Cow won't get up

[Andrew]

Hello,
I have a cow that's supposed to be about to calf but she won't get up. She's been lying under a tree since early this morning (about 12 hours). I just learned about it a few hours ago. She just laying down. I touched her belly and the calf is kicking and moving. She doesn't feel too hot to the touch.
She's got nothing hanging from behind. She just won't get up.

My question is: Is this normal behavior for a calving cow? I only have 14 cows but I've never actually seen any of them give birth.

Have any of you come across this type of situation?

I appreciate any input.

Thanks,
Andrew

 

[Beefy]

Keep an eye on her to see if she is straining any. its not normal for a cow to lay down for 12 hours. does she look distressed, really uncomfortable, contented, unconcerned??? examine her tailend, does it look like anything HAS been out. is it messy where she has switched her tail on her self? and if so is it dry looking like it has been there several hours? sit there and watch her and see what she does. is she a really old cow? some cows can get pretty weird and/or sneaky at calving time...

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Call the VET! The price of a vet is nothing compared to the value of your cow. Something is wrong. She should not be down. Not very likely with beef cattle, but she could have milk fever. There are a number of things that could go wrong. Even if she is FINE, let a vet tell you that. I understand that you are new at this and you don't want to be calling a vet over nothing. Have you TRIED to MAKE her get up - twist her tail, slap her butt?? Does she struggle? Have you taken her temperature? The longer she is down, the harder it will be to get her up.

Unless she CAN'T get up, (milk fever - paralized legs - hurt back), if she was going into labor it is not very likely that she would let you poke her bellie. They are usually nervous, unless she is a pet with you.

Good luck, let us know what happens.

 

[Andrew]

The cow seems uninterested. She let me tuch her belly. I felt the calf kicking and all. She didn't even try t get up. There is absolutely nothing on her behind. Nothing hanging or wet or dry. Looks normal.

I will find and call a Vet today. Will keep you posted.

Thanks,
Andrew

 

[Andrew]

Also, I don't know anything about her age. I just bought her about 4 months ago and was was already bred. I always thought her belly looked pretty big and she has been looking unconfortable for at least 2 months.

Thanks,
Andrew

 

[dun]

If all other methods fail to get them up, a couple good swats in the face with your hat will either get them up or get them trying to get up. If they can't/don't get the vet asap

dun

 

[Andrew]

I just called the VET and he said it sounds a like like Prepartual Eclemsya also known as low calcium before birth. He wants me to go by his office and pick something up to give her.

Andrew

 

[Vicky the vet]

Did he tell you that calcium in the vein if it's not required can kill her? Or if it's given too fast? or if it's too much? And what if it's phosphorus deficiency?

What is it with your vets that they can't examine an animal??? To me, that's risking malpractice!!

Off on my broomstick again....
V

 

[Texan]

What is it with your vets that they can't examine an animal??? To me, that's risking malpractice!!

Vicky, I'm not the world's greatest fan of practicioners, but I don't think we can lay all of the blame on them. As producers, we expect freebies over the phone. Or stop by for a freebie "chat" that actually should be a consultation with money changing hands.

Then, after we get a recommendation for treatment out of our vets, we'll avoid buying pharmaceuticals from them at almost any cost. Preference given to stopping by the feed store to get dusty bottles off of the shelves in the sun by the front window to save a few dollars. Last step in the process is to b*tch and moan and wonder why so many of them want to do SA only!

Happy skies on the broomstick, Vicky! ;-)

 

[dun]

What is it with your vets that they can't examine an animal??? To me, that's risking malpractice!!

Vicky, I'm not the world's greatest fan of practicioners, but I don't think we can lay all of the blame on them. As producers, we expect freebies over the phone. Or stop by for a freebie "chat" that actually should be a consultation with money changing hands.

Then, after we get a recommendation for treatment out of our vets, we'll avoid buying pharmaceuticals from them at almost any cost. Preference given to stopping by the feed store to get dusty bottles off of the shelves in the sun by the front window to save a few dollars. Last step in the process is to b*tch and moan and wonder why so many of them want to do SA only!

Happy skies on the broomstick, Vicky! ;-)

Well said Texan!

dun

 

[Sherry]

We get calcium in a tube here to give orally? We had one like this, but she went into labor after several hours of being down. She had the calf and cleaned it up, with our help. Believe it or not the calf sucked her..........I was a happy camper that it got that first milk. This does not happen all the time! The cow did not survive, but her calf did....our Jersey finished raising her. Good Luck

 

[fellersbarnoneranch]

This vet talk reminds me of the picture hanging in our vet's office.

Two me stand at a fence looking on at a BCS 1.5 cartoon cow with heade down and flies swarming and the quote over the rancher reads "I don't know what coulda happened doc, she just got sick all of a sudden!"

 

[dun]

This vet talk reminds me of the picture hanging in our vet's office.

Two me stand at a fence looking on at a BCS 1.5 cartoon cow with heade down and flies swarming and the quote over the rancher reads "I don't know what coulda happened doc, she just got sick all of a sudden!"

Hurmorous but not funny. Too often people wait till it's way past time to get a vet, then get mad because he/she can't wave a magic wand and "make it all better". Too frequently I'll get a call to go look at a cow, after seeing her I tell them to get a vet, a week or two later they'll finally call a vet, then the have the testicles to tell me the vet didn't do any good. And charged them too much to boot.

dun

 

[Andrew]

The Vet didn't tell me anything about calcium being toxic or dangerous. went to their clinic and bought the supplies which only amounted to $25.
My neighbor was nice enough to deliver the prescription for me. I'm glad he did because I didn't realize the cows could swing their head so forcefully. He also have her some of his own antibiotic; which I gladly reimbursed him for.

I don't mind paying a professional to do the work. I just don't want a creature under my care to suffer needlessly because of me trying to be frugal with matters I know little about.

I will let you know how it turns out.

Thanks,
Andrew

 

[dun]

I don't know anything aout low calcium before calving, but with milk fever, the cow is usually up on her feet within a very short time of giving her the calcium. but it can take a day or so. Is she still down, any change?

dun

 

[milkmaid]

Did he tell you that calcium in the vein if it's not required can kill her? Or if it's given too fast? or if it's too much?

Wow - I didn't know that. Learn something new every day. =) Thanks, Vicky!

I've seen quite a few cows down with milk fever lately at the dairy where I work. Only one of them went down before calving, we gave her calcium orally and lifted her with the tractor. She was up for a little while, then went down again and started calving. Calf was coming out hindfeet first, had to be pulled. Treated cow again the following morning, lifted her up, and she's been fine ever since.

According to the articles I've read on milk fever - I studied it out of idle curiousity - it can occur before or after calving, sometimes up to several weeks before or after.

 

[Andrew]

I checked on the cow last night and it was still down but I gave her a bag of sweet feed and 5 gallons of water and she drank and ate fine.
I still feel the calf moving in her belly.
Hopefully, she will regain her strength and doesn't dehydrate.

Thanks,
Andrew

 

[dun]

Are you rolling her over at least once a day? Have you told the vet that she still isn't up?

dun

 

[Scotty]

I would get her up. If your vet does not want to come out get a new vet. Reading all the post my question is this. Could she have gotten paralized from the calve pushing on her spine. I have heard of this but never seen it? I do agree with Texan on her comments. MY wife works for a local vet and she has told me of people that WILL NOT bring an animal in for an exam and then gripe of the animals death. DId read a story of a lady cat dieing and her just thinking it was sick. Finally they took it away when she walked in and said she thought it was worms that was causing it to be sick. Turns out it was maggets.


Scotty[/b]

 

[TheBullLady]

Just as a "sidebar" to this thread.. I've noticed a few times folks have said "get another vet" if you aren't getting the attention you'd like from the one you're using. I wonder if this is an option for many of you? Where I'm at there's only ONE large animal vet within ..hmmm.. I would say a 50 mile radius. If I were to call one outside of that radius, he would tell me it's too far for him to travel, especially for an emergency.

Do y'all notice a trend lately of not many large animal practicioners.. and lots of small animal and horse vets? I end up hauling most of my stuff to A & M to the large animal clinic.