The alien infested teats part 2

JeffNY · #1 11/03/05, 10:45 PM

Well instead of continuing the other thread, id start a new one. Nothing new with the teats on that heifer, however... Our Brown Swiss has a small, very similar thing formed on one of her teats. This is my thinking, or our thinking (mother and I). They were bitten by a spider, or some sort of bug. Back before the fair (in August) the jerseys had an outbreak of ring worm, they hung out in this one particular hedgerow. The one Jersey heifer started off with strange swelling, wasn't like ring worm, it was puffy, then crusted over and finally she looks normal. Perhaps with them hanging out in that area, there could have been spiders in there, some sort of plant that caused the irritation. While feeling the one on the swiss, it has some sort of tip to it, as if it is like a bite. The possibilty of a bite isn't totally abnormal, considering the teat tissue is very sensative, and is subject to more problems than the hide. Ring worm attacks the face more than the body, considerng the hide on the face isn't as thick as the body. Tough to say if this is true, but the fact the swiss has one, and the other holsteins things aren't any bigger, with one teat untouched. If she layed down, and some bug was there, it wanted out, and started to bite, who knows! One time I was out at night taking a walk, I rubbed up against some tree, my thigh broke out with some sort of rash, it itched and burned. It didn't go away for 2-3 days, I put some cream on it, but I cant figure wth it could have been. The possibility of the vet not hearing about it, etc etc. Could be because if it was a bite, it could have happened to other animals, and simply went unnoticed.

Heff

Celtic Herritag · #2 11/03/05, 11:05 PM

Maybe you have some sort of flea or fungi. Wouldn't hurt to worm them again, and dip thier teats in iodine. No clue what it is but what can't hurt might help.

JeffNY · #3 11/04/05, 12:13 AM

Fungi is one thing I thought of as well, we are going to try a few things to see what results we get. The strangest thing, this seemed to crop up last month, maybe that wet wet weather brought something on. If it had to do with the wet weather, GRRRR would of had them inside sooner if the ---- contractor finished when he was supposed to!

Jeff

willow_girl · #4 11/04/05, 12:48 PM

Jeff, whoa, that's scary to think it might be something environmental! That was my worst thought when I saw the original pic ... is this something that can spread?!

It is hard to tell (at least from the pics) if the ... condition ... is starting on the interior or exterior of the teat. What about dipping the teat ends in THexx to seal them, as well as the iodine to sterilize? This would be kind of an extreme precaution, but under the circumstances ... !!!

JeffNY · #5 11/04/05, 10:13 PM

We put this stuff on the strange growth or whatever it is, and they didn't like it. So, it must be some sort of foreign thing, such as a rash or reaction. This stuff is good for rashes, burns, bug bites, poision oak/ivy etc. It works on humans, actually was made for humans. Its basically a anti flamitory cream, and is sold in Florida. It is potent stuff. But the fact they moved around (burned), it might be safe to say it isn't a tumor. It did flare up quick like a bite. If it was some sort of bug, who knows. Been a very strange year. This cream in question, is nothing more than sun tan lotion (the feel of it), if you put it on your skin that isn't irritated. So when something that aint right is present, the stuff will burn, but then it cools off. Usually see results in 2-3 days.

Jeff

JeffNY · #6 11/04/05, 11:53 PM

Could it be some sort of mastitis? Due to the wet weather, the infection entered her teat, causing the abcess. It seemed to happen during this wet period, and anything is possible. It is tempting to poke a needle into the area, see if there is puss. If there is, then it would explain that issue. I looked up abcess, and I came across mastitis, etc etc. I also came across secondary infections, where the animal has an infection and it goes out to the outer extremeties, such as the teats. I can only correlate this problem to the weather we had last month. It was cold and rainy. They were outside. Also as I have said, it seemed to crop up quickly. Infections can do that. HMMMMM.

Jeff

JeffNY · #7 11/05/05, 09:20 AM

This morning when we turned the animals out for the day, took a look-see at the swiss's teats. What is on her teats is not what is on the other animals teats. The swiss has an abcess on her teats, and I am very tempted to pop that sucker, and get some hydrogen peroxide on it. Its totally different, and you can see some white on the tip of the abcess, with some reddish behind it. That holstein though, it seems like it might be tissue gone awry, who knows!

Jeff

Alice In TX/MO · #8 11/06/05, 09:12 PM

Is it hard? granulated? squishy?

JeffNY · #9 11/06/05, 11:01 PM

Hard.. One person on another board seemed to think another heifer sucked on her udder, it cracked causing an infection, or something similar. It is possible, I have seen them do that, and sure you stop them. But it is hard to keep an eye on them 24/7.

Jeff

JeffNY · #10 11/07/05, 10:02 PM

Well another vet came today to take a look, the vet that the farm uses that I bought the heifer off of. She removed the mass including the teat. One part of the mass fell off of its counterpart. When she cut it outside, more or less into a couple sections. It looked exactly like tissue, more or less cut like ham. It was deffinately a growth, not from something exterior. What likely happened, she grew a tumor, and it happened to be her teats. Either way, she is sending the mass off to cornell to see what it is.

The one on our brown swiss is not the same thing, she did put a needle into it, nothing came out. However it has a crusty tip to it, vs round, and being part of the teat. Seems to be something got in there.

Jeff

MissKitty · #11 11/11/05, 08:14 AM

I hope you hear soon Jeff...I sent off a chicken to the state lab for expected MG...My chicken showed normal on all tests but it might be a small probility that she has MS and so being all my flock was infected...I had a commerical chicken house within 5 miles of me as the crow flies...The state decided that my chickens might present a danger to them..they quartined my farm and birds...Killed the birds and I had to signed a contract stating I would not have chickens for 6 months...As the results were not positive I did not want to cull my birds but had no choice about the matter...The stated they would bring the sheriff if necessary...They did pay me for my birds...but I did not want them killed...
So I am reluctant to send off anything anymore...which makes it very bad...Lets us hear soon...MissKitty