Fire Sweep Ranch
Well-known member
A few weeks ago, after the effects of Hurricane Isaac came through, we had a great warm up. Humidity in the high 80's and temps in the high 90's for two days. We came home around 6:00PM to find a 10 month old bull (already sold, just waiting for his ride to pick him up) laying out flat on his side doing the death paddle 
We immediately started cold water therapy (we are on a well, so the water is COLD!), and got the vet out. The vet was going to be 30 minutes, so we got 40 ml dexamethasone IV in him. Lots of fluid therapy that night, all IV. Long story short, vet did not think he would make it through the night, but if he did, we might pull him through. Well, he did, but he is not normal. The vet came back the next day, more dex and some exceed (antibiotic for secondary infection), and the bull could get up but only for a few minutes and he was dragging his back legs like a cow that has been down from a long labor. He slowly has gotten better, but still drags his back feet at times. It is like his brain is not telling his leg to pick it up higher, so mid-step he rolls his pasterns. He then waits there for a few seconds before he picks it up and puts it underneath him where it belongs.
I sent the money back to the buyer (I will not sell an unsound bull), and we are going to stick it out with him to see if he improves any more. This is one of the nicest bulls we have ever produced, and I hope he fully recovers, but I was wondering if anyone has ever gone through this with an animal? Vet looked at him again today and said we are doing all we can, not sure what his future will be since he has never had one live through it. He is amazed that the bull survived!
It was mostly my fault; 5 days prior we had him pass his breeding soundness exam with flying colors (90% motility and 42 CM testicles - remember he is 10 months old!) so I moved him to a pasture by himself (no trees) to keep him from trying to jump or getting hurt by another animal before he was picked up. And, he was shown all summer so he was used to being under fans and misters in the heat. Learned an expensive lesson with this one!
We immediately started cold water therapy (we are on a well, so the water is COLD!), and got the vet out. The vet was going to be 30 minutes, so we got 40 ml dexamethasone IV in him. Lots of fluid therapy that night, all IV. Long story short, vet did not think he would make it through the night, but if he did, we might pull him through. Well, he did, but he is not normal. The vet came back the next day, more dex and some exceed (antibiotic for secondary infection), and the bull could get up but only for a few minutes and he was dragging his back legs like a cow that has been down from a long labor. He slowly has gotten better, but still drags his back feet at times. It is like his brain is not telling his leg to pick it up higher, so mid-step he rolls his pasterns. He then waits there for a few seconds before he picks it up and puts it underneath him where it belongs.
I sent the money back to the buyer (I will not sell an unsound bull), and we are going to stick it out with him to see if he improves any more. This is one of the nicest bulls we have ever produced, and I hope he fully recovers, but I was wondering if anyone has ever gone through this with an animal? Vet looked at him again today and said we are doing all we can, not sure what his future will be since he has never had one live through it. He is amazed that the bull survived!
It was mostly my fault; 5 days prior we had him pass his breeding soundness exam with flying colors (90% motility and 42 CM testicles - remember he is 10 months old!) so I moved him to a pasture by himself (no trees) to keep him from trying to jump or getting hurt by another animal before he was picked up. And, he was shown all summer so he was used to being under fans and misters in the heat. Learned an expensive lesson with this one!
