*GRAPHIC*-Strep mastitis gone wrong-pic heavy-update 5/14

[Hillsvale]

both disgusting and amazing at the same time... we have a new to us ewe we got end of February 2011, lambed in late April one still born one fine... then we noticed a few weeks later that her udder was doing this same thing, down to the hole and the curd cheese like substance... ... she lost that side but sucessfuly fed twins this year. I wish we knew to check over udders when we purchased the two of them but we were just newbies...

Good for you for rescuing this cow.

 

[Snowhunter]

Just wanted to get an update posted...

Sweet Pea is doing VERY well...if you don't consider her udder issues. She's bright eyed, slicking out nicely and eating like there's no tomorrow.

The ruptured rear quarter is healing very nicely. We're flushing it 2x a day with warm saline solution and its still draining well, with a few goopies here and there (probably because its not on the very bottom of the quarter for best gravity drainage).

The left front quarter is back and forth. The other day it swelled up like a balloon and then I was able to gently work out about 2c of goop via the teat, 2x that day, but that seems to have caused some kind of reaction. The teat swelled up and seems to have a burnt like layer of skin over it, very hot hard and tender to the touch. I think it'll probably blow open before long, but I could be wrong. With this cow, everything goes a million different directions second by second.

Oh, and we've been monitoring her temp and its staying stable, and no signs of any kind of systemic infections going on, so thats promising.

So we're still playing the "wait and see" game and crossing our fingers that she continues to feel as good as she does while all this is going on.

 

[Snowhunter]

Another update!

Sweet Pea is doing wonderfully..bright eyed, slicked out and mischevious The only "treatment" she is getting now is 2 droppers of Oil of Oregano 2x day. Its a 2 person operation to get it in her, I gotta pinch her nose while DH squirts the stuff in her mouth, but she's better with it now then she was when we started.

When I was massaging some goop out of the rear quarter yesterday AM, I noticed there was stuff coming out of the front quarter... The teat works! No blockages! YES! But, I can't touch it, or she "swats" at me with her foot. Not a meanness...just due to pain. So I got about 2C of goop out yesterday morning. Got a few bits of goop from the rear as well, the wound is still open and draining but healing very well.

(vids)



Last night, she came in w/a chunk of her front teat missing :/ not much, just a small section on the tip. Go figure, cuz I'd mentioned to DH that morning that it was starting to heal up nicely!

So I got it all cleaned up, did some compress and massaging but didn't get much from the front. She was a bit sore from the morning, so I didn't push things. She did get plenty of lovins after her oregano dose. DH snapped this pic

So we're still fightin this stuff.. but seems to have hit a smooth spot and just gotta keep goin and see how it all goes...

 

[Snowhunter]

Here;s some updated pics. We're basically just in a holding pattern, waiting to see how this all goes. I also plan to get her sleeved to see how her insides are, and if she is breedable. Other then all that, she's happy, healthy and feisty as ever

 

[Cricket]

That's looking good! (I've seen Oil of Oregano at the feed store--I thought you put it in the tit, not orally. Good to know!). This has been really interesting. I remember a cow we had a long time ago having a similar thing right in the milk vein along her side belly. We pulled those hard clumps out for weeks. She ended up recovering fully if I remember right.

 

[brentr]

Just refreshing this thread to see if OP has any new updates on the story. Really curious to know if cow was bred and if a calf is on the way. Interesting story and lots of work that went into saving this cow.