Need help/info - emerg.calf delivery

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Young heifer accidentally bred - - could not have calf - - and calf had to be pulled.

Got heifer up shortly after long ordeal. Started eating grass right away.

Nearby farmer advised to give shot of oxytocin, and to put boluses into uterous - - - done.

When boluses were put in place and gloved hand withdrawn it was covered with fresh manure. ( Bolus WAS placed in correct location).

Questions - - any other suggestions as to measures which might be taken to insure long term well being of heifer, is the manure connected to the difficult delivery or could we have caused a tear or something, and finally - - would it be better to milk her or let her dry up?

Thanks for help!

-- John (Sunnyslope@earthlink.net), April 18, 2002

Answers

Several questions. First...is it grown cow manure or calf manure? Sometimes during a difficult deliver the calf will defacate before being born. Second....this may sound silly but are you sure you stuck the boluses in the correct hole. If neither of the above are the case then there is a tear between the uterus and the bowel. You can call a vet but the chances are you will end up loosing the heifer. I hope it isn't the later case.

-- Amanda (mrsgunsmyth@hotmail.com), April 18, 2002.

Probably from the calf. It would be really doing a number on the heifer to puncture both her uterus AND her intestine. Also, you say calf was pulled. If it wasn't a case of the calf having to be rearranged in the womb, it would be unlikely to get that kind of injury. That really happens when you have a calf upside down and backwards, etc, and you have to do a lot of work to get it to a normal presentation (or any kind of presentation that will get it out). If she was punctured that deeply, she's going to die from it in any case. Hope it's just a scare and nothing more. Let us know how she turns out.

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@nospammail.com), April 19, 2002.

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