Hi, we almost had a downed cow. She had a calf pulled, she went down. It was this winter. Feb. she got bred too young, Anyway, she couldn;t get up. So , Gary finally got some one to put these "hip huggers on her", got her upm not easy. He would get her up in the day with the hip huggers attacked to the tractor. I decided that maybe she would need something else, like the sling were all her legs are helped up. We had that for about 11 days, she would walk around,she could only get up from a certain height. WE had to go back to the hip huggers, she was assisted up. Finally she was getting up from lower and lower, I had noticed earlier, that when she was standing. She would only put weight , on the left rear leg tip toe, that is the hoof, and she didn't put the hoof flat down on the ground. The vet;s assistant said it was problem a pinched nerve. I did to some therapy., more like heat and massage therapy, Fed her good grain, to give her protein, et .The day the calf was pulled , the vet came out administered fluid, steroids, I am not sure what else, Anyway, she started getting up on her own, she could walk and run, before she could get competely off the ground, She is about ready to go back to the barm, we brought her over to the house, she;s been in the back yard. She has a few scars, from falling, to still heal up. Idon;t want any open areas on her, infectionss She looks fat and sassy. It has been awhile. First, thing, get her up as soon as feasable. They loose muscle. There is also, another , idea out there, water, Do you have access to a pond? There is a guy named Steve Kraak that "floats" cows in a water tank, I don;t know if you can afford that, but we were thinking maybe a pond would due. or that sling device, we rented it for a while. Nerves can take a long time to heal.,depending on what is wrong. It is aways a possiblity the cow may not get better, You need to test her nerves, In between the hoofs, take a hot shot, she if she responds, by moving her legs. She has got feeling. I would talk to the vet, ask them about this, if you have a good vet, he or she should be able to help. Some times steroids help. they shrink the inflammation, i think it helps to move her legs, I would ask the vet, how to move them etc, On that getting them up. Gary should have gotten her up with the tractor and hip huggers, or the sling .The guy with the water tank is in Wisconsin, we're in Kentucky. I don;t think he would have come down here, It was cold, and we did,t think an unheated pond would be good. WE couldn't afford the water tank anyway. Im sorry to be so longwinded. I can not guarantee, she will get better, call the vet, you need to know, check with him, I am pretty sure I am telling you the right areas to test. Gary says it is the top side of the split hoof, just above the split of the hoof. If no reaction, no feeling. If she jumps or moves her legs, she has got some hope,Any questions, or etc, Gary can tell you exactly what he did., Send us a reply. I will send you a private message. or etc, Anything to help you and the cow. Hope eveything works out, Just reply, we know , we have been in your shoes. Merry
