What illness does she have?

scholtefamily · #1 07/17/12, 10:46 AM

I just want to see if anyone has a good guess what could be wrong.

Symptoms: fever of 106, not eating, barely drinking,. Loose stool. Obviously a decrease in milk production.

She is pregnant and due in early November. She is almost 5 years old. My guess is she has Johnes disease, except for the fever so high. First dose of antibiotics last night and this morning she is eating and drinking and looking alittle better. Still loose stools.

We are waiting for test results for johnes and also for worms.

G. Seddon · #2 07/17/12, 11:33 AM

Not much to go on, but my guess would be heat stress and I emphasize that this is just a GUESS!!!!

ozark_jewels · #3 07/17/12, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scholtefamily

I Symptoms: fever of 106, not eating, barely drinking,. Loose stool. Obviously a decrease in milk production.

We had a cow with serious heat stress two weeks ago after days of triple digits. All the above were her symptoms as well.

Cliff · #4 07/17/12, 01:33 PM

Well only a Johne's test will tell you if she has that but from my experience fever and not eating and drinking aren't part of the Johne's thing. Johne's cows don't act sick really. They just eat all you can put in front of them while pooping like crazy and losing weight.

sammyd · #5 07/17/12, 06:45 PM

what cliff said...

MO_cows · #6 07/17/12, 07:05 PM

What Cliff said.

Is her breathing OK? Sometimes you get summer pneumonia from the dust irritating their lungs and letting the bug take hold.

Can you put a fan, mister, something on her that will help her cool down but not scare and further stress her? Sounds like a pretty urgent situation. Hope she doesn't abort the calf to save herself.

springvalley · #7 07/17/12, 08:06 PM

Stacey, I`m all most scared to ask which cow it is. As the rest have said not much to go on, have you had the vet out? Why would you say Johne`s , I would maybe say something to do with the heat myself. Best of luck, and keep us updated. > Thanks Marc

scholtefamily · #8 07/17/12, 09:50 PM

The only reason I would even suggest johnes is because she has had watery stool since the spring. At first I thought it was just from the spring grass, but it has never let up. It's like somebody turned on a hose,just shoots out of her.

I did have the vet out yesterday. I mentioned pnemonia to him and he checked her all out and didn't think it was that. Perhaps it's the heat, but would she need antibiotics to help her overcome heat stress? She was given antibiotics and antiinflammatory.

Don't worry Marc, it's not your sweet Loretta. It's my holstein.

I'll update once the vet gets back to me. As of this evening she is still eating and drinking and looking less depressed than yesterday.

Madsaw · #9 07/17/12, 10:14 PM

Loose as in how bad? Johnes has a a smell all it own and form. If its green almost water with bubbles then possiblity of johnes. If she has been loose for a few months should be skinny as a rail by now.
Now to your problem you posted about. High fever is a sign of a serious infection. Responding to the meds fast shows a simple bug of some sort causeing it. I would venture to say some sort of intestnal tract infection. Hopefully she just has been off these last few months and gets on teh right road soon
Bob

willow_girl · #10 07/18/12, 12:16 AM

I've heard farmers call that "summer dysentery."

Did the vet give you any anti-diarrheal boluses? There is a pill we use at work, I can't remember what it's called though! I will check tomorrow ...

Cliff · #11 07/18/12, 06:33 AM

Did the vet take stool for a Johne's test? Yeah I'd be concerned if the loose stool had gone on that long too. Is the cow losing weight? Ugh the loose stool shooting out thing brings back bad memories for sure

scholtefamily · #12 07/18/12, 07:00 AM

The vet took a stool sample and a blood sample to test. She has been in good condition until we had the heat wave and then started losing weight fairly quickly.

The vet did not give her any anti-diahrea meds.

francismilker · #13 07/18/12, 07:08 AM

Have you tried lotting her and feeding only dry grass hay for a few days?

springvalley · #14 07/18/12, 07:29 AM

I would do what Fracis said, dry lot and dry hay for a few days. And maybe a fan if it gets hot. That is one thing I like so much about the Jersey`s, it can be a hundred in the shade and they are out in the pasture eating. I had an old Holstein breeder told me that if he was going to milk cows again would pick Jersey`s over Holsteins for that reason. Jerseys seem to take the heat better. > Good Luck. > Marc

scholtefamily · #15 07/18/12, 07:52 AM

Yes, she has been on a dry lot and only eating grass hay since Saturday.

arnie · #16 07/19/12, 05:16 PM

Another posibility is hardware disease this workes slow and antibiotics will help the syntome but not cureher

Kato2010 · #17 07/19/12, 06:45 PM

Putting some electrolytes in her water may help her perk up. Diarrhea and heat are a recipe for dehydration.

willow_girl · #18 07/20/12, 10:11 PM

How's she doing?

Cliff · #19 07/21/12, 07:24 AM

I was wondering how she is also. Something I just thought of is that cows usually start showing symptoms of Johne's after freshening, not in the middle of a pregnancy...

scholtefamily · #20 07/21/12, 12:45 PM

She is doing alot better. Her stool is normal at this point. She is eating and drinking and acting like herself again. Still waiting to here what the test results are before we put her back in with the rest of the herd.