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COWS-fed-barely-sprouting-fodders, page : 70
Abortion:
Abortion is the expulsion of a premature live fetus before it reaches a viable stage of life, or expulsion of a dead fetus at any stage of gestation. Many early abortions take place without being noticed; the embryo or fetus isn't large enough to be seen easily.
In a cow, abortions before the 5th month often have little external signs and are seldom followed by retained placenta. But abortions after the fifth month are often accompanied by retained placenta as the cow fails to shed the fetal membranes for several days after losing the fetus. Later term abortions are more noticeable, the cow has membranes hanging out from the vulva.
Most abortions occur during the last trimester, but it's not always easy to determine the cause. Some abortions of unidentified cause are due to hormone imbalances or steroid release within the body due to stress. Any severe stress can trigger the release of hormones that start premature labor. Usually when a cow aborts after injury it is stress from pain, or inflammation etc., that triggers the abortion rather than the injury itself. The uterus and its fluids cushion the fetus well and protect it from trauma, even if the cow herself is seriously injured.
An injection of dexamethasone during late pregnancy often causes the cow to go into labor and the calf is born too early to survive. Dexamethasone is sometimes given to reduce swelling, inflammation and pain from injury or disease, snakebite or other problems. NEVER GIVE DEXAMETHASONE TO ANY PREGANT COW, ESPECIALLY IN THE LAST TRIMESTER OF GESTATION.
High fever may also result in abortion, as can poisons such as iodine. Sodium iodide – sometime given intravenously to treat boney lump jaw should not be given to a pregnant cow. Flushing out an abscess with iodine solution may also be unwise. It is better to play safe and use a less toxic disinfectant or antiseptic solution.
Moldy hay or silage can also cause abortion. Silage is feed cut and stored green, and preserved by fermentation. Some types of mold are deadly to the fetus during the third through seventh months of gestation. Molds of the Aspergillum family usually cause abortion during the last trimester. Molds are thought to cause between 3 and 10% of all abortions in cattle. IF FEED IS MOLDY IT SHOULD NOT BE FED TO A PREGNANT COW.
Infections are the cause of most late term abortions. Under normal condition about 1 out of every 200 cows will abort for some reason or another. If abortion rate in a herd rises above 1 or 2% of the herd there is a chance that infection or disease is involved. Some diseases are preventable through vaccines whereas other cannot.
Brucellosis – Bangs disease - is the most common cause of abortion in cattle worldwide, IT CAN BE PREVENTED THROUGH VACCINES. Brucellosis is a threat to HUMANS AS WELL, IT CAUSES AMONGST OTHER SYMPTOMS EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCES AND ATTACKS THE CENTRAL
Abortion is the expulsion of a premature live fetus before it reaches a viable stage of life, or expulsion of a dead fetus at any stage of gestation. Many early abortions take place without being noticed; the embryo or fetus isn't large enough to be seen easily.
In a cow, abortions before the 5th month often have little external signs and are seldom followed by retained placenta. But abortions after the fifth month are often accompanied by retained placenta as the cow fails to shed the fetal membranes for several days after losing the fetus. Later term abortions are more noticeable, the cow has membranes hanging out from the vulva.
Most abortions occur during the last trimester, but it's not always easy to determine the cause. Some abortions of unidentified cause are due to hormone imbalances or steroid release within the body due to stress. Any severe stress can trigger the release of hormones that start premature labor. Usually when a cow aborts after injury it is stress from pain, or inflammation etc., that triggers the abortion rather than the injury itself. The uterus and its fluids cushion the fetus well and protect it from trauma, even if the cow herself is seriously injured.
An injection of dexamethasone during late pregnancy often causes the cow to go into labor and the calf is born too early to survive. Dexamethasone is sometimes given to reduce swelling, inflammation and pain from injury or disease, snakebite or other problems. NEVER GIVE DEXAMETHASONE TO ANY PREGANT COW, ESPECIALLY IN THE LAST TRIMESTER OF GESTATION.
High fever may also result in abortion, as can poisons such as iodine. Sodium iodide – sometime given intravenously to treat boney lump jaw should not be given to a pregnant cow. Flushing out an abscess with iodine solution may also be unwise. It is better to play safe and use a less toxic disinfectant or antiseptic solution.
Moldy hay or silage can also cause abortion. Silage is feed cut and stored green, and preserved by fermentation. Some types of mold are deadly to the fetus during the third through seventh months of gestation. Molds of the Aspergillum family usually cause abortion during the last trimester. Molds are thought to cause between 3 and 10% of all abortions in cattle. IF FEED IS MOLDY IT SHOULD NOT BE FED TO A PREGNANT COW.
Infections are the cause of most late term abortions. Under normal condition about 1 out of every 200 cows will abort for some reason or another. If abortion rate in a herd rises above 1 or 2% of the herd there is a chance that infection or disease is involved. Some diseases are preventable through vaccines whereas other cannot.
Brucellosis – Bangs disease - is the most common cause of abortion in cattle worldwide, IT CAN BE PREVENTED THROUGH VACCINES. Brucellosis is a threat to HUMANS AS WELL, IT CAUSES AMONGST OTHER SYMPTOMS EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCES AND ATTACKS THE CENTRAL