# Baby cow drooling



## crazyducklady0823 (Nov 12, 2018)

I have a hereford x holstein heifer that is about 10 months old and she seems to be drooling a lot. She eats and drinks and is fine I just was concerned to this drooling she has going on. Is this something that I should be worried about?


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## greybeard (Nov 12, 2018)

Probably not, but you need to look inside her mouth for lesions on the tongue and gum area, swelling, anything that might be stuck in soft tissue, and look for bone deformities.
If you see little nodules or pustules on the tongue or gums or anywhere in there, it is usually something we call wooden tongue. Actinobacillosis
If wooden tongue, you will likely have to pull her tongue out some to investigate..there usually isn't any lesions on the tip but farther back there will be.
It is treatable. Iodine and antibiotics, but needs to be confirmed by vet unless you are real familiar with it. 
Wear gloves. Some wooden tongue is zoonotic and can be transmitted to humans.


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## LlamaGirl4 (Nov 12, 2018)

It’s probably nothing but like @greybeard said check for swollen bumps bruises etc


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## frustratedearthmother (Nov 12, 2018)

Do cattle shed teeth at a certain age?


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## greybeard (Nov 12, 2018)

frustratedearthmother said:


> Do cattle shed teeth at a certain age?


They can, but usually don't except when very young or very old, and don't exactly 'shed' them once the permanent teeth come in. If they are missing teeth at a mature age, something went wrong..broken or pulled out.  When young, the original full mouth of  a calf's teeth are replaced by semi-permanent teeth including some pre-molars. Of those, the center ones in the lower front are pushed out by the true permanent teeth and the premolars are replaced by permanent molars. (cows have no teeth in the front upper mouth) What normally does happen over a 'cow's" lifetime, is the teeth just  get worn down, the teeth get both narrow and short, gums recede and they can get loose in the sockets.
If you've heard the term "broke mouth cow" they are talking about a cow with worn down teeth and has lost a couple of front teeth...they are usually well up there in age by this time..

Sometimes, you will hear a cow as being  "an XX or XXXX or XXXXXX (2X-4X-6X) cow" It's a different way of describing what the condition of her teeth is.


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