We found our heifer down in the field and she can't get up. She had been very healthy up til now. We can't find any injuries on her. She still is eating and drinking well and acts lively; just can't get up. The vet came out and didn't find anything wrong. Any ideas?
Cow down. Can't get up
- Thread starter jpbaker
- Start date
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MO_cows
Well-known member
How much experience do you have with that vet? He/she just said, there's nuthin' wrong with her???
alisonb
Well-known member
Nerve damage? If your vet saw the animal surely he has some ideas??
mtncows
Well-known member
Is she carrying a calf ?
We had one go down while pregnant. I think the calf must have shifted while she was laying down and she couldn't get her feet back under herself for some reason. We had to use a tractor and loader and got the forks under her a little and lifted her slightly, and that was enough to get her back on her feet.
The vet didn't know what to think of it. Said he had never seen something like this. She's not bred; vet did confirm that. Somebody thought it might be grass tetany, but this isn't the time of year for it. Her legs do not have any injury or rot to them.
MO_cows
Well-known member
Is she pastured with other cattle? Maybe someone mounted her and injured her. Did the vet give you any suggestions to help get her up, or tell you how to turn her if she stays down too long?
Does she try and get up? Does she seem to be able to control both front and back legs?
I had a steer once that couldn't get up but ate and drank fine. He would get up on his front legs but wasn't able to lift his back end up. We guessed nerve damage or something, but we butchered him and found that he had broke his back.
I had a steer once that couldn't get up but ate and drank fine. He would get up on his front legs but wasn't able to lift his back end up. We guessed nerve damage or something, but we butchered him and found that he had broke his back.
Lucky_P
Well-known member
Depending on where you're located, this IS the time for winter tetany/grass tetany. I've seen several cows through the diagnostic lab here in the last couple of weeks with low Mg levels. Usually more of a threat in a cow nursing a calf under a couple of months of age, but can occur in heifers/steers, especially on wheat/rye pasture and the like.
Beyond that, there's any number of possibilities, but I would suspect that if your veterinarian did a good physical examination he/she would have found pelvic or long bone fractures - but possibly not a spinal fracture.
Any chance she 'did the splits' on some slick ice?
If you're gonna try to pull her through, she needs to be supported/lifted frequently - or, if you don't have that capability, you need to bed her down with a THICK layer of hay/straw underneath her and flip her at least 4 times a day so she's not spending all her time on one side. Many folks don't realize that cows/horses are so big/heavy that if they're down for more than 8 hours or so at a time, that their sheer mass, resting on the muscles of the 'down' side starts to cause muscle damage and necrosis due to impaired blood flow. Even if they have a nerve problem(like obturator nerve damage/swelling from a difficult calving) that will improve over a few days' time, if the muscles are severely damaged by staying on one side, they won't be able to get up, even if the swelling goes down or the nerve heals/repairs.
Beyond that, there's any number of possibilities, but I would suspect that if your veterinarian did a good physical examination he/she would have found pelvic or long bone fractures - but possibly not a spinal fracture.
Any chance she 'did the splits' on some slick ice?
If you're gonna try to pull her through, she needs to be supported/lifted frequently - or, if you don't have that capability, you need to bed her down with a THICK layer of hay/straw underneath her and flip her at least 4 times a day so she's not spending all her time on one side. Many folks don't realize that cows/horses are so big/heavy that if they're down for more than 8 hours or so at a time, that their sheer mass, resting on the muscles of the 'down' side starts to cause muscle damage and necrosis due to impaired blood flow. Even if they have a nerve problem(like obturator nerve damage/swelling from a difficult calving) that will improve over a few days' time, if the muscles are severely damaged by staying on one side, they won't be able to get up, even if the swelling goes down or the nerve heals/repairs.
If it is grass tetany how can we treat it? Yes she is moving her front legs. It's very possible she fell on the ice as we have had alot of snow/ice recently. We've turned her but not 4 times a day; due to lack of resources etc.
Lucky_P
Well-known member
IV Ca/Mg solution is best treatment for grass/winter tetany; they have low blood magnesium levels - though some cows, especially if they're just before calving or miking heavily in the first couple of months, may also be low on calcium.
I've run it IP(intraperitoneally - into the abdominal cavity), but it takes longer to work.
I'm still betting on an injury - spinal fracture, 'splits', or a ruptured cruciate ligament - though usually with an ACL rupture, they're still able to get up and around, they're just lame.
I've run it IP(intraperitoneally - into the abdominal cavity), but it takes longer to work.
I'm still betting on an injury - spinal fracture, 'splits', or a ruptured cruciate ligament - though usually with an ACL rupture, they're still able to get up and around, they're just lame.
backhoeboogie
Well-known member
I'll get blasted for saying this but if she was mine, I'd paste her with two tubes of CMPK. She'd be on her feet within 30 minutes.
novaman
Well-known member
Are her muscles quivering? That is usually what I see happen when a cow/heifer has milk fever since calcium is necessary for muscle control. Are her hind legs under her like normal or is she sitting like a frog? If she splits she will probably be sitting like a frog with a hind leg on either side. If she is split I don't believe there is a thing that can be done. At any rate I think you need to be getting her up so her muscles don't start getting weak. I use a hip lift that hooks to her pelvis. Attach it to the loader and lift her high enough so she is in a normal standing position and let her stay that way for awhile. Good luck.
Toby L.
Well-known member
I figured that there usually all the same.
