Advice on Mastitis

We have a cow that has developed a severe case of mastitis post weaning.  She has an entire rear quarter that is black and looks like it is detaching or getting ready to open.  I am sure the cow will not be worth keeping.  However, she is currently about 5 months pregnant. Would it be worth our while to treat the cow just to get the calf and then ship her after she calves and raise the calf ourselves, or should we ship her now and cut our loss.  I am not even quite sure how to treat her other than with antibiotics and at this point I don't even know that it would help.  Advice please.

Gangrene mastitis---it will fall off one day, doubt if you can make it to 8 mos to induce

Cowman, why do you say we wouldn't make it to 8 mo?  Will the cow die from the infection?  Will she slough the calf first?  I don't mean to question you I just don't know.  Thanks.

If it is in just ONE quarter, let's not get too ready to  kill her yet! Back in my dairy days, growing up in Minnesota in the 60's, there were many injury infuced quarter losses in the little Jersey;s my dad had then. I know it is  amessy thing to see, but with a GOOD vet, it can be lacerated and the entire mamry from that quarter will almost come out like an orange from the peel. No kidding, it is fairly easy with the right hands. Then , using non-steroidal antibi-otics, get real agressive with your treatment for infection. I remember milking - by HAND - several cows with three quarters and they almost equaled the intact cows we had in the rest of the herd.

In a beef cow, you would be very surprised as to how much the other three quarters will "Step up to the plate" and take over that loss. It is all a matter of demand on lactation. More demand, more milk at least to a point!

Give her a chance after your vet gives his opinion, she may not be an auto loss deal here.

Good luck -- but DO get after it really quickly and watch the STEROIDS if she is pregnant!

Terry

Cowboy, thanks for the input.  That is the most positive thing I have heard thus far.  I am pretty sure even if we can pull her through this one we will probably ship her anyway.  She has had mastitis pretty severely twice before (horrible bag/teat design) and we are just done getting our teeth kicked out every time we have to deal with it.  Typically she gets it after she calves.  Her milk production is so high the calf cannot keep up with it which is tolerable if you can actually work with the cow.  Nonetheless, thank you again.