She didn't make it....

allenslabs · #21 01/03/12, 06:50 PM

And thanks. I am sure I'm not the only that does this but, I look back and think, if I had only thought ahead to treat for any infection, if I had known her excitement wasn't just from the baby, it was from the milk fever. But, honestly, I did what I could and my daughter hit the nail on the head, she died knowing we loved her and we did everything we could do. Plain and simple. It was a hard, expensive lesson to be learned, but now I am far better prepared for the future. Sucky way to get there....but at least I have learned something.

MARYDVM · #22 01/03/12, 09:59 PM

It's no consolation, I'm sure, but even with the best treatment inhalation pneumonia is often fatal. There's no way to get the inhaled substance out of the lungs, and it just sits there growing bacteria and poisoning the lungs. You did everything humanly possible for her.

allenslabs · #23 01/03/12, 10:11 PM

Is it possible that is what that horrible smell was when she breathed? My boyfriend removed her from the barn and he said that when he did there was what looked to be blood coming from her nose. I was thinking that was probably from the infection or something that was probably what led to her demise. Thank you Mary for the explanation on that form of pneumonia. Sucky way to go that is for sure.

MARYDVM · #24 01/03/12, 10:25 PM

The odor can definitely come with inhalation pneumonia. With cows, it's usually rumen fluid that is regurgitated while they're down, and then inhaled. All those rumen bacteria cause an abscess in the lung, and eventually blood poisoning. A shot of PennG would have no effect against it.

springvalley · #25 01/03/12, 11:06 PM

So sorry for the passing of Elenore, if you love that cow like I do mine, I know how you feel. Life is a learning process, some are good, some not so good, but non the less we learn from all of them. I give you a GOLD star for everything you did for that cow, she knew she was loved I`m sure. Your daughter like mine have come to know that we can`t save them all, death is something farm kids seem to learn about at a much younger age. Keep your chin up, it will get better, but right now it hurts very badly. > Marc

DianeWV · #26 01/04/12, 12:36 AM

You did all you could do. So very sorry!

allenslabs · #27 01/04/12, 06:11 AM

Thank you everyone. You sure make me feel like I did everything I could. I thought I did but still one can second guess themselves often.
That makes sense on the inhaled rumen fluid as her head was downhill from her body and there was fluid coming from her nose. I would guess when I sat her back up, it trailed into her lungs.

Cindy in KY · #28 01/04/12, 07:48 AM

I am so sorry. I've been following your threads and thinking of you every day. I didn't post because there are so many with more experience than me on here. Maybe she was just prone to it, like one poster said on here. I do hope they find a good cow for you.

All our cow got was wheat bread, 8 loaves a day, and grass hay, and dairy minerals in the 2 months of dry leading up to calving. No grain at all. Her bag only got very large the same day she had the baby. She had the baby at 2am and we milked her completely out at 6am, and then twice daily, taking all the milk, with the auto milker.

Now that she is milking again, she gets the same feed plus a little bit of plain All Stock, tiny pellets, no sweet feed. We usually don't even feed All Stock, but since the baby, we wanted to be sure she had the vitamins. Once the green grass is back, we will stop feeding the All Stock pellets.

BlackWillowFarm · #29 01/04/12, 08:41 AM

So sorry you lost Eleanor. Not the news we'd hoped for. I remember the stress of going through this myself and couldn't stop worrying for you. I'm sorry it ended this way. I hope you find another cow just as nice as Eleanor.

farmgirl6 · #30 01/04/12, 09:11 AM

sorry about Ms. Elenore, what a heart breaking loss, will put a flower at the base of my St. Francis statue in her honor

allenslabs · #31 01/04/12, 11:03 AM

Oh thank you farmgirl6. Blackwillowfarm....Me too. I liked her weird personality. LOL!!

willow_girl · #32 01/04/12, 10:46 PM

So sorry to hear this ... you have my condolences.

DJ in WA · #33 01/04/12, 11:33 PM

Sorry about your loss. Besides not needing alot of milk, milk fever is a reason I avoid full Jersey cows. On small acreage, I'll never own enough cows to get good at treatment.

I currently milk a beef heifer, and have a Hereford/Jersey cross calf for the future.

I once bought a low producing Jersey from a dairy that turned out to have chronic mastitis they couldn't cure. I also have to wonder if dairymen sell cows who are prone to milk fever.

That's why I prefer to start with a calf - seems less likely it is being sold because of problems, assuming it's not a freemartin.

Mare Owner · #34 01/04/12, 11:36 PM

Sorry you lost your girl.

ufo_chris · #35 01/05/12, 05:08 PM

I'm so very sorry for your loss.How sad.
Chris