to get some mastitis meds an shoot up in the teat.

 

[moonie's mother]

It took over 2 hours to strip this cow out. My first time with mastitis, I've obviously been lucky. I put some in a jar to look at it later and it looks just like corn chowder but has no smell. I take that as a good sign. I went to the grain store and bought some DRY COW MASTITIS INJECTIONS. According to the label it has 100,000 iu (?) of penicillian. Then it said to massage and thats it. Its been 48 hours and her bag is still big. I havent tried to squeeze anything, but I am curious as to if it is working? How long will it take until I know if we are on the right path and do you give a second injection?

 

[wynedot55]

you need to milk that teat out once or twice a day to see if it still has the chunks in it.those chunks are mastitis.after you milk her out shoot another tube up her teat.do that for 3 more times.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

I agree. You probably won't get as much out as you did the first time either, so don't let that concern you. It had built up in her quarter.

 

[moonie's mother]

I was hoping you wouldnt say that. It was not fun in the least to deal with her. I had to tie her back legs from the front and from the back plus tie her head and she was still throwing herself all around. There is no one but me to do this and I'm sure I'm not telling you anything you don't already know but its not easy doing this alone. I'm not a real big girl and the few people that could help, refuse. Thay want nothing to do with COWS> I had called a vet and I think he left a message saying I only had to do this once. However, I would tend to believe you guys. If you were me, what should I do next.?

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Strip her out and retreat.

A tip for breaking a cow that kicks during milking: (by Farmer Kitty)

Try putting a halter on her and pull her head around to the side that you are milking her on. Tie the halter to her hind leg. Cows kick out backwards before they kick forward and this jerks them and helps break the habit. If the halter doesn't work then you can try a nose leader.

 

[moonie's mother]

Hi: I stripped her out and got a quart of stuff. Not as lumpy as it was two days ago and still no bad smell. I used another go-dry penicillin. I checked out the Hanford's U.S. VET GO-DRY dry cow mastitis treatment on the internet and it said to use only once.?? Whats up with that? Does it sound right to anyone? I'm wondering because the vet I talked to on Sat am also said once would be enough???? Her bag is still very hard and very big...Any insight that anyone could give me will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Cathie

 

[wynedot55]

how long has her calf been weaned.her bagg should be going dry.unless she is heavy bred.