First heifer calved today. Udder problems...

[FlowerFieldFarm]

We brought our 3 heifers home Monday afternoon, and knew that the Guernsey/Angus was ready to pop any minute. She delivered a 95 lb bull calf at 6:00 this morning. We got the stanchion set how we needed it and got her in for her first milking.

Front left quarter had very little
Back left quarter had some.
Front right quarter had the most.
Back right quarter was plugged - got one drop. Also very firm, but not hot.

Called vet - they didn't have a dialator. They had a plastic needle thing with a hole in each end that you insert into the teat to drain it. They didn't have the metal version to sell, but they sent along theirs because it was longer than the plastic with a bigger opening. Long story short, we did the plastic one first, then the metal, and got nothing. We went ahead and put a tube of Spectramast LC into the teat and gave her 10 cc penicillin. After this we did another 10 minute massage of that quarter. It still feels very full.

Did I mention that although she stamped her foot several times, she did not kick or jump around. She is a keeper - I don't want to lose that quarter and have problems in the future.

Any ideas?

[Callieslamb]

no ideas...but you are lucky to have a new cow that will let you do that! Congratulations on the keeper! I hope you can get her all fixed up.

[FlowerFieldFarm]

Thanks! I read about your cow - sorry you had to go through that.

[MARYDVM]

The right rear quarter may be blind. The most common way a heifer ends up with a blind quarter is from being sucked on by another calf/heifer when young. The teat end gets opened up, bacteria gets in, and the quarter never produces anything when the heifer freshens.

[FlowerFieldFarm]

Would that cause that quarter to be permanently hard? It looks/feels fuller than the other 3.

Thanks

[MARYDVM]

Yes, it can cause the affected quarter to develop fibrosis and become thick and hard.

[willow_girl]

I was thinking the same thing re: blind teat.

If she is not letting down her milk, you can try shooting her up with some oxytocin.

Also, some cows start out slow -- not giving much -- then pick up in subsequent days. That's not always a bad thing -- it reduces the risk of milk fever.

Is it possible the calf nursed, and took some of the milk before you brought her in to the stanchion?

[springvalley]

Where did you give the penicillian ? Are you using this cow for a milk cow ? And Doc Mary said it all on the quarter, I bought two heifers that both had the same quarter sucked at one time, one I saved the other I did not. > Marc

[FlowerFieldFarm]

Okay - we will try milking it one more time tomorrow then leave it alone if it doesn't soften up. At first I thought that maybe the calf had sucked and I missed it, but after bottle feeding him, I am 100% sure that he didn't. Husband said he put the penicillin in the but. I am going to go ahead and just bottle feed the calf, and I will give any extra milk to the pigs for the next few weeks.

Thanks.

[FlowerFieldFarm]

Marc - What treatment did you use to save the quarter on the one? Yes, she will be our milk cow just for our family's use, but my first concern was her health and her udder. I may have jumped the gun a little, but I didn't want to waste too much time either... vet never mentioned possibility of a blind quarter.

[springvalley]

My cows quarter was not hard and had milk, it had mastitis and I don`t remember what I used on it. You have to becarefull using penicillian on your cow, it stays with them along time. I am allergic to Pen. so I have to be very carefull, I use Excenel if I have to, no withdrawl period on it. I did have the vet out for the one cow and he used what looked like a S.S. hole punch, I think he did more damage than good. > Best of luck > Marc

[Judith]

Like the others mentioned probably a blind teat.

[FlowerFieldFarm]

I am now getting about 3 squirts out of that teat... I don't think it is blind, but I think it must have been infected for a while before she calved. I am continuing treatment, we'll see how it goes.