Hi Everyone, I don't know if you had a chance to read my post (on the old forum )about my cow. He's the one I took to pasture at my friends house. He did real well for a week and then went off feed and had watery diahrea. We had him collapse on us twice and the vet ruled out parasite with a stool test. We gave him antibiotics, pepto bismal, probiotic paste and lots of attention. He started chewing cud at 10 pm the 2nd day. Sat up til 3 am with him. He was turning for the better and I went home after two days. Then a couple days later he went back to sickness. This time getting black in the stool. My friend had his stool tested again to see if it was blood. Negative on that, but now showing parasites. She came home to find a dog mauling her goat. So then she had two patients to deal with. I offered to come down, but she said it's under control and to just pray. My steer got sulfa boluses and is doing better, her goat is improving, too. He got his rea legs chewed pretty good and has some swelling. He's starting to bear weight on them again. So, it's been a learning and stressful experience for us both! Oh, and her parakeet died in the middle of all this, too. He was just old. I told her don't be thinking you are cursed. I had to tell her that since I knew I'd feel that way if it were me. So we've spent the week saying prayers for the animals and looking forward to some better times with them. The dog's owner was aprised of the situation and handled it real well. He's taking it to the humane society. It was a husky or chow and had chased the cows next door the week before. I'm lucky to have such a wonderful friend, who has medical experience, (not afraid to give a shot!)and loves animals and the work that goes with it. We are both trying to raise meat for our families. This is my 8th cow and her first. She just moved to hercountry place last summer. Her experience is with horses and I've had the cows and goats. And we both have husbands that aren't very interested in animals, but are there when we really need them! UPDATE: Just got off the phone with my friend. She said the steer isn't eating today and his stool is mucusy. He's still drinking, but he was eating and chewing cud yesterday. She's mentally exhausted and I'm just wondering what else we can do and worrying about this animal. Her goaty has got some pockets of infection, so she's taking him in for a shave and cleaning of his wounds. She given him LA200 antibiotic, lecithin and some other meds. We can use any advice here. Help! Nancy

-- Nancy (sonflower35@icqmail.com), April 16, 2001

Answers

The best thing I have found for wound treatments is to get a small squeeze bottle and put in some anti bacterial soap. iodine, hydrogen peroxide...equal to half the bottle, then top it off with clean water and then flush the wounds with tht twice per day. The antibiotics will help stop the infection too. Mostly bruising and muscles tears it sounds like there.

How old is the cow? Is it something akin to cocci? I haven't ever had cattle so I am not familiar with all of their ailments. You got the prayers coming!

-- Dreen (bisquit@here.com), April 16, 2001.

Doreen, You're right on both counts. The goat has tears and muscle damage. Swelling and pain, too, of course. The cow is 10 months and the parasites were cocci. We aren't sure of the cause. I think the initial problem was due to wet graze, and then other stuff got to him. He didn't show obvious bloating, but had other symptoms. (Grain in feces, lack of appetite, no cud.) He coughed when I got him to his feet after the second collapse and had had occasional grunting when lieing down. That all celared up and he was eating again, when his poop turned to water again and then the color of oil. That's when he tested for the fecal cocci. Thanks for the prayers, much appreciated!

-- Nancy (sonflower35@icqmail.com), April 16, 2001.

Of course, my prayers are with you, your friend, and all the animals, dog included. It is a real shame that some dogs will do these things. I know I have one that I will have to really watch. Would hate to get rid of him, but it might come to that...

Anyway... Has your friend had her soil tested? While I don't know anything at all about cattle, I have had this problem with goats, dogs and cats. No clinical signs, then parasites and treatment is hit or miss. I found out that the soil will contain eggs, even if adult parasites live in or on a host. Organic treatments are available for a host of soil-endemic parasites, bacteria, etc. etc.

Also - if that parasite would be hookworm, this is soil born, and also transmitted through contact with feces. It is possible that the dog has it, too... Which, if the behavior is not a previous habit, would explain his attacking the cow and goat - especially if there is no prior history (past this couple weeks) of its attacking animals. Hookworm almost caused me to put down my shepard, as her behavior became erratic and agressive. There were no other signs in her, and we though she'd just 'gone off her nut.' It would be a horrible shame to destroy an animal for something he got into by just walking across a pasture.

Also - most vets will tell you - if it IS hookworm, that it is only found in the Southern states. This is NOT true. It is found throughout this country... I was in IL. It is also here in Idaho. If they tell you this, politely ask them to READ their journals...

-- Sue Diederich (willow666@rocketmail.com), April 16, 2001.

Sue, I didn't know that hookworms would cause an animal to go bonkers like that. How interesting! Thanks for the tip on that.

Nancy, please keep us updated on your cow. I hope they both recover really quickly! God bless.

-- Dreen (bisquit@here.com), April 16, 2001.

Hi all, Mary, my friend, said she got some Bantamine from the vet for the cow and the goat. After a while she saw him licking dirt and then he rested. Later he stretched, licked the salt and chomped on the bloat block. Then he ate grass hay, really ate, not just nibble! He had his head up again and was looking around. Much improvement! I think the bantamine relieved his pain & stress enough that he got his appetite back. Not sure what the poops are yet. (They were green runs with white mucous yesterday.) I sent my daughter down this morning with some herbal plants, mallow and comphrey. Also a mixture of honey, mollasses, garlic in bran. This info I gleaned from the "Herbal handbook for Farm and Stable". He ate that up. She is going to make some barley water for him later. The goat is doing better, too. His swelling has reduced, and he's bearing weight and eating well. He'll be back to his old pesty self again, soon. He was raised like a dog, so he's always right in the middle of everything we're trying to do. LOL Anyway, God knows the desires of our heart even before we ask, and this is something that I need him to bless my family with. Please keep him in your prayers a couple more days as he isn't "out of the woods" yet. God bless, Nancy

-- Nancy (sonflower35@icqmail.com), April 17, 2001.

Just wanted to update. The steer is still on the upward trend. He's eating a little grass and grass hay and chewing cud regularly again. He wants out with the other cows, but he's not ready for that yet. The goat is getting around OK, still laying around mostly. Looks like they're all going to make it! Praise God,

-- Nancy (sonflower35@icqmail.com), April 20, 2001.

Yeah!!! Thanks for the update, Nancy. I am so thankful. God bless!

-- Doreen (bisquit@here.com), April 20, 2001.

I have a baby goat who just yesterday got attacked by dogs from our neighbors. She was really swelling on one side and I found that putting ice on the swelling really helps (just in case you havent done that yet)also neosporen works great on even animal flesh wounds.

-- Miranda (tigerfairies@yahoo.com), April 15, 2004.