Her temperature's fine........get some sleep
Inducing heifer
- Thread starter sjewart
- Start date
sjewart
Member
That's true Flossie. Thanks for reminding me about that [emoji106] [emoji3]Her temperature's fine........get some sleep
Princess Pooper
Member
- Location
- East Mids
Worked on a suckler farm years ago and 2 twin heifers calved very young, bull got in with them when he wasn't supposed to be there. Both needed caesars, 2 live calves - one a cracking bull calf.
After the stitches were removed, one of the heifers cracked her wound open again, bending round to lick a tickle or fly off her other flank.. The inner layers of womb and muscle were OK it was the skin and outer layers that split - about 10" high. Vet did not want to stitch again as high risk of infection, so I had to apply some sort of salve to her wound twice a day for a while, it gradually closed up the outer layers on its own, cow was OK.
Had a bulling heifer a couple of years ago cut her shin on a water trough wound was down to the bone just above the fetlock. Young vet was very dubious whether she could be saved, it was not stitched early on and then he was worried about sealing in infection. Plenty of antibiotics and I had to halter her every day and sluice the wound out with iodine diluted down with water. It took about 8 weeks but we got there in the end., she had a thickened limb from the scar tissue but she was sound. Vet was somewhat surprised, thought we would regard it as too much hassle. Sadly she went as a TB reactor when expecting her second calf.
After the stitches were removed, one of the heifers cracked her wound open again, bending round to lick a tickle or fly off her other flank.. The inner layers of womb and muscle were OK it was the skin and outer layers that split - about 10" high. Vet did not want to stitch again as high risk of infection, so I had to apply some sort of salve to her wound twice a day for a while, it gradually closed up the outer layers on its own, cow was OK.
Had a bulling heifer a couple of years ago cut her shin on a water trough wound was down to the bone just above the fetlock. Young vet was very dubious whether she could be saved, it was not stitched early on and then he was worried about sealing in infection. Plenty of antibiotics and I had to halter her every day and sluice the wound out with iodine diluted down with water. It took about 8 weeks but we got there in the end., she had a thickened limb from the scar tissue but she was sound. Vet was somewhat surprised, thought we would regard it as too much hassle. Sadly she went as a TB reactor when expecting her second calf.
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sjewart
Member
Thanks for sharing ur experiences, if nothing else i know now im not alone and we all have our share of problems.
Was pleasantly surprised this morning. Her side is definitely not as swollen as i thought last night. Will drain again this afternoon and see how it is tomorrow. We might actually be making progress afterall!
Was pleasantly surprised this morning. Her side is definitely not as swollen as i thought last night. Will drain again this afternoon and see how it is tomorrow. We might actually be making progress afterall!
GenuineRisk
Member
- Location
- Somerset
Why not try the honey remedy or icing sugar to keep wound clean ? Manuka if you want to go all out but we've used ordinary and/or icing sugar and they all work. Also any aloe vera gel works quite well.
My criteria would is heifer eating well, calf sucking udder. Temp is great indicator and if those three are OK, don't worry. If they're not, get that vet back out because you're not happy with service you're receiving, you don't expect an additional bill either and get it sorted ! No idea if that's the conventional style of stitching preferred wherever you live but not they it's done round here. Looks dead ugly to me!
My criteria would is heifer eating well, calf sucking udder. Temp is great indicator and if those three are OK, don't worry. If they're not, get that vet back out because you're not happy with service you're receiving, you don't expect an additional bill either and get it sorted ! No idea if that's the conventional style of stitching preferred wherever you live but not they it's done round here. Looks dead ugly to me!
All in the eye of the beholder. I like Ford Interlocking finished with an "Aberdeen" knot with a separate simple stitch at the bottom to be removed if required. Looks dead smart, spreads tension, plus fast and easy to place but theoretically not as good as what they have done because they have taken the time to place many separate sutures so if one is caught on a gate the rest hold.
sjewart
Member
Thanks for this. Funnily enough the vet gave me a gel today to place on the flesh i can see inside the slit.
Her temp is up a bit tonight. Was 38.3 yesterday afternoon. Was 38.9 tonight. The only thing i can think of is that it was 28 hours since she had her last jab of pen and strep so obviously stretching 24 hour cover a bit.
The calf is drinking and she is eating so all well on that front.
Just in from draining it again and there is less fluid each day. Wondering whether to bother draining it tomorrow - will see what it looks like.
I presume all going well.
Good, informative thread.
Fluid swellings post Caesar are pretty common. I always leave a couple of simple separate sutures at the bottom if I've used the ford interlocking pattern because of this risk.
Simple to remove and allow gloved finger in to drain if required. The hosepipe is perfect for lavage and sometimes we use a 10l garden pump pressure sprayer with a dash of iodine if fluid is smelly/pus. Wound drainage and lavage is key and often more important than the antibiotics but the antibiotics will help resolve matters quicker and stop infection spreading deeper.
Good, informative thread.
Fluid swellings post Caesar are pretty common. I always leave a couple of simple separate sutures at the bottom if I've used the ford interlocking pattern because of this risk.
Simple to remove and allow gloved finger in to drain if required. The hosepipe is perfect for lavage and sometimes we use a 10l garden pump pressure sprayer with a dash of iodine if fluid is smelly/pus. Wound drainage and lavage is key and often more important than the antibiotics but the antibiotics will help resolve matters quicker and stop infection spreading deeper.
sjewart
Member
All going much better Doc. Reluctant to say we are out of the woods but thanks to taking the advice to drain, the swelling is very small now (i did drain yesterday) and ive yet to decide whether to drain tonight or leave it and see what its like tomorrow. She will still be getting pen and strep daily for another few days.
sjewart
Member
Alicecow the heifer is doing great. Stitches out and no weeping from wound. Still slightly swollen but going down every day. So glad the whole draining/jagging thing is over and she's finally making a good recovery.
That's good to hear. Hope all goes well for you with them now.
Philip Watkins
Member
- Location
- Back in Shropshire