Problem with a new baby

[fluffer]

Hey guys, I have a question for you..

We had a calf born last night.  We saw the cow calf from our house, calf was up and nursing in 30 min. max.  We never walked down to actually inspect the situation cause things looked pretty good and it was almost dark.  This morning my hubby called me here at work and said it looks like the calf's intestines are coming out of its navel.  I have heard of this before but we have never had one.  Do any of you know whats going on?  I haven't seen the situation to give you more details.  I can tell you the calf is 1/2 Angus 1/4 Red Angus and 1/4 Brown Swiss  so No TH or PHA obviously.  She was bred clean up so I don't know if the calf was early or not.  Base on reheats from when we AI'd the cow would be due on 4/27 if she cycled every 21 days.  Hubby said the calf wasn't looking too good this morning too.  Suppose he is a goner?  He is calling the vet too, just curious if any of you have dealt with this before and what your outcomes were.

Thanks for the help
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[red]

I've seen something similar but not as extreme as this in dairy cows. The navel had opened, in those cases I sewed the navel shut. This however was no were as serious as yours so not sure.
You're doing the right thing calling the vet.
Also a TH or PHA calf would be totally defferent from this.
Best of luck & keep us informed.

Red

 

[DL]

Sounds like an umbilical hernia (hole in the abdominal wall near the naval)- if the intestines are not damaged the vet can put them back in and close the hernia. Depending on the size of the hernia closing can be sutures or a patch.  If the intestines are damaged and don't look like they are viable (ie decreased blood supply, dead tissue  etc) it would probably be best to euthanize the calf. If hubby is home and calf is handleable (sp??) you could have him sort of wrap them in a wet cloth and kind of hold them/wrap them up against the body until the vet gets there...good luck

 

[Jenny]

We have had  this a couple of times in many years of calving and over thousands of births. 
Simply, there is just a bit of the navel opening that did not seal off like it normailly does; the intestine just needs to be put back up inside the calf's abdomen and the hole sewn shut and all will be fine.  We have saved them by doing this and we have lost one that I remember, because, like your case, we did not see it and by the time we did, the intestine was falling almost to the ground.  It is a condition that warrants immediate first aid action.

 

[fluffer]

Well, he died.  Not surprised.  We are at the end of calving and as long as they were getting up and sucking we weren't too worried about them.  We could have saved him if we had seen it last night.  The cow is just an old recip cow and I told hubby this weekend that if she and another one of my big ol cows hadn't calved by the time he had an empty trailer headed to the sale barn they would be on it. 

I thank you for your replies and now I will be prepared next time    As vigorous as the calf was at birth I am REALLY surprised!

Thanks Again!!!

Fluffer

 

[red]

so sorry Fluffer!  :'(

 

[kanshow]

Sorry fluffer.   

I know what you meant about the end of calving season..  we probably have more losses at the end because we are done watching. 

 

[fluffer]

It is just one of those days  :-\  Hubby called again and said that now we have a handful of cows bloated.  Glad I have an "in town job" today    It isn't a big deal.  We turned our cows out on some hay ground friday.  We put mineral and some bloat blocks out too.  They were fine but they ate all the grass and now they are starting on the alfalfa and clover.  He will just run them off the hay ground and put them back up in the old field that they have been in this winter.  Allow them to deflate, eat some hay, mineral and bloat blocks.  No biggie, but its just one of those days  ;D 

In case you think we are insane to turn out on hay ground  ... We do it and it works out really well.  It allows our summer pasture to really get stared before we turn cows out.  And since we share equipment with hubbys family it sets our hay back just far enough that when they are done with their first cutting we are ready to cut.  We also wait in the winter until the ground is froze and turn out cows out on the hay ground then too.  It fertilizes it and also takes away the insect havens and keeps alfalfa weavle and other bugs at bay. 

Thanks for your comments  (angel)

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[simtal]

we had one too, that also died.  those calves need to be sowed up quick.  you expose the gut to all the bacteria like that and peronitis comes in like wild fire. 

 

[oakbar]

Fluffer,

Sorry to hear about your calf!!    Do you know?  Is there a recessive gene in cattle for umbilical hernias like there is in swine?  I'm not saying that's what caused your problem but it got me thinking about similar problems we used to have to "breed around" in swine.  Not raising an alarm flag--just wondering out loud??

 

[fluffer]

Who knows    She is an older cow.  She is a Secondtonone (red angus) out of a brown swiss cow.  The calf was out of our angus clean up bull.  No problems with other roughly 30 calves on the ground.  But you never know.  She will be on a truck headed south to the sale barn by monday anyways.

Fluffer

 

[dori36]

It is just one of those days  :-\  Hubby called again and said that now we have a handful of cows bloated.  Glad I have an "in town job" today    It isn't a big deal.  We turned our cows out on some hay ground friday.  We put mineral and some bloat blocks out too.  They were fine but they ate all the grass and now they are starting on the alfalfa and clover.  He will just run them off the hay ground and put them back up in the old field that they have been in this winter.  Allow them to deflate, eat some hay, mineral and bloat blocks.  No biggie, but its just one of those days  ;D 

In case you think we are insane to turn out on hay ground  ... We do it and it works out really well.  It allows our summer pasture to really get stared before we turn cows out.  And since we share equipment with hubbys family it sets our hay back just far enough that when they are done with their first cutting we are ready to cut.  We also wait in the winter until the ground is froze and turn out cows out on the hay ground then too.  It fertilizes it and also takes away the insect havens and keeps alfalfa weavle and other bugs at bay. 

Thanks for your comments  (angel)

Fluffer

Sorry about the calf.  Probably the intestines were out to get contaminated too long or they were "strangulated" - decreased blood supply resulting in dying tissue.  Regarding the bloat blocks,  I usually make/made sure the cows were on them for 2 to 3 days before turnout.  Is that how you handle them when you put cows on fresh grass/alfalfa too?  Then, I limit their time out.  good luck with getting everything/one back in balance!

 

[BCCC]

It is just one of those days  :-\  Hubby called again and said that now we have a handful of cows bloated.  Glad I have an "in town job" today    It isn't a big deal.  We turned our cows out on some hay ground friday.  We put mineral and some bloat blocks out too.  They were fine but they ate all the grass and now they are starting on the alfalfa and clover.  He will just run them off the hay ground and put them back up in the old field that they have been in this winter.  Allow them to deflate, eat some hay, mineral and bloat blocks.  No biggie, but its just one of those days  ;D 

In case you think we are insane to turn out on hay ground  ... We do it and it works out really well.  It allows our summer pasture to really get stared before we turn cows out.  And since we share equipment with hubbys family it sets our hay back just far enough that when they are done with their first cutting we are ready to cut.  We also wait in the winter until the ground is froze and turn out cows out on the hay ground then too.  It fertilizes it and also takes away the insect havens and keeps alfalfa weavle and other bugs at bay. 

Thanks for your comments  (angel)

Fluffer

We do the same thing with or commercail cows

 

[fluffer]

We didn't give them the bloat blocks as early as we should have when we turned them out, but they have had them for about 4 days at this point.  We are just turning them out during the day and putting them back up in the old pasture at night.  I think we are back in balance now    We will see.

We are trying to give your summer pasture a few extra weeks to grow.  It was so dry last year and we have pushed that pasture pretty hard.  The seed guys want us to turn our cows out on 1 section of the pasture (it is broke into 3 sections) let the cows eat the grass down real good, and then no till in some clover to try and choke out some of the fescue.  See if that works and mabye do it on the other 2 sections.  We feel our Conceptions rates would go up if we could get rid of that fescue.

Thanks again for all your comments

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