Good news and Bad news

Haggis · #1 11/15/04, 12:26 PM

The good news is that may have found a semi-retired vet who does bovine blood tests. The bad news is that another of my American Milking Devons is aborting her calf 5 months early.

So much for eating any of them until I discover what's gong on.

dosthouhavemilk · #2 11/15/04, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Haggis

The good news is that may have found a semi-retired vet who does bovine blood tests. The bad news is that another of my American Milking Devons is aborting her calf 5 months early.

So much for eating any of them until I discover what's gong on.

Sounds like Lepto.
We started annual vaccinations for Lepto when the deer came in and our farm starting losing a lot of pregnancies. I believe it was Lepto that was the culprit in taht case. The way they found out was an aborted fetus was chilled and driven two and a half hours to Columbus for an autopsy and tehy were able to catch it before it all died.

Abortions at 5-7 months tends to be Lepto(I think). We also vaccinate annually for Hompholous (sp?). It is one or the other. We didn't get them vaccinated this year and so it is a concern.

Crossing our fingers we don't lose any pregnancies.

Jim in MO · #3 11/15/04, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Haggis

The good news is that may have found a semi-retired vet who does bovine blood tests. The bad news is that another of my American Milking Devons is aborting her calf 5 months early.

So much for eating any of them until I discover what's gong on.

Haggis; It sounds like you may be looking at Brucellosis. With two of the cows aborting it's looking awfully suspicious to me. Were they tested before you bought them?

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you....

Jim

Haggis · #4 11/15/04, 03:13 PM

Alas, I am a trusting soul and so did not request proof health, just the word of the nice lady who sold them to me.

I just hope we can fix what ever it is.

Jena · #5 11/15/04, 03:18 PM

Brucellosis is all but eradicated. I vote for Lepto. Did you vaccinate these cows when you got them? If not, start now. 7-way Clostridal and 5-way ought to cover you for just about anything. I vaccinate cows once a year and calves get two sets to start them off right.

Jena

Jim in MO · #6 11/15/04, 03:50 PM

Lepto is probable as well and truthfully more likely, but Haggis, didn't you post when you first got your heard that you vaccianted with a lepto 5-way? I could be mistaken as my memory is not what it was. Which is why I thought Brucellosis. I know Missouri is a Brucellosis free state but I still vacinate against it to be safe. You can clear up Lepto and just vacinate a bout 30-60 prior to breeding season and you'll be ok.

I feel bad for you Haggis it's been a rough road for you and your Devons. Hang in there buddy

**Ross** · #7 11/19/04, 08:04 AM

Yeah Lepto is a good possibility, could be Chlamydia, or Listeria too. Could be mechanical, are they crowding a feed or mineral tub? (It would be odd in a small herd for more than one to abort from this though) Have you checked temperatures? A high fever could do it from any infection. Pointless to guess, all three need a different approach so hopefully the vet can narrow down your problem.

OD · #8 11/19/04, 08:35 AM

This may have nothing to do with what is happening to your cattle, but are they exposed to any kind of chemicals?
We live near a major railroad, & one year they came through & sprayed herbicide to kill brush along the right of way. During the next few days, cows for miles along the railroad were aborting their calves. We didn't have any cattle at the time, but 3 neighbors within 1/2 mile lost calves. It has never happened again. Maybe they changed their herbicide.

tinknal · #9 11/19/04, 10:48 PM

Haggis, unless your herd has been exposed to wild bison (I know, sounds funny, but they could be from SD) I would go with up like a pumpkin, and throbed like the devil. I called the vet and asked what would happen. He said "I don't know, but I'll guarantee you won't slough a calf".....

tinknal · #10 11/19/04, 10:51 PM

Oh jeez, now I really look like an idiot. I tried to correct a mispelling and deleted several lines. Bison carry bangs, thats what that was about. The second part was a story about the time I accidently vacinated myself with leptospirosis vacine.

willow_girl · #11 11/20/04, 07:07 PM

I read that post 3 times, Tinknal, trying to figure out what the heck you were talking about! :haha:

Haggis, so sorry to hear about your situation. Please let us know what you find out!!!

wr · #12 11/20/04, 09:10 PM

Haggis, you really will need a blood test but I'd be guessing lepto. It is important to have it checked out as soon as possible because if that's what's causing the aborting, it's not going to get any better.

evermoor · #13 11/21/04, 09:45 AM

What about the feed. Sometimes a mold or toxin can be in the hay or grain. This years odd weather has left a lot of forages with high nitrates which can cause a host of repro problems. If the girls are just in pasture check to see what is out there. Certain plants Can be toxic . As the pasture declines they could be eating plants they normally avoid. I also read about cattle eating a lot of Acorns or some other nut which causes abortion. However Lepto is also a definate possiblity. Take a freshly aborted fetus or frozen one to a vet to have some sample run and do some bloodwork.