Downer cow

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Well, she was laying down when I got to her this morning so thought I'd give her a shot of Dex. Turns out she can move pretty fast. Got the needle in but before I could inject she turned, knocked me down and rolled me a little.
Sooooo…. Doesn't look like she'll be getting hobbles or anti inflammatory drugs any time soon lol
Oh dang! But evidently, you're okay? Do you have Banamine Transdermal in Canada? Pain/fever reducer, anti-inflammatory and a pour-on that lasts 3 days.
 
From my distant memory nsaids like meloxicam are not supposed to be used with corticosteroids Silver though I know of many situations where they have without obvious problems including on myself with what doctors have prescribed although I am sure that they just didn't look at my records. Maybe Buck might like to comment as he would be more up to date on this than me. I think the problems occur with prolonged use and ulceration of the GI tract.

Ken
 
From my distant memory nsaids like meloxicam are not supposed to be used with corticosteroids Silver though I know of many situations where they have without obvious problems including on myself with what doctors have prescribed although I am sure that they just didn't look at my records. Maybe Buck might like to comment as he would be more up to date on this than me. I think the problems occur with prolonged use and ulceration of the GI tract.

Ken
I was taught to avoid concurrent doses of steroids and NSAIDs as well. I've seen a few cows develop abomasal ulcers after farmers hit them with high doses of dexamethasone and banamine multiple days in a row. I think meloxicam is safer than banamine, but there is still some risk.
 
I was taught to avoid concurrent doses of steroids and NSAIDs as well. I've seen a few cows develop abomasal ulcers after farmers hit them with high doses of dexamethasone and banamine multiple days in a row. I think meloxicam is safer than banamine, but there is still some risk.
Good information, I had assumed that since it had been 3 or 4 days since her last dose of Metacam that I would be safe to use the Dex. Maybe she was just trying to tell me what I was doing was against the rules.
 
Oh dang! But evidently, you're okay? Do you have Banamine Transdermal in Canada? Pain/fever reducer, anti-inflammatory and a pour-on that lasts 3 days.
Oh I'm fine. Something like a Weeble Wobble, I might wobble but I don't stay down lol.
I don't know if Banamine Transdermal is available here or not, I will have to consult with my vet, it sounds interesting.
 
So I've had the odd downer cows over the years. In my experience once (if) they get up they are away. Well, back on April 3 I came across a second calver having some difficulty calving so I lent a helping hand. I pulled the calf to its hips by hand, but as we know it gets hard to pull by hand when they are out that far. So I tied it off to my quad. I didn't pull. Just waited and after a bit the cow tried to stand and the calf plopped out. No big deal. Except the cow couldn't get up. For two days. But then she did, and within a day she was moving okay so I walked her and her calf (which I had been feeding) down to the barn and put them together for a few days. Things were going well so I walked them over half a mile to where the rest of the pairs are. Well, she seemed to start regressing to the point she ended up getting down over the side of the hill in the trees and could no longer rise. I've been packing feed and water to her for over a week. Pulled the calf off yesterday to look after it. Today she started getting up and standing again but her hind end is still wonky, I think she has little to no control over one leg. I had been giving her Metacam, today I was going to try Dex but thought we'd have a wreck if I tried to give it to her while she was up.
Anyone ever had a downer cow get up and relapse later?

The cow, standing today:
View attachment 15948

The calf, happy to be getting fed:
View attachment 15949
The walk after she got up might have aggravated the injured nerve. One day on her feet might have not been enough time to expect her to walk any distance. And it looks like a big calf, which increases the odds of a pinched nerve. I suppose you know this, and maybe you tried it and didn't say... but turning the calf when the hips get locked often gets the calf free.
 
The walk after she got up might have aggravated the injured nerve. One day on her feet might have not been enough time to expect her to walk any distance. And it looks like a big calf, which increases the odds of a pinched nerve. I suppose you know this, and maybe you tried it and didn't say... but turning the calf when the hips get locked often gets the calf free.
Well, once I got her to the barn she did spend several days with her calf in a small pen and seem to be mended before I sent her on the longer walk to the feed ground. That's what was so peculiar to me about this deal.
With regards to pulling, I always start turning the calf as soon as the head is clear. Although in this instance I guess this didn't happen as I pulled it by hand and didn't have time to adjust things between the time I tied the calf off to my bike and the cow attempting to stand up. But I think the cow had a pinched nerve before I got to her, and that is why I was able to get close enough to help. When I first approached her she tried to get up but couldn't. In hindsight she floundered much like she still does today.
I guess the next few days might tell the tale. I went to feed and water her this afternoon and she was up, and when she saw me she started to bugger off so I just left her rather than cause a commotion. If she comes back to where she was there is still feed and there is a little snow in the bush if she's thirsty… I'll reassess in the AM.
 
Oh I'm fine. Something like a Weeble Wobble, I might wobble but I don't stay down lol.
I don't know if Banamine Transdermal is available here or not, I will have to consult with my vet, it sounds interesting.
Looks like it is. I also use it on bull calves that have recently been banded if they show signs of discomfort - gets 'em up and moving around.
 
@ TCRanch those 63 pills...hand feeding to a bull....I'd make small cuts in a long ripe banana and shove 21 pills/each inside 3 bananas....Bull would gobble up all his medicine in 10 seconds flat.
That would have worked! He'd eat some of them out of a bowl, mixed with cubes, but I did have to shove the majority in his mouth. Never bit me, but dang, he had stinky breath :sick:.
 
Moos funny too.... 😄

@Silver she got her calf to care for? Ya gonna keep her? Good on ya for taking care of her!
This soap opera started with her calving on April 3. On April 20 Or so I pulled the calf and put it on the bottle as at that time the cow had not stood up in some time and the calf couldn't always nurse while the cow was down depending on her position. And it wasn't looking like the calf had a future with the cow. So I sold the calf and it is being spoiled at a new home.
The cow I won't keep, hopefully she has a good summer on grass and we will part ways this fall.
 

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