# Retained placenta by a cow?



## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

I'm disabled so I contracted my neighbor to haul my cow to vet that had a retained placenta. Vet palpated cow,but did not remove retained placenta,didn't give her a shot of Lutalyse & vet stated bring her back in a week if cow hadn't expelled placenta? Can anyone give me a good reason vet didn't remove retained placenta?

Thanks,Jim


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## IHCman (Aug 27, 2011)

To me it seems the newer vets don't believe in removing the retained placenta unless the cow is showing obvious signs of infection. Many feel that reaching in to remove it simply introduces new bacteria that are more harmful. They'd rather allow the cow to expel it naturally herself no matter how unsightly or smelly it is.

The vet my Dad worked with 30 years ago showed Dad to either use uterine boluses or infuse them them oxytetracycline in sterile water to prevent infection. There used to be products that actually worked to help loosen it up, but most of those have been taken off the market for one reason or another.

Dad and I disagree on this but I acutally agree with method one. Just let her get rid of it on her own. She'll clean up and rebreed all on her own. Don't see to many retained placentas anymore, seems the ones that do usually either aborted or had a hard time calving. Years ago when Dads mineral program wasn't the greatest, seemed we had more of it.


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## TJ Hendren (May 12, 2017)

As IHCman said you can do more harm than good by pulling it out. A good quality mineral will usually cure this problem.


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

TJ
I keep minerals out for my cows all year long


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

Got to a agree with IHC, I had one a couple of years ago. Cow hadn't cleaned in 2 days, called vet (who has been a vet for over 30 years), he told me leave her be. The old fashion way was to clean her, but they found out cows left alone will breed back quicker, IF left alone. Doesn't matter the with the smell you have to put up with. BTW, she cleaned on day 5.

Larry


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## TJ Hendren (May 12, 2017)

One thing I would like to tell you about Jim. A couple of years ago I discovered Redmond #10 stock salt, and started feeding it. It is mined in Redmond UT. from an underground sea bed. The cattle took to it and never looked back. Since feeding it their mineral consumption has backed off a great deal and they consume more of the salt. Sometimes I will fill the salt side up 3x more than the minerals side. They seem to get what they need from the salt and leave the mineral alone. It's a little more pricey than regular salt, I pay 13.00 a bag but I can get two bags for the price of one mineral. Redmondminerals.com. if you want to check it out.


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## IHCman (Aug 27, 2011)

Just putting mineral out doesn't always mean everything is consuming it. I tend to use mineral feeders to let the cows and heifers eat as they need it and as long as their rate of consumption is 2 to 4 oz per head per day I don't get to concerned but there may be a cow or two that never eats any for all I know.

Also in our area most of our forages are low copper, can really tell by the tint of the hair who feeds mineral and who doesn't. Also some things can interfer with the absorbtion of other certain minerals. I'll admit I don't test and watch what I'm feeding to see if I should adjust my mineral. We have tested our water and its kind of borderline for to high of sulfur. When we feed distillers grain we feed a mineral to the calves that has Thiamine in it which is supposed to help with sulfur toxicity but I've been told we're not feeding high enough levels of distillers to have a problem.

If it was just one animal that didn't clean I wouldn't get to concerned about your mineral program.


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

Members & vet that stated to wait for cow to expel placenta were correct. Retained placenta was absent from cow yesterday.

Thanks to all that replied,Jim


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