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Cow Down

S

Shane M. Moe

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Joined
May 6, 2008
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24
Location
North Powder, Oregon
7 year old cow prime of her life,calved 30 days ago, never had a bad day. This morning she is down and her legs don't work. Thought it could be grass tetany as the hay is mostly grass. Treated her with the calcium and Mag. at eight this morning normally they get right up. She is still on her chest. Not wild eyed or swinging her head none of the normal symtons of tetany. Tries to get up every once in a while, legs won't work. Stumped.
 
Shane M. Moe said:
7 year old cow prime of her life,calved 30 days ago, never had a bad day. This morning she is down and her legs don't work. Thought it could be grass tetany as the hay is mostly grass. Treated her with the calcium and Mag. at eight this morning normally they get right up. She is still on her chest. Not wild eyed or swinging her head none of the normal symtons of tetany. Tries to get up every once in a while, legs won't work. Stumped.
Click to expand...

Give her another shot of of the mag. treatment....I've had to hit them a couple times with a bottle before it takes hold....And they weren't wild eyed either- just couldn't get control of their legs...I haven't had the problem since I put out mineral lick tubs with high mag starting about mid-February (calve in March) -- since on the river my cows won't go to most mineral because of the high salt in the water....
I 've had a couple I gave a bottle of in the peritineal cavity in the evening- still not up in the morning- give another in the morning and have them up in a short time...

Short of getting a blood test done-or a Vet out-- thats what I'd try....
 
Sounds like it could also be milk fever..... but you gave her calcium. Like OT says give her some more of what you gave her.
When I was a boy I saw my dad treat a cow that was down with milk fever with a lantern pump. She was up in a minute. I thought he was magic!
 
I go with what OT said. Give her another dose of Caldex. If this happened immediately after calving I might think it was a pinched nerve or something, but not a month after calving.
 
We had one do that a few years back, she calved in January, went down in April. Other than not being able to get her back legs under her, she was healthy. Ate and drank everything I carried to her, the calf would nurse her as she laid there. She never did get up, after two weeks I finally had her put down. Can't rightly remember what we did with the calf, though. Either sold it or let it steal from the other cows.
 
Cow met us at the gate this morning. Snow is melting and cows are drinking water outside not coming in to the water and mineral. Have moved mineral to them. Did not want to admit not good at finding vein, and put it in the cavity. AT least I feel like we know shat we are dealing with.
 
I don't think the method is all that important, as long as it gets into her. The vein is just faster, that's all. Speed isn't nearly so important on a retreatment.

We also had a cow do this before Christmas.

She was still grazing corn, and had to walk right past the mineral feeder to get to water. Obviously she didn't stop for minerals. Sometimes you get a cow that just doesn't do what she should. She needed a couple of treatments, and you'd never know anything had happened a few days later, other than we didn't let her back in the corn field, and made her eat hay with the bulls instead. She has since had a perfectly healthy calf, and all is well.

Your cow will be OK too, I'd bet. :D
 

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