Bulging stomach in steer!!!

[big hunter]

Our white faced Hereford Steer about 1 yr old has a bulging upper left side abdomen. He looks like he has half a beach ball sticking out. He gets about 5 lbs of 12% sweet steer feed once a day. He has free choice hay and pasture. We did fertilize and lime the pasture in the beginning of March and it is very dark green. He also has constant water (stream) in his pasture. He seems healthy, he is eating, he is pooping, from the look of his butt he has some diarhhea, he seems normal and we've pushed on his side and he doesn't react as if it is sore. He had the same bulging on Thursday morning and it went away Thursday evening and it came back Saturday. Could his Rumen be not working right? Is there something we can give him? Any suggestions?

 

[JoshuaGA]

Might be a mild case of bloat.

JoshuaGA

 

[RayP(MI)]

If it's bloat, try to keep him on a diet of dry hay. Best check with a vet. If ift is bloat, it can be fatal very quick!

 

[Keith in NW MO]

That sounds like bloat. You better call a Vet if you dont know much about this condition. Or get a hose ready if it gets very tight. You need about a two foot section of slightly bigger hard pipe to run your hose thru, you put the bigger pipe in his mouth to keep him from chewing your smaller hose up while you pass it down into gut. Work smaller hose down until you get air to come out, its very easy to go too far. This wont hurt anything but you have to listen to the other end, you will know when you get it right.
Have you wife hold the other end and put it right by her face. hehe
Black clear core water line works good for bigger pipe. A harder type garden hose will work for smaller hose in a pinch.

 

[john in la]

As the others said it sounds like Bloat. Hard for us to say how severe over the internet.

Bloat can go away by it self if it is very minor but it can also kill the cow from pressure on its internal organs.

Since you had to ask about it I can assume you do not know how to cut a cow open to relive the pressure and or do not have a bloat tube.
So I would be on the horn to the vet pronto.

 

[RobMD]

Yeah, I had a hereford steer with that once, didn't hesitate to call the vet. Ain't no vets in Baltimore county, MD anymore for me.. so that's why I don't have cows anymore.

 

[john in la]

Rob;
Can you send me a e-mail so we can talk off site.

I want info on Solomon Island area and fishing licences for out of state fisherman.
Have a trip planed to that area first weekend in Aug.

Thanks
John

 

[Tech 7]

25 or more years ago I had a 4-H steer that would bloat up like that from time to time. One night we were attending a clipping/fitting demonstration and the discussion turned to what one should have in their tack box when heading to shows. Thefellow who was putting the demonstration on listed several things but when he said " 1 lb butter" he had my attention. He explained he always took butter with him to treat bloat in his show cattle mainly as a precaution. So back home a few days later this steer was bloated up and we were due to show in a couple of hours. Following Daves instructions I unwrapped the butter and pushed it down his throat. A word of caution here.. Don't stand in front of the animal after treatment...The steer let loose with 2 belches that were loud enough to have an echo and the "basket ball" was gone. I have used this method numerous time over the years including on sheep that had overloaded on grain Its easy ,cheap quick and gives you something to do while waiting for the vet if you have a really bad one

 

[farmer boy]

If it's a bloat you can stick about 6 ft of garden down it's throat. do not stick all of it in. Also make sure your nose is plugged when you do this.Very nasty smell. You could also cut a small hole in his side and screw a plastic bloater thing in the side. That one also smells and makes a mess of the calf so I would recommend not doing that. Talk to your vet. That butter thing sounds interesting.

 

[Allan in NE]

He's tankin' up on that new fresh green grass.

Doubt if he'll get enough to kill him; it's not like he is in the alfalfa, but watch him.

If he gets to foamin' at the mouth, staggerin' and movin' backward, stick him in a hurry because once they go down it's all over.

However, if he's still alive this morning, I'd probably just ignore him and that pot; he'll adjust his eating habits as he gets used to the green. :>)

Allan

 

[big hunter]

Where in Balto. county are you. I'm around Arcadia. Dr. Rosenberger is still working. He's been around for at least 40 years.

 

[RobMD]

i'm about 5 miles east of arcadia on benson mill road. I go to the arcadia every year.