# grinding teeth!



## lawrruh (Sep 20, 2011)

What makes a cow grind their teeth? No other signs of pain and she's acting normal! If she is bored what can I do to make her not bored and having fun?


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## rancher1913 (Dec 5, 2008)

are you sure she's not just chewing her cud, thats normal for a contented cow.


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

^^^^ what he said if she is not making a noise with her teeth


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## lawrruh (Sep 20, 2011)

She is making a noise! Ive had her since she was two weeks old and she's done it before but not a lot as it is now.. (she will be 2 yrs old in novemember) Could she just have a bad habit then?


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

sorry i do not know ...does she have salt out all times ?


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## SCRancher (Jan 11, 2011)

If she's not yet 2 then she could be getting some new teeth - when cutting new teeth in people grinding helps releave the discomfort - not sure if it's the same with cattle.


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## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

X-Box and a herd buddy, sorry I couldn't resist.


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## lawrruh (Sep 20, 2011)

LOL she has a herd buddy but still seems so bored.. I got her a ball to play with and maybe somewhat happier but it didn't help she just ran away from it! lol Im thinking she's a bred heifer would that make her calm down a lot? last year at this time she was nuts and would run all around! She just seems so mellow now!


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## Tad (Apr 2, 2003)

I have heard cows grinding teeth before I don't think there is anything wrong with them at least nothing I have ever connected. I Bwould worry about it but it can make your skin crawl sometimes.


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## farmgirl6 (May 20, 2011)

I think cows grind their teeth when they are uncomfortable..Annabelle did when she was ill with respiratory problems...


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## lawrruh (Sep 20, 2011)

Im sorry to hear that it usually means somethings wrong.. So far no change in my heifer, she eats normal and acts normal. Maybe she picked up the bad habit from me! I tend to grind my teeth a lot!


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## G. Seddon (May 16, 2005)

lawrruh, perhaps the vet could evaluate the heifer to see why she's grinding her teeth, review your feeding program, and preg-check her all at the same time? This is the same heifer you've asked about, isn't it?


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## lawrruh (Sep 20, 2011)

kayyy, so today when i went out and checked on her.. Her udder was HUGE it was inflamed and i knew it hurt her cause when i touched it she tried kicking me several times.. Thank goodness the vet was on his way already to palpate.. He palpated her and said she was open.. So her inflamed udder was some sort of heifer Masititis(spelling) 

Im very sad that she isn't expecting but I'm even more sad that she had a infection in her mammary gland 

The vet said to just give her Aspirin bolus once or maybe twice a day in her food and it should clear up.

Im so sad that she is in pain!!!! :"( It breaks my heart.

The reason why she is grinding her teeth is because she was in pain!!! ((

thank you everyone!


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

sorry I did not realize this was the same heifer as one you thought was bred......bet she was grinding teeth from the pain from udder......hopefully when you get that fixed it will stop grinding also


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## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

Most of us may have wanted to mention pain. I know I wanted to, but it's hard to troubleshoot from a keyboard. Sorry to hear about the problem. Not directing this to you Lawrruh, but I wish folks would not buy the best deal in town, it usually haunts you eventually. I've been haunted, take precautions, and always buy from a reputable breeder.....Sorry again...Topside.


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## lawrruh (Sep 20, 2011)

Oh i didn't take "the best deal in town breeder". my cow came from this dairy with over 600+ cows. I got her as a calf. The farmer that had her AI'd knows what he's doing if his family and him have been running this business for generations.. I trust only them with my heifer!!!!

The vet told me its just changes in her hormones that her body wasn't used to and it got infected, since it was her first time being bred


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## lawrruh (Sep 20, 2011)

The guy that AI her is a reputable breeder where I am. Even my vet knew him!


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## farmgirl6 (May 20, 2011)

oh my, I am sorry but at least you know what is causing it...hope she feels better soon...I had read somewhere cows are very very good at masking discomfort (throw back to the living in the wild herd days when the weakest were targeted I guess) and that was one of the ways to catch an uncomforable cow...weird huh?


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