Dairy Cow Cut Teat

[Cynthia Kelly]

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I have a dairy cow who has cut her teat at the tip. The vet tried to stitch and glue it but it didn’t work. Comfrey would heal to quickly and not allow the layers to heal flat. We are now trying a mixture of honey and lanolin on the open wound and wrap around the teat with sticky tape to keep it clean.  I’m open to any suggestions for treatment.  I have pictures but they may disturb some.  It does explain the problem.

2 users thanked author for this post.

Sandra Rux, Hannah Bison

[Sydney Alix]

Hi Cynthia,

I would suggest flushing the wound every day three times a day with mildly salty water, an herbal wash/infusion of herbs such as plantain, calendula, rosemary, yarrow, etc. (herbs that have been known to fight infection, reduce inflammation, and promote healing). You could probably even make a diluted wound tincture spray with the herbs listed above. If I were in your shoes, I’d also probably coat the wound with a dried, powdered herb like rosemary. It helps keep it protected, and acts almost like a dry poultice.

You will probably want to give her probiotics to help keep her immune system going strong, and also immune-supporting herbs internally like echinacea, and even the ones listed above (but be careful with giving herbs internally if she is on any meds, because herbs and drugs interact. External application shouldn’t be a problem regardless though).

I’ve tended to many different wound cases on my farm using the method I explained above, and it has worked amazingly well each time. Doc has a lot of awesome information on wound care in his lecture series on wounds as well, so you might find it helpful to watch those. Another great resource that I have used a lot (and where I learned about the protocol I shared above) is from the book, “The Complete Herbal Handbook for Farm and Stable” by Juliette de Baïracli Levy. 

I hope this helps, and wish you all the best with your cow! May she have a speedy recovery.

P.S. If you think posting/sharing pictures would be helpful, I’m totally comfortable with seeing them. If you are concerned that comfrey would heal it too quickly, plantain and calendula would probably be safer options.

2 users thanked author for this post.

Lupe Whittaker, Hannah Bison

[Sydney Alix]

One other thought: If you decide to apply a powdered herb to the wound, you may want be sure to avoid the teat orifice just so that it doesn’t get clogged or blocked, especially if she is not being milked.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Hannah Bison

[Author]

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