Elbow joint problem?

[TexasJerseyMilker]

My old pet cow has been getting slow to get up. Shes' about 15 and recently had her last precious heifer calf that was taken and bottled. At her age this was not easy for her but she recovered. So since then she was living in a lush bottomland pasture as queen of the yearling heifers and was doing well. Apparently she got beaten up when someone was in heat. She spent most of her time hobbling and grazing in a small area then lying back down. It was her right hind leg she stepped short and had a swollen ankle joint. I removed the three heifers and carried hay and water to her every day. She would walk farther and farther every day. In a week she made it up the hill and back to the house and the barn. It looked like her case of footrot had come back as the symptoms were the same so I gave her Nuflor shots and Banamine Pour on because that' what worked before. She got better but when her back end gets up it takes a while to get up on her front legs. Her elbow joint is slightly but noticeably rotated outward. What could be bothering her? Is she trying to take weight off her outer claw? Her feet need trimming. Now I realize she's an old cull cow and eventually she will have to be shot and dragged off. But I'd just like to see if I can do something about this new problem and she can be more comfortable. She has always been a house cow.

Daphne 2012


Daphne 2025

 

[kenny thomas]

I dont mean to sound terrible but why would you shoot her and drag off when you can sell her for upwards of $1,000 now?

 

[farmerjan]

If she means that much to you then shooting her and putting her in a hole is better than shooting her and dragging her off... That is no way to respect her.
I've done that with 3 cows that deserved to die on the place. Not to let the animals tear her apart even if she is dead.
Now, they serve me best by going directly to a buyer that puts them on a truck direct to the plant. Known the guy for years, and he pays a fair price and have watched them load them out direct for a plant.
Also did that with a bull that was just worth too much to bury... but both son and I shed a few tears... arthritis in the hind leg, that had had a bone broken and vet advised he would most likely not heal... kept him with the sheep for 6 months away from cows and he healed and went back to his job....old injury made getting up more and more arduous...knew he could not manage another cold winter... so late that summer, he went directly to buyer, on the truck out, to plant. Bubba was 13 and had settled some cows that summer.... His final honor to us was to help pay for a replacement.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

Thank you all for your practical advice. But I don't think Daphne could lift her feet to load onto a truck and I don't want her to have to endure the pain and stress of going to a plant. Better her lights go out while she is happily eating sweet feed, The rancher across the road is our friend. He knows Daphne is a dear old pet. He said when the time comes he come over would shoot her then drag her across the road to his boneyard. He also dragged away my stallion when he died. He likes to shoot coyotes over them.

That's what my husband did on his Texas ranch for ones that couldn't be sold. I found my 40 year old mare dead and he dragged her body off into the woods with his tractor. He kindly covered her face with his jacket so I wouldn't see her dead face as I walked behind. We were just friends then. I built a little fence around her body so the varmints would not drag off her bones, because I wanted them to be buried with. I keep them in a crate in an outbuilding.

Obviously Daphne cannot live with other cattle anymore. She was doing fine before the heifers beat her up. What I would like to know, maybe from some vets here, what is bothering her when she stands with a laterally turned elbow.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

Here are pictures. She is slow to get her front end up, walks carefully and slowly. She did not do this before the heifers beat her up. Where do you think she hurts?

Right elbow turns outward.


Left elbow normal.



Standing, front view. Thats a fly mask.


Right front leg. Note callous on ankle? She always lies on that side.


Opps


Her front hooves need trimming. We rope them down and someone sits on their neck while the other uses horse hoof nippers.

 

[M.Magis]

I would expect that at 15, the list of possible ailments is quite long and impossible to pinpoint with just a description online. I would imagine something as simple as arthritus could be at least part of the issue. I know I sure don’t get up like I used to.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

I take meloxicam because I'm old and stove up, especially after farm work. Daphne's also been prescribed 30 pills a day, the dose for 1000lb cow, for a few months. But this elbow thing is new after being beat up by heifers

 

[AmandaQ]

I take meloxicam because I'm old and stove up, especially after farm work. Daphne's also been prescribed 30 pills a day, the dose for 1000lb cow, for a few months. But this elbow thing is new after being beat up by heifers

I’m so sorry to hear this about Daphne, I know how much she means to you. Sending good thoughts that she gets to feeling better and the other cows stop bullying her.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

They can't bully her. She lives in the yard now that fence lines with other cows. It's those dadgummed 13 month old heifers, too young to breed. They are by themselves a pasture away because of the constant bellowing night and day when they are in heat. I have the one living in the pasture with my milking cow so she would have some company. That heifer came into heat a couple of days ago. She was sex crazed. Honeydew was constantly plagued by her, had to continuously threaten her off from being mounted. After two days of this my milk cow is tired and exhausted. I had to keep her in the lot overnight so she could get some rest.

Here's a funny thing. I keep a big stack of alfalfa bales covered with a tarp and blocked off by a corral panel in the yard. Daphne found a place where she could get to an open bale, dragged it out and spread it all over. I gathered up the 'green gold' and put it away. So last night I had thrown some down on the ground and she ate it. Suddenly she raised her head and walked with astonishing speed to the stack, burrowed her head under the tarp and started ripping at a fresh bale.

 

[AmandaQ]

They can't bully her. She lives in the yard now that fence lines with other cows. It's those dadgummed 13 month old heifers, too young to breed. They are by themselves a pasture away because of the constant bellowing night and day when they are in heat. I have the one living in the pasture with my milking cow so she would have some company. That heifer came into heat a couple of days ago. She was sex crazed. Honeydew was constantly plagued by her, had to continuously threaten her off from being mounted. After two days of this my milk cow is tired and exhausted. I had to keep her in the lot overnight so she could get some rest.

Here's a funny thing. I keep a big stack of alfalfa bales covered with a tarp and blocked off by a corral panel in the yard. Daphne found a place where she could get to an open bale, dragged it out and spread it all over. I gathered up the 'green gold' and put it away. So last night I had thrown some down on the ground and she ate it. Suddenly she raised her head and walked with astonishing speed to the stack, burrowed her head under the tarp and started ripping at a fresh bale.

I have not forgotten the heat stories you told me. I think my heifer is in heat but I'm just guessing. She doesn't make noise but she did bury her nose in my calf's back half and did that weird crinkling of the nose thing. And she let the calf mount her. Poor girl is never going to get what she wants! I'm glad the alfalfa bale got Daphne feeling better! Treats make me feel better too!

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

That is called the flehmen response that breeding bulls do. Usually a tame cow in heat will approach you closely from behind and make a a little mmm noise. Watch out because they are fixing to try to mount you, 1000lbs of heat crazed tame cow coming down upon your person. That is why you should always carry a stick when going among cows and whap them on the nose as hard as you can if they invade your space they will remember it. They come into heat for couple of days every 3 weeks you can mark it on your calendar. Daphne, age 15, made the flehmen mmm sound on me today.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

I went to a commercial dairy today about selling my heifers. The owner, his son and the AI guy were all of the opinion that Daphne standing with her elbow turned outward is hurting in the shoulder, probably rammed by those heifers. They use something called Udder Mint on cows that increases circulation and warmth in the udder in fresh cows helps with udder edema. They said it also works on peoples joints and they use it on themselves. Said I could get some and rub it on her old joints, might help a lot.

 

[AmandaQ]

That is called the flehmen response that breeding bulls do. Usually a tame cow in heat will approach you closely from behind and make a a little mmm noise. Watch out because they are fixing to try to mount you, 1000lbs of heat crazed tame cow coming down upon your person. That is why you should always carry a stick when going among cows and whap them on the nose as hard as you can if they invade your space they will remember it. They come into heat for couple of days every 3 weeks you can mark it on your calendar. Daphne, age 15, made the flehmen mmm sound on me today.

I’m keeping my eye on her, she’s a sassy one!

 

[AmandaQ]

I went to a commercial dairy today about selling my heifers. The owner, his son and the AI guy were all of the opinion that Daphne standing with her elbow turned outward is hurting in the shoulder, probably rammed by those heifers. They use something called Udder Mint on cows that increases circulation and warmth in the udder in fresh cows helps with udder edema. They said it also works on peoples joints and they use it on themselves. Said I could get some and rub it on her old joints, might help a lot.

Here’s hoping it works!!

 

[Travlr]

I'm keeping my eye on her, she's a sassy one!

You really oughta consider getting your pets spayed.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

I agree with having them spayed. Besides you can't turn your back on the being in heat every 3 weeks is also stressful on the cow, walking the fences and bellowing constantly night and day. My milk cow pastured with a heifer too young to breed was plagued by her constantly 48 hours was so stressed and tired her milk production dropped.