afterbirth question..advice please

gwithrow · #1 11/26/14, 09:28 AM

so this i s a do I need to call the vet question:

I have a cow who calved 10 days ago, I found her with the calf in the AM...big calf but all seemed well....the cow was trailing some of the placental membranes....all normal looking to me...calf up nursing...this is her 6th calf

I kept her up in the barn area since that is where she was and the weather was due to turn very cold and rainy...after 24 hours the trailing membranes were gone, but no sign of the placenta itself....I know she could have eaten it, but I am out there fairly often and usually I see some sign of it somewhere...she was in an enclosed area not out on pasture....

ten days later she is passing what looks like bloody mucus and today I found a nasty looking pool of something pinkish but not solid tissue....no odor that I am aware of, but then I am not going to lift her tail and sniff....she is nice but not that nice...

I want to turn all the cows out on pasture...but if there is any possibility that she has retained tissue, I need her to be where I can put her up for the vet....and not out in the back forty..

QUESTION....should I be at all concerned?....how long is too long for her to still be passing afterbirth blood, tissue?...I am a midwife and if she was a human, I would be not like to see what I am seeing at this point.....but here we are on the cusp of a holiday weekend....can this wait til next week to deal with?......I can let the others go on to the field and keep her up....but I would prefer to keep them all together...

I could use some sage advice here before I call the vet needlessly....

Bret · #2 11/26/14, 09:46 AM

It always happens on the cusp. Is she up, eating, drinking? Keep an eye on her and where can make it easy on yourself too. Much happens and it takes a little time for things to return to normal. I always respect what females have to go through. All species. Cowboys and cowgirls are always concerned and watchful. Maybe you could call the vet for an opinion and drop off a fruitcake for the office soon.

agmantoo · #3 11/26/14, 10:52 AM

Having proven herself as a valued animal I would not want her to become unproductive. A vet should be able to clean her up and insert a bolus or 2 to minimize her becoming barren in the future from infection.

billinwv · #4 11/26/14, 10:55 AM

If she had retained her placenta I would think she would be having noticeable problems after 10 days. My cows and goats often continue to "clean" for a couple of weeks with occasional discharge and even some pudding looking blobs for lack of a better term. As the uterus shrinks left behind fluid and tissue is expelled and this process may take for longer in an older animal with a well used uterus.

fitz · #5 11/26/14, 03:11 PM

Sounds like she just finishing her flush.

fitz

gwithrow · #6 11/26/14, 04:12 PM

thnaks...shes is eating and drinking and taking great care of her very big baby boy....I will keep her where I can watch her for a few more days...I will call the vet on Friday unless there is a huge problem before...he has a mobile vet service and will not hesitate to come and check her...what about her temp?...I could put her in the chute and take that....pretty easy...what should it be?

she is a nice cow...and well worth taking good care of...but I think that waiting til Friday will probably be ok unless she is actively bleeding or not eating...I do want everything to be in order for the bull's visit in January..l...

agmantoo · #7 11/26/14, 06:31 PM

rectal temperature over 102.5 degrees F requires the Vet

Allen W · #8 11/26/14, 07:06 PM

Relatively clear I wouldn't worry about it, If it was dark I would be concerned. If she hasn't lost condition or went around humped up she should be alright. About all that can be done for her this far out is antibiotics if she has a problem, her cervix has already closed. Some vets will use an AI pipette? and infuse liquid antibiotics into her uterus.

Athena · #9 11/27/14, 12:23 PM

My cows produce bloody mucus for a couple of weeks after birth. There's a lot of stuff in there to clean out and sometimes it takes a while. If it doesn't smell, I don't worry.

gwithrow · #10 11/28/14, 02:24 PM

I had the vet out today...he said her cervix was not closed and there was some tissue left inside...so he flushed her out and gave her a shot of lutalyse and some antibiotic....hopefully she will heal up and continue to be productive in the herd...

agmantoo · #11 11/30/14, 11:22 AM

Start watching for her heat cycles to observe if she comes back in heat repeatedly.