Problem or not?

Have an 8 yr old Angus cow that has raised pretty good doing calves every time. This year she calves about a month ago and her udder was big and calf seems to be ok though he may look a little thin to what he could if she was milking heavy as she looks. Noticed him the other night going from teat to teat on one side and the other side looked to not have been nursed out. We got them up to the barn the next morning and have watched him continually go back and forth on the same 2 quarters and seems to be drinking water more than a calf that size would. Last night got the cow in the chute to see if she had milk. Barely got any out of the side he nurses but he probably keeps them drained. On the other side the front quarter had white good looking milk, the back quarter had yellowish milk. Was that still colostrum that he hadn't taken or could she have mastitis. She didn't seem to be infected or hurting or I figure she would have kicked and she didn't resist at all. Don't know if we have a problem or are worried over nothing?

If the two quarters that he does not routinely nurse, flowed freely, and there was no plug, he probably hit them at some time. He just has a preference for one side and may be getting enough to not spend time on the other two quarters. However, at 4 weeks, he should be catching up with her milk production and nursing all she has unless she has a ton of milk.

Bright Raven":31r57ypd said:

If the two quarters that he does not routinely nurse, flowed freely, and there was no plug, he probably hit them at some time. He just has a preference for one side and may be getting enough to not spend time on the other two quarters. However, at 4 weeks, he should be catching up with her milk production and nursing all she has unless she has a ton of milk.

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I was expecting to find that she was not milking or had mastitis on that side and was surprised when she milked easily from those quarters. I agree he should be able to keep her milked out at that age, she has always been just an average milking cow. There are other heavier milking cows that their calves have nursed their udders down by now.

Ky hills":2f0t4476 said:

Bright Raven":2f0t4476 said:

If the two quarters that he does not routinely nurse, flowed freely, and there was no plug, he probably hit them at some time. He just has a preference for one side and may be getting enough to not spend time on the other two quarters. However, at 4 weeks, he should be catching up with her milk production and nursing all she has unless she has a ton of milk.

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I was expecting to find that she was not milking or had mastitis on that side and was surprised when she milked easily from those quarters. I agree he should be able to keep her milked out at that age, she has always been just an average milking cow. There are other heavier milking cows that their calves have nursed their udders down by now.

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I have only one experience here with mastitis. That was 8 years ago. Her milk was curdled, thick and had some tint of blood. Your description does not sound like mastitis. I think it was good to milk it out. Again, the calf should soon take care of business or I would suspect the calf is not vigorous for some reason.

We will keep the pair up for a few more days and watch them, have been thinking about getting the calf in the chute to see if he may have a naval infection. though I haven't seen symptoms of it.

I've had cows with mastitis and their milk was thin & watery, no blood. Still doesn't sound like mastitis but was that part of her udder hard or hot to the touch, are the teats too big for him? Does she have a normal temp? While you have the pair contained you may want to help him latch on to the side he doesn't nurse (preferably while she's in the chute unless she's that gentle). If there's any question as to the quality of the milk you can always take a sample to your vet or go ahead & treat with Today, especially if he isn't nursing that side anyway.

I think I found the problem, I believe the calf has an infected navel. It felt hard and the calf felt hot, I gave him LA 300 and Vitamin B complex. He hadn't really acted like I have seen them with that in the past with kicking up toward their stomach and licking around it, but had been a little slow acting. I'm going to keep them up and retreat him.

Ky hills":3ircpzpg said:

I think I found the problem, I believe the calf has an infected navel. It felt hard and the calf felt hot, I gave him LA 300 and Vitamin B complex. He hadn't really acted like I have seen them with that in the past with kicking up toward their stomach and licking around it, but had been a little slow acting. I'm going to keep them up and retreat him.

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Sounds good. Good luck!

The yellow milk doesn't sound good! Is that quarter hard? And how much milk can you get out of it? Different cases of mastitis can look different and yellow milk can definitely be an indication of mastitis! I would have someone who knows what they're looking for check on that

If the calf has a naval infection, it may just be nursing enough "to get by". You should take it's temperature before treatment, but at least you got some meds in the calf. Good that you can keep them up for more observation.

Give them both a shot of penicillin an look again in 10 days

Penicillin works great on navel infections. All I use anymore

Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin, he also discovered very early that bacteria develop antibiotic resistance
Whenever Too Little Penicillin Was Used or When Used For Too Short Of A Time Period.

In 1945 he warned, "In such cases the thoughtless person playing with penicillin is Morally Responsible for the Death
Of the Man who succumbs to an infection of the penicillin resistant organism."
He also cautioned not to use penicillin unless there was a properly diagnosed reason for its use.

Giving 1 shot of penicillin and checking back in a week is worse than doing nothing at all.
Unless it is specifically labeled as long acting it should be given daily for 3 consecutive days or not at all.
Always follow label instructions (ie some antibiotics are to be given IV)

I gave the calf a second round of LA 300 and Vitamin B complex, and sprayed its navel with fly spray again.
Calf is doing better, and navel area isn't near as hard
I have used Penicillin in the past but it's been a while, when I had sheep I relied on it heavily for them. For cattle my otc of choice has always been LA 200 or in recent years 300.

LA200/300 is excellent for Pinkeye & footrot.

Jeanne - Simme Valley":1oxqss1h said:

LA200/300 is excellent for Pinkeye & footrot.

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Do you usually give two treatments?
Why is it recommended over some of the newer meds?

Steve - I generally use 300. Would have to check bottle, but think good for 3-4 days. Pinkeye - I treat once, put a patch (old genes). don't treat again. Leave patch on til it falls off.
Footrot - clean foot, drench foot with coppertox, LA300 - never have re-treated
Some antibiotics are gram-neg - some gram-pos. Don't know which is which, but LA200-300 treats infections of extremities - definitely not good for respiratory diseases.

Hubby was the "in-house vet", I never memorized the what & why's, just know what works.