Down cow after hard pull

[tom4018]

Had a hard pull on a large calf on an older cow. Back legs not working now. Following vets advice just curious how many have had success in recovery.

 

[TCRanch]

I've had success with first calf heifers. I generally give them Banamine Transdermal &/or Dex.

 

[tom4018]

I've had success with first calf heifers. I generally give them Banamine Transdermal &/or Dex.

The vet has me doing that plus we are lifting her twice today. Didn’t know what the success rate was. She’s a 12-year-old cow. It’s Ben about three days. She showed a little bit of improvement yesterday like she was trying to move her back legs more.

 

[bird dog]

can she stand on her own when you lift her or does she just hang there?

 

[Named'em Tamed'em]

I had a tough pull a couple months ago, heifer could only stand and move a couple feet for4 days. I kept moving her food and water several times a day for her. She walks way better now and she's getting slaughtered early October. That will be approximately 100 days on corn and free choice alfalfa. She's filling back out.

 

[tom4018]

can she stand on her own when you lift her or does she just hang there?

She seems to be trying to more now. More movement than before put seems weak.

 

[TCRanch]

She seems to be trying to more now. More movement than before put seems weak.

As long as she's trying! Might want to hit her with Vitamin B Complex for energy and make sure she has protein.

 

[tom4018]

As long as she's trying! Might want to hit her with Vitamin B Complex for energy and make sure she has protein.

Tried that. Seems less energetic today. Not sure how long to continue. Appetite is up and down.

 

[Silver]

I’ve packed feed and water for weeks to down cows in the past. Generally speaking the day will come that when you bring feed and water to her she will chase you back to where you came from.

 

[TCRanch]

Tried that. Seems less energetic today. Not sure how long to continue. Appetite is up and down.

In my world, how long is contingent on whether she is eating and actively trying. Generally, at some point, you'll know. This was my cow last year, down from a breeding injury:

Thread 'Down. And out!'

Jun 8, 2024

Not good. Found this girl all splayed out Thursday morning. Looking at my notes, I'm pretty sure it was a breeding injury because last I saw, the bulls were following her, but she wasn't in standing heat. Started with Banamine Transdermal and did eventually give her Dex but my vet said stick with just the Banamine going forward. Discussed lifting her but quite often that can do more harm than good. She is moving around and I'm assuming getting up occasionally because she ended up busting through the fence and into the ditch. Neighbor came over and we put up temporary panels and I...

• TCRanch
• Replies: 36
• Forum: Health & Nutrition

• 
• 

 

[sunnyblueskies]

Keep trying as long as she can stand for a little while after you pick her up. I would stop once she can't support herself with the backlegs anymore at all after being picked up

 

[Mrcopier]

It took me 10 days once. Went up with the rifle when I had enough and she was standing by herself when I got there

 

[Chevroid]

Had the same thing happen to an 10 yr old cow. A couple months after she gave birth, we found her down & she lost the use of her hind legs this last winter. We used the tractor several times w/ homemade rigging to try to get her up, but she couldn’t put any weight on her hind legs. We then moved her up to the house & corrals to feed her out. She never really lost her appetite & would slightly reposition herself almost daily, thus giving us hope but our expectations were tempered. Mainly fed her free choice hay & alfalfa cubes. After 3+ weeks, she got up on her own & we moved her into the corrals for another several weeks so we could keep an eye on her. She is now back with the herd & doing good.

 

[tom4018]

I guess she got herself in a bad position Saturday. Gave her feed and water in the morning and seemed about the same. Went back that afternoon and she had turned kinda downhill and was dead.

 

[Chevroid]

Darn it…hate that you lost her. Our cow was initially on the side of a small hill during the winter rainy season with near freezing conditions. She had slowly moved down to the wet areas so we moved her to some higher ground but it was still sloped. The next day or two, she turned down hill as well & couldn’t raise her head….thought we were going to loose her, but we got her picked up & moved up to dry flat ground just outside the corrals. She did much better up there & eventually recovered. Trials & tribulations of raising cattle……….