Dead Cow Walking, I need Help!

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sharky19

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My uncle has a cow that is very sick! she has been since last fall after having a calf. she is skin and bones, she hardly eats anything, all she does is lick salt and drink. she has dark green liquid diarrhea, but she acts like all the other cattle and non of the others have her problems. has any one had this happen or know what we should do.
 
I think the best thing yall can do is call the vet. good luck with her.
 
She won't ever be worth anything and a Vet is not going to make her worth a dime more.
Time to cut your losses and bury her.
When a cow gets down that bad for that long, she ain't going to get better.

This is only my opinion. Call or have the vet come out. Tell us what the fee is, and if the cow can be made worth anything.
 
mnmtranching":gwf85lzj said:
She won't ever be worth anything and a Vet is not going to make her worth a dime more.
Time to cut your losses and bury her.
When a cow gets down that bad for that long, she ain't going to get better.

I agree. The vet can make a calf worth more, or a cow with an injury or infection worth more, but he isn't going to do anything for her now. I'd have called the vet as soon as I noticed she was doing poorly, but I'd take her to the sale barn now. Might be worth calling the vet to find out what's wrong in case it's contagious.
 
Sharky this is for your uncle :

Call a vet and find out what she has. If she has Johnes (which it sounds like) you had better get a definitive answer so you know what your herd has been exposed to and all the precautions you need to take..
Also quarantine her and her calf asap.


And for those of you that SSS you really do not know what you may face in the future of your cattle herd or what exposed animals you have sold to some poor unsuspecting person. The very least you should do is take blood and fecal samples to be tested before you SSS.

There are a lot of advantages to calling a vet and not all of them revolves around the dollar at that given moment but it could be your whole herd at risk because of not knowing what you were exposed to and that will be big bucks lost in the future.
 
Something i have consider is puting the cow down and then immediatly load on a trailer and take to the state lab for autopsy which cost about the same as the disposal fee.
 
Douglas":34igzb7m said:
Something i have consider is puting the cow down and then immediatly load on a trailer and take to the state lab for autopsy which cost about the same as the disposal fee.


That is great idea if you are close to one and can take the time out to drive there and back. I bet they probably more than welcome all cases that they get..
 
for those who advocate simply shooting her ... I like to call the vet and either discuss or have the vet see the animal ... because even if the animal cant be helped and needs to be put down, you might get some answers as to what went wrong, and what you can do to prevent it or treat if you see the same thing occur. For me, gaining that knowledge is worth the vet bill
 
I think that "call the Vet" is a good response, must be. You hear that on CT more often then any other response. But, the "call the Vet" is the same as "I don't know" So why aren't there more responses "I don't know" :???:
I would have taken care of the cow at first signs of illness. Probably an antibiotic, maybe a magnet, depending on symptoms.
But I can't see the cow so I don't know. :compute:
If she isn't feverish and getting around she could go for kill.
As far as some contagious, wipe out you entire herd disease. I haven't seen it so I don't worry about stuff like that.
"call the Vet" I wouldn't, I would have handled it myself.
That all being said. I agree. "Call the Vet" :cowboy:
 
My uncle`s wife is a nurse and she has been treating it herself.the calf was fine, we are trying to decide if the has something twisted, a piece of metal in her, or something like that. I was wondering if they can get diabetes, it seems to me like that would be the problem. The vet is scheduled to come out in a couple of months, they live in a very rural part of the country and the nearest vet is ove two hours away, so its hard to have an emergency that he can actually help with. Also it is one of those things that she will most likely die before the vet gets there or after he has treated her. So, I don`t think my uncle wants to really spend the money on her. Thanks a lot for the advice from everyone.
 
sharky19":2hthgj2q said:
My uncle`s wife is a nurse and she has been treating it herself.the calf was fine, we are trying to decide if the has something twisted, a piece of metal in her, or something like that. I was wondering if they can get diabetes, it seems to me like that would be the problem. The vet is scheduled to come out in a couple of months, they live in a very rural part of the country and the nearest vet is ove two hours away, so its hard to have an emergency that he can actually help with. Also it is one of those things that she will most likely die before the vet gets there or after he has treated her. So, I don`t think my uncle wants to really spend the money on her. Thanks a lot for the advice from everyone.

My friend - I could bet there are a great number of people who live in more remote areas than you - I am one.

Two months?

A travesty. Not a personal attack - but if you want to save a buck and possibly pass something on to your herd you are the loser - as well as any future buyers - I for one would NEVER buy something from you if I knew this type of thing went on - your management is far too risky for me.

Shoot her. Cut a chunk of lung out, cut off her head, take a chunk of liver, cut out a kidney, take the heart, take an ice cream bucket and gather up some blood - and any other samples you believe might be pertinent - freeze it all.

Bury her deep.

Next time you go to town - I would bet Uncle or someone there will beat that two month mark - drop it at the vet for analysis.

Be responsible and put her down - medical folk might have half a clue - but a mammal on 4 legs is far, far different than a mammal on two.

Your management style is out of date with the diseases we have today - far worse - it could very well be that you or Uncle / workers or family are carrying it on your own bodies and passing it to the neighbours herds. No bio security here.

I would stay away from your animals.

Bez+
 
Bez :shock: Holly CRAP :help: Are you out to lunch or what. :banana: :banana:
 
Having lived in a few countries and seen disease probs - plus having seen it in Canada - I know they travel well

I simply avoid potentially troubled sellers - saves me any grief.

mnmtranching":1kxf7s8v said:
Bez :shock: Holly CRAP :help: Are you out to lunch or what. :banana: :banana:

Even if it means I might only get one or two sick cows - even if treatable - I am just not willing to take that chance any more

So you can discount me if you chose

My response to your dancing bananas:

Perhaps

Then again - perhaps not

Bez+
 
Bez and Keren are dead on..Wouldn't you like to know if you had "it" to take necessary precautions before you sell an animal and it is traced back to you and the government quarantines your herd???

Oh wait ,you only have a cases of the "staggers" ......tis best to SSS.. ;-)
 

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