Ask The Vet

By Dr. Ken McMillan
DTN/The Progressive Farmer Contributing Editor

Question: We had a cow that just kept getting bigger and bigger the closer she got to calving. She was down one night when we checked on her, and she could not get back up. We were going to call the vet the next day, but she died. We cut her open, and she was full of fluid and had a normal, but small, calf in her. What do you think was wrong?

Answer: I am going to start with an assumption that the fluid was in the uterus. If this was the case, she likely had a condition called "Hydrops." There are two types, Hydrops amnion (Hydramnios) and Hydrops allantois (Hydroallantois).

Hydrallantois is the more common of the two and probably what you saw with this cow. In this case, the placenta produces a large amount of a thin fluid that fills part of the sac around the fetus. In severe cases, there can be more than 100 gallons of this fluid. The cow may be unable to eat or drink enough to support herself because the uterus fills most of the abdomen. Ultimately, she may be unable to support the weight and go down.

Hydramnios is much less common. This is a result of a problem with the calf. Usually, there is some defect that doesn't allow the calf to swallow the fluid normally. That results in a gradual accumulation of fluid in the sac right around the calf.

Successful treatment of Hydrops is difficult and treatment decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis. Many cows will die even with treatment. Salvage may be the best option if caught early enough. Many veterinarians recommend inducing the cow if there is no fetal abnormality that would prevent a vaginal delivery.

A cow that survives Hydroallantois should be culled. This is a problem with the cow and is likely to occur again. A cow with Hydramnios has a better chance of survival and continuing as a functional cow.

(VM/CZ)

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