Bloat Again, Urgh

We switched the cows into new pastures and by evening, Christina had bloat.  I even saw it coming.  She was out on the new pasture all day long.  Late afternoon we asked the twins if they had given her any hay.  They hadn't, thinking she didn't need any.  Oops. The biggest reason for bloat is a sudden change in diet.

It was easier for me to tell she had bloat than when jerky had it before.  Maybe she had it worse, but she also is has a bigger skeleton so it's easier to see it.  She was round and firm.  We pushed on her rumen and it was tight like a drum. 

So out we went for another bloat treatment.  She was pretty hesitant to take the medicine, but my husband got his arm under her chin and we got some in her.  With the first swallow the twins cheered, and then suddenly she was much more cooperative.  I think she liked that cheering.

After we got it all in her, we started walking.  She seemed more interested in standing than walking so that become a multi-person job too.  My husband had the lead line, then Christina, and my daughter and I followed, whacking her on the butt whenever she stopped.  After several laps around the pasture, her side felt like a living being instead of a musical insltrument.

Whew!

Like every other thing with cows, I'm noticing how much easier the second time is.  This episode didn't scare me nearly as much.  We knew what to do and we knew when we were done. 

Praise God!