Where in the world do I find a simple remedy for owr family milk cow who is constipated and bloats often. We feed baking soda for bloat like we were told by a Vet, but we don't want to have to drive 40 miles to get "pills" for her when she is constipated, which has happened twice in the last 3 months.

-- Donna I. Lindsey (www.dia1778@Hotmail.com/), October 18, 2001

Answers

What are you feeding her? If baking soda is helping it is helping to stop the rumen acidosis her feeding program is causing her. Nicely cured grass hay has nautral bicarbonate in it. To much mollassas in the grain will cause acid to build up in the rumen. Using a rumen buffer will help but so will taking out the molassas! Move from a pelleted feed to all grains so she has something to rumenate on. Feed her hay first, so it mats the rumen, then the grain goes on the mat leaving the grain to be ground with the roughage. (I outright stole that sentence :) Adding roughage to the grain with cottonseed, beat pulp etc. Bloat and rumen acidosis, that then goes to constipation is not normal so give us your feeding program, grain, hay, minerals and lets see if we can fix this first. Also of course make sure your water is clean and tastes good. Is the container clean? Especially if you are using something plastic and recycled, check to make sure the water is palitable. There are all sorts of bloat release, bloat pack and things for constipation in jefferslivestock.com even vegetable oil will work. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), October 18, 2001.

What and how much grain are you feeding her? What kind of hay and how much of that is she getting?

-- Paula (chipp89@bellsouth.net), October 18, 2001.

You can order laxatives for cows from mail order/internet animal supply houses. But, remember that in other animals, just as humans, constipation occurs right in the last bit of the intestine. Did you ever watch an artificial breeding tech work or a vet do a rectal? You can just do the same. Get a box of plastic sleeves and go at it. Or, you in really severe cases you might do a warm water enema. Yes, I did it once on a cow that was PLUGGED. :)

Cows are individuals just like humans and it may be that your cow just tends this way, but it wouldn't hurt to have someone look at your feeding program to see if they can pinpoint a problem.

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@nospammail.com), October 18, 2001.

Hi Donna,,this may seem too simple,,but we gave a whole bottle (12 0z) of castor oil to a bull once,,it worked great,,,no problems,,, but sounds like something she is eating is not agreeing with her (due to the bloating often),,,but check with Vet first,

-- Patsy, MT (cozyhollow-gal@care2.com), October 18, 2001.

we buy our cooking oil in bulk so its not a expensive item or used cooking oil could be used add it to her feed if it is a constant problem i had a cow gett severly bloated with shell corn the wife sugested i give her the bottle of philips milk of magnesiaas well as the oil . the iol can be drenched by pouring a bottle down in her mouth if you are strong enough to hold her head,the oil will help break the bubbles if its a frothy bloat,unfortunatly some animals are more supceptable to bloat

-- george darby (windwillow@fuse.net), October 18, 2001.

Sounds like she needs a lot more good quality hay, not alfalfa, just a good quality, preferably second cutting pasture mix hay. Too high a ratio of concentrates to hay produces the symptoms you are talking about, increase her hay intake, and cut her concentrates until the correct ratio is achieved, the absence of symptoms will tell you when you got it right.

Also add some cider vinegar to her water, start with one ounce per gallon, and see if that helps too. But, NOT with any baking soda, caution, exploding cow!!!!

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), October 19, 2001.