Any cow experts on here? Mysterious skin condition

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now_loves_mares

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I noticed yesterday that a cow in the field across the road from my horses had horrendous looking skin. Basically it was a brown and white cow (technical term!) and ALL it's white coat was missing, so that it looked like a plucked chicken. The brown coat was intact, but where the white should have been was pink skin
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Of course it has been reallly sunny too, so it's probably at risk of horrendous sunburn now

I phoned a friendly farmer and asked him to look at it - he had never seen anything like it before, but didn't want to get too close in case it was contagious. I then phoned the owner of the cattle, who frankly didn't seem bothered. I told him I was just phoning to make sure he knew about it, but really I was phoning to find out if he was looking after the poor thing. frankly it looked in need of, at the very least, some shade and a vet
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I don't really want to go and take photos, but does anyone know what this might be? I don't want to get all on my high horse if it's something common and not painful, but on the other hand I'd hate to think it was suffering and I hadn't followed up on it
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I'm not sure if I will be of any help, but my white cattle have that sort of patches on them and although I have no idea what it is, my vets told me not to worry... apparently something to do with wet spring and then hot summer, but can't remember what for the life of me
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Might be something to do with a hyper sensitivity to the sun due to something it's eaten.

My mare has a white blaze and pink muzzle and she has lost the fur half way up her nose despite factor 50 and a mask with a nose flap. I now believe this reaction has been caused by the buttercups in her field.

Could be the same sort of thing?
 
my dog trainer has a sheep with fly strike and it does look awful even if it is being treated! The sheep had lost a lot of its coat! Its probably under control I would have thought!
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I was thinking hyper-photosensitivity as well - in extreme cases the skin will actually start to harden and slough off. My coloured horse had it (we caught it very early so no lasting effects) but the vet said if he hadn't seen it on a cow he'd have been baffled. It can indicate liver problems - something to do with something in the blood reacting with UV light I think? and can be caused (in horses anyway) by eating St John's Wort. Cows get all sorts of manky diseases though don't they...
 
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My mare has a white blaze and pink muzzle and she has lost the fur half way up her nose despite factor 50 and a mask with a nose flap. I now believe this reaction has been caused by the buttercups in her field.


BTW - My mare had the same, her hair on her face came off and I used CARR DAY & MARTIN KILLITCH 500ml - http://www.bargatefeed.co.uk/seasonal12.jpg

which worked wonders!!
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OK - have no idea what fly strike is, I am just a casual observer when it comes to livestock!

TicTac, there are quite a lot of buttercups in the field, so that's possible

EquineMad - the farmer in question is not quite as on top of things as you might expect. His silage was cut in August last year
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They do have a tenny bit of shade, a few trees around the edge of the field, so she can get out of the worst of the sun.

Thanks everyone, will keep an eye on her anyway! I was also worried it might be something my horses could catch
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We didnt cut silage until late last year,as the ground was too wet to get on........maybe this was the case?
 
ok so sounds like it's not contagious then. So should she be being treated and inside?

From the conversation last night, and my experience with them (silage notwithstanding
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) there is little chance she is getting veterinary attention.
 
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