Is my cow choking? She's shaking her head and can't eat.

Hi, and thanks for your question. This sign could be compatible with an upper respiratory tract inflammation/infection or possibly to a rhinitis (inflammatory, allergic, infective). A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

She may have ingested a foreign body, plastic or other things, which may block her intestines. She may also have an infection or a displaced abomasum or an infection, or a bloodborne disease such as Babesiosis. Without a hands-on exam there is no way to find out what her problem is. You will need to get a veterinary doctor out to examine her. In the meantime. Make sure she drinks water and offer her her favourite food.

There isn't much you can do. Due to the chambered stomach, it may stay in the there for a long time and cause no issue, pass out into the stomach and out in feces, or it may get stuck. If Queen starts having a decreased appetite or acts ill in any way, you can try giving her mineral oil to lubricate the GI tract, but if she is off her feed for longer than 24 hours or there aren't any feces produced, she should be evaluated by a vet.

Loss of appetite can be due to any number of things as it is a very vague symptom. A heavy parasite load, foreign bodies in the rumen, illness, infections, viral diseases, etc can all be potential causes of loss of appetite. If you suspect a contagious illness, separating out the cow and calling out a vet to have her examined is best so the cause can be found and any spread of illness minimized.

The most common cause of coughing in cattle is known as shipping fever (though it doesn't have to happen with shipping), a disease process commonly occurring with cows that have undergone more stress than usual. There are two organisms that can commonly be responsible for this disease, both of which will require an antibiotic to treat. If you go to a farming store to obtain antibiotics, you should look for one that is labeled for the treatment of bovine respiratory disease, specifically against Manheimia and Pasturella. Hope this helps.

Yes, I would be a bit worried. She may have some retained placenta or a uterine tear from the dystocia. If either of those are the case, she could end up with a life-threatening bacterial infection. I suggest you get your vet out there to check her out. It is better to be safe than sorry in this instance. Best wishes.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. This could be secondary to an allergy, a reverse sneeze or coughing. I would recommend having her examined by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. A thorough examination will help rule out multiple causes and even considering having x-rays performed would help rule out multiple causes. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.