Cow with eye cancer

5live

Hi guys. My vet diagnosed a cow with eye cancer last week. She isnt in calf and is about condition score 2. It seems to be progressing slowly so i have time to fatten her up a bit.

Will i have trouble getting her killed in the factory as she has a large growth around the eye? Will she be condemned?

Now she isnt in any pain and is eating well but if she will be condemned in a few months, would i be as well killing her now rather than waiting for the knackery to pick her up and paying for the privilage?

i dont normally send cattle to the factory, just sell in the yard, so i dont know who to contact about this

Muckit

5live wrote: »

Hi guys. My vet diagnosed a cow with eye cancer last week. She isnt in calf and is about condition score 2. It seems to be progressing slowly so i have time to fatten her up a bit.

Will i have trouble getting her killed in the factory as she has a large growth around the eye? Will she be condemned?

Now she isnt in any pain and is eating well but if she will be condemned in a few months, would i be as well killing her now rather than waiting for the knackery to pick her up and paying for the privilage?

i dont normally send cattle to the factory, just sell in the yard, so i dont know who to contact about this

Just ring your local factory and book her in. They should take her. Whatever you get you get.

Even if you get zero € on the kill sheet at least as you said you've not forked out for the knackery. They'I at least get the hides off her even if meat is condemned as not fit for human consumption (I'm not saying that this will be the case though)

Best of luck. Hope you get a favourable outcome.

AtillaTheHun

got one of those here at the moment too.
problem with whitehead gene's apparently. they live a surprisingly long time so i would not panic.

sent animals to the factory before with large abscesses. they just condemn the affected portion.
you'll still get a few pound for her.

snowman707

AtillaTheHun wrote: »

got one of those here at the moment too.
problem with whitehead gene's apparently. they live a surprisingly long time so i would not panic.

We have had a couple of cases in the montbeliardes as well as you say with the white hair area around the eye ,

Op as Atilla says it progresses slowly however flies can be a nuisance in late summer , if you know any factory agents they will book her in for you, other wise just phone the factory and ask for livestock booking

5live

Thanks guys. Would it be worth my time fattening her up for a month or 2 or should i just get rid as muckit suggested

Tipp Man

We had a Mountbellarde with the same thing. She had it going into the shed in November, wasn't in calf and sent her to the factory there at the end of March. Made €950 so fairly pleased with that

bit of hassle in the factory but rang our vet (who had seen her a week previous) and he sorted it.

If your vet works the factory as well then you shouldn't have a problem. It will get a little nasty after 3-4 months but she should be well finished by then

Figerty

Neighbour told me he had a cow with cancer inthe eye once and got a vet to take it out. Dicey operation and the cow came through it. Apparently it was a big hole to get the show eye out, but the cancer was contaied in the eye.
She produced four or five more calves afterwards but was hard to herd as she could only see out off one side.

Apparently she was a flaking breeder and worth saving.

what happen

AtillaTheHun wrote: »

got one of those here at the moment too.
problem with whitehead gene's apparently. they live a surprisingly long time so i would not panic.

sent animals to the factory before with large abscesses. they just condemn the affected portion.
you'll still get a few pound for her.

the whiteheads make a good cow but are very prone to pink eye and if cow gets pink eye in june you get a lot of hassle.

C0N0R

We had a cow here with cancer on the third eyelid, vet came round, gave her a local anestetic and cut out the tumour. She said that it would probably be alright but that sometimes she has had to remove the eye if it has spread.

Muckit

5live wrote: »

Thanks guys. Would it be worth my time fattening her up for a month or 2 or should i just get rid as muckit suggested

5Live

I'm no expert. Never had a cow with that. It's a hard one to call.

My only experience was having a downer cow after a hard calving. She was a greedy so an so and ate all around her so she was thick fat, hence, the difficult calving.

Anyhow rang up the factory to see if they'd take her. They would. So strapped her well, got a neighbour with a loader and we brought her down in the tractor trailer.

We didn't get a cent for her. Seemingly the vet took one look at her and condemned her. Was thick at the time about it cos twas hassle to bring her down and then to get nothing:o

snowman707

Muckit wrote: »

5Live

I'm no expert. Never had a cow with that. It's a hard one to call.

My only experience was having a downer cow after a hard calving. She was a greedy so an so and ate all around her so she was thick fat, hence, the difficult calving.

Anyhow rang up the factory to see if they'd take her. They would. So strapped her well, got a neighbour with a loader and we brought her down in the tractor trailer.

We didn't get a cent for her. Seemingly the vet took one look at her and condemned her. Was thick at the time about it cos twas hassle to bring her down and then to get nothing:o

different situation ,,a downer is a different story

Muckit

snowman707 wrote: »

different situation ,,a downer is a different story

I suppose. Sure eye cancer has to do with eyes, downer cow more about them not being able to stand up :rolleyes:

Conflats

Have the exact same problem here at the moment and we just had a herd test and the vet said even with the cancer she shouldnt be rejected on it( and this coming from the vet who is known to condem animals in the factory) again she's a red whitehead and at first when we seen this ooze in her eye we gave her antibiotics as it looked like an infection but it gradually got bigger and the eye burst but the cow doesnt appear to be in pain and the vet aggreed so all i can say is speak to the vet get him to see if he knows the vet in the factory and mention it too him,

LostCovey

Tipp Man wrote: »

If your vet works the factory as well then you shouldn't have a problem.

God this is so Irish.

If you know someone in a position of influence, they will arrange for you to get paid and for everyone to eat your cancerous cow.

Aaaahhhh shure, it'll be grand. Divil the bit a harm.

LostCovey

Conflats wrote: »

Have the exact same problem here at the moment and we just had a herd test and the vet said even with the cancer she shouldnt be rejected on it( and this coming from the vet who is known to condem animals in the factory) again she's a red whitehead and at first when we seen this ooze in her eye we gave her antibiotics as it looked like an infection but it gradually got bigger and the eye burst but the cow doesnt appear to be in pain and the vet aggreed so all i can say is speak to the vet get him to see if he knows the vet in the factory and mention it too him,

WTF?????

More of it, is the country full of corrupt vets sneaking cancerous cows into the food chain??????

God help the poor divil with the cancerous cow and him knowing divil the vit at all, be the hokey. Be gobs, he bether not meet that vit that is known far and wide to condemn them sick cattle, and keep them out of the food chain, the miserable oul bau11ix.

pajero12

LostCovey wrote: »

WTF?????

More of it, is the country full of corrupt vets sneaking cancerous cows into the food chain??????

God help the poor divil with the cancerous cow and him knowing divil the vit at all, be the hokey. Be gobs, he bether not meet that vit that is known far and wide to condemn them sick cattle, and keep them out of the food chain, the miserable oul bau11ix.

The meat doesn't go straight into the food chain without some testing, as another poster said, the affected parts are condemned and while i cant speak for everyone but round here we tend not to eat the eyes!

LostCovey

pajero12 wrote: »

The meat doesn't go straight into the food chain without some testing, as another poster said, the affected parts are condemned and while i cant speak for everyone but round here we tend not to eat the eyes!

Meat is not routinely tested pajero12 it is checked by vets on the factory line.

You probably know that cancer spreads through the body some times? Most people don't like to eat it, and the veterinary inspection should prevent that by condemning carcasses with generalised cancer. I found it either hilarious or worrying that someone thinks it would get through if you knew the vet.

Not in my burger thanks, even if the owner is yer pal.

LC

pajero12

LostCovey wrote: »

Meat is not routinely tested pajero12 it is checked by vets on the factory line.

You probably know that cancer spreads through the body some times? Most people don't like to eat it, and the veterinary inspection should prevent that by condemning carcasses with generalised cancer. I found it either hilarious or worrying that someone thinks it would get through if you knew the vet.

Not in my burger thanks, even if the owner is yer pal.

LC

Oh ok, I thought the affected meat would have been caught if tested, but obviously if It's not tested then that's a different story!
Fairly F*cked up system isnt it?

LostCovey

pajero12 wrote: »

Oh ok, I thought the affected meat would have been caught if tested, but obviously if It's not tested then that's a different story!
Fairly F*cked up system isnt it?

Random samples are tested for illegal drugs & hormones, but the rest is visual inspection.

I do not believe for a second that anyone's 'pal' would let it through, but people like to believe that 'their man' sorted them out.

LC

Tipp Man

LostCovey wrote: »

God this is so Irish.

If you know someone in a position of influence, they will arrange for you to get paid and for everyone to eat your cancerous cow.

Aaaahhhh shure, it'll be grand. Divil the bit a harm.

How high is that horse of yours?

Anyway my point was that if your vet is the factory vet then he will already know what the problem is with the animal as opposed to another vet who will not have previously inspected the animal. It is still his complete independent decision whether to Condem the animal or not

Nobodies asking for a cow with foot n mouth or bse to get into food chain

LostCovey

Tipp Man wrote: »

How high is that horse of yours?

Anyway my point was that if your vet is the factory vet then he will already know what the problem is with the animal as opposed to another vet who will not have previously inspected the animal. It is still his complete independent decision whether to Condem the animal or not

Nobodies asking for a cow with foot n mouth or bse to get into food chain

Yeah, right.

This totally contradicts what you were spouting about a few posts back.

I don't believe either, frankly.

LostCovey

5live

Jesus lads calm down. I was only asking what the situation was regarding getting the animal killed before she was in a lot of pain and without me wasting money on fattening her only to see her condemned anyway.

Anyway, its a moot point right now as she has started springing (despite being scanned not in calf:mad:) so i will wait for the calf before making up my mind.

LC, as you said yourself, it is the inspecting vets perogative as to whether the animal enters the food chain. From what i have learned since diagnosis in my friesian, it is generally a non metastisizing cancer, ie it is and mostly stays localised, so in terms of contaminating the food chain, a very small chance indeed even if she were accepted into the food chain.

Again to all who replied, many thanks. I will probably manage her for a few months and try to build up condition and see if she is able to function through the flies this summer. If not then ,condemnation or not, factory:(

LostCovey

5live wrote: »

LC, as you said yourself, it is the inspecting vets perogative as to whether the animal enters the food chain. From what i have learned since diagnosis in my friesian, it is generally a non metastisizing cancer, ie it is and mostly stays localised, so in terms of contaminating the food chain, a very small chance indeed even if she were accepted into the food chain.

I totally agree 5live.

And the objection to it in the food chain is largely aesthetic rather than because it is a real hazard, I am sure a cooked tumour is as no danger to me and is probably at least as nutritious as mince, but I wouldn't want to eat one.

However I found it objectionable that there was a suggestion that if you knew the vet s/he would get it through into the food chain for you. The follow-up email was off the wall in a different direction, as it that suggested that because your vet had seen it, then s/he would know if to was safe. I found this suggestion was equally hard to swallow (sorry).

I did not mean to ruffle any feathers, but I wish people would remember that their customers (ie consumers) read these threads, and if someone says something reckless, I think it is important to blow it out of the water in case anyone might believe there was some basis or substance to it. Or that Irish animal-based food production is as corrupt as some zany posts might suggest.

Sorry if I used a blunderbuss on a bluebottle on this occasion.

LostCovey

5live

LostCovey wrote: »

I found this suggestion was equally hard to swallow (sorry).

:D:D:D No need to apologise. I will be smiling at that one for a good while:)

Conflats

LC this is a problem with consumers these days if its not cosmetically right they dont want it, their is nothing wrong with the meat as the other posters have said the vets or the AO's in the factory would see if their is something wrong after all its their job, and other tumors would be spotted im sure when the carcass enters the boning hall, butchers etc. Plus my point was the vet( a person who is trained to know whats good and bad with an animal) will be able to help you through the bureaucratic bulls**t.

The_Conductor

Guys-

1. If you disagree with what another forum member posts- refute it without attacking the poster.

2. If you're report-posting a post by a member- and its not obvious why you're reporting the post- elaborate, I'm not psychic.

3. This forum (along with most of the website) is google cached and will feature in google searches. Please keep this in mind when you're posting. You will have random members of the public reading your musings on vets, knackery, cosmetically imperfect food, cancerous eyeballs etc. Do you really want consumers to be pondering their food? Scares have been started by less than some of the comments posted in this thread.

4. I am getting damn tired of the continuous sniping by some people posting in this forum. If you're incapable of remaining civil towards one another- you will be banned, without further warning.

Regards.

SMcCarrick

5live

Sorry about that Shane. I hadnt come across this in an animal before and was trying to find out any experience people had ,as i think most posters do with new or difficult situations.

As to peoples googling, cancers are a fact of life, as i have found out. Information will bring all into the open, both good and bad and is it not better to deal with it and discuss it in the open by shining a light on it rather than try to hide it away and pretend it doesnt exist, where i found myself not so long ago

If people reading this thread want to saddle a high horse and go for a gallop on food safety , unfortunately i cannot stop them.

As for AOs and inspections in the factory, if my cow is condemned for this when she goes so be it. If my vet were to pass her as fit for human or animal consumption when she wasnt then he wouldnt be my vet for long. I dont, cant and will never agree to that. Ever. Full stop. In fact, my last experience of a factory was the condemnation of an animal. My loss totally. Fair play to the vet, he told me his reasons. I asked for a second opinion which i got and which agreed with the first vet.

Which brings me to where i am today, asking if people had experience of this in a cow...........

Sorry about the rant Shane:o

LostCovey

5live wrote: »

Which brings me to where i am today, asking if people had experience of this in a cow...........

Yes.

It is ugly, it rarely spreads from the eye, and it should have no impact on her in a meat factory.

LostCovey

Tipp Man

LostCovey wrote: »

Yes.

It is ugly, it rarely spreads from the eye, and it should have no impact on her in a meat factory.

LostCovey

So you knew this and yet decided to have a rant about some random implications for the food chain that you dreamt up, you accussed me of bribery and undue influence on my vet and made the whole situation out to be a massive drama

Whats your point? Why bother? You are bang out of order in my opinion

The_Conductor

Ok guys, I think we can leave this as-is.
Thread closed.

Regards,

SMcCarrick