Heifer + 112 lb calf = crappy night

[2/B or not 2/B]

Thanks to those who've offered encouragement and advice.

Katherine, good job with yours. Doesn't sound like it was too bad. Our heifer is still down but doing okay I think. She's very alert, eats, drinks and moves around without getting up. She tried to stand at least once today, which I'm told is positive compared to not trying at all. I was able to speak with the vet today and got a bottle of dexamethasone. I really hope it helps.

A question on the afterbirth boluses. They are a urea based antiseptic and dosage is 2-4 per day. I've given her 2 per day for 2 days now. I was thinking about continuing for one more day but wasn't sure. She certainly looks swollen and red there, but no foul discharge and the skin isn't hot to the touch or anything. Hard to tell though without being able to see what's going on inside. I should've asked the vet today when I had her on the phone, but I didn't think of it and she's very hard to reach.

 

[jilleroo]

I wouldnt be bothering about any more of the boluses. Things will settle down fairly quickly. We had a heifer down for all of the month of December - she had got the calf half out herself and then it stuck on the hips. Even though we found her quickly, she was paralyzed. Just when we were totally sick of tending to her, she stood up. Make sure she swaps the sides she sits on and has plenty to eat and drink as well as the anti-inflammatories. Lift her if you can manage it, it will speed the rehabilitation process but she still just needs time for bruising and nerves to heal. It will take her weeks to normalise again, but eventually she will be fine and breed you plenty of good calves, if you decide to keep her.

 

[dun]

The dex will help just not as much as if she had gotten it ASAP after the problem started.
I don;t know if Banamine might help more or be safer or less safe then using Dex very much. Banamine (flunixin meglumine) I think is basicly the same stuff that was mentioned as Key.

 

[Nesikep]

wow, that story really brings me back to when we first bought some bred heifers to start off our herd... some tiny hereford heifers (they should have been bigger) and we were told they had pelvic measurements, etc, but they guy we bought them from knew nothing about farming, or breeding, and we lost 2 or 3 calves out of 12, and 2 cows.. a little hereford heifer shouldn't have a 125 lb calf... another cow prolapsed, etc etc etc..

As for the boluses, I found that as long as they get rid of the placenta before it turns sour, they usually don't need any... As for getting her up, well, we had a cow break her pelvis on ice one year, and we kept her fed and watered for about 3 weeks without her getting up, but she got bed sores.. she threw her calf as a birthday present for my dad, and they we had to put her down... I think that was one of the last real bottle calves we've had

 

[2/B or not 2/B]

Well, I have an update finally...

It's been almost 2 weeks and one hard thing about it has been knowing how long to stick with her and when to give up. She was always very alert, eating hay and drinking but not too motivated to try standing. She'd move around a bit by lunging or crawling, but never more than a few feet. Vet said that if she didn't get up within a few days and got complacent it was a sign she probably wouldn't get up at all.

After about a week, we did hobble her and try to get her to stand, but she wouldn't budge. So, we let our little cow dog try, but that didn't make much of an impression on her. Finally, we used a hotshot which got her to try, but we could see that the leg just wouldn't work right and her hoof would knuckle under. There was no way for her stand and we didn't want to stress her anymore so we stopped. I decided it might be more humane to put her down, but the work week started and a storm came in so we had to put it off.

Tonight I lined it up for tomorrow morning with a hauler scheduled to pick her up at 9:00am after being put down. Pulled in the driveway and looked out at her laying in the field. Then, before my eyes she rocked forward and stood up. I guess she knew what we had planned?

I'm pretty amazed right now, but we're not out of the woods. She stood and stared at me for quite a while, then started grazing. Doesn't want anything to do with me now and took off walking, if you can call it that. She could fall in the ditch or trip in a hole, she's very unsteady and her hoof doesn't knuckle under anymore but she's not bending her leg, just swings it out wide with each step.

Well, that's my update for now

 

[randiliana]

Awesome! Once she gets her bearings she will probably be just fine. If nothing else you might be able to fatten her up to butcher, if her leg doesn't straighten out.

 

[2/B or not 2/B]

Thanks, Randi I hope so! Been out checking cows, another heifer just delivered. Out there licking her baby and mothering it up now. Did it nice and easy.

 

[Suzie Q]

Awesome from me too. Heaps of healing hhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmsssssssssssssss from me.

yay on the new calf as well.

 

[Roadapple]

Three yrs. ago I had a cow that would swing her leg out to the side,about a week before she calved. Had the vet out and he thought the calf was pinching a nerve. She calved 2 days later and did'nt get up for 3 or 4 days. Had a hard time walking but each day got a little better. Now she shows no after effects. Normal as ever. Now on same subject, I have a 7 yr. old steer who will throw his leg out to the side the same way, occasionally. Now before you ask"Why keep a 7 yr. old steer", he's my lead steer. When I go into the hills to check cows and calves, all I have to do is yell for him and he'll come out leading the whole herd. Saves me a helluva lotta time and walking.

 

[3waycross]

Three yrs. ago I had a cow that would swing her leg out to the side,about a week before she calved
I just had exactly the same thing happen with a 6 yr old GV cow. She would stand in one spot answing it around in circles. Hillsdown diagnosed it over the internet :tiphat: She quit limping the second the calf hit the ground and never took another bad step.

 

[Nesikep]

Roadapple, sounds like you need to work on heifers a bit so they do the same... It's true that there's nothing like a lead animal though, makes all the difference when you have to handle the herd

 

[jilleroo]

Congratulations 2/B. It is true that just when you're totally sick of tending them, they stand up! Her leg will come right but it'll take a while. Even then, it will be noticeable if she tries to run. No doubt you will keep checking her to see she doesnt come to grief until she gets her leg sorted. Great work.

 

[Double R Ranch]

So happy it turned out well. I understand! Just when you give up then bam they throw a curve ball at you! Glad it worked out! Keep your head up. Sounds like you have more calves to come.
Good luck!
Double R

 

[2/B or not 2/B]

Thanks! It was disappointing to think we'd have to put down an animal through no fault of its own, not to mention losing a calf, a heifer, and the time and money put into her. Even if she doesn't breed back, we can at least sell her which is some consolation.

 

[Nesikep]

Well, On tuesday I was sharing your problems, I had a 125 lb bull calf on a heifer, and like yours, the head/shoulders weren't too bad to get (just me pulling), but he got hiplocked as well.. luckily for him, he was able to breathe when he was halfway out, and he was bawling the whole time (the calfing chains aren't exactly comfy), and then my dad and I we pulling on him, twisting him, and after about 20 minutes we finally got him out, and then he stopped breathing.. I felt he still had a pulse, so I started CPR.. which nearly made me pass out from hyperventilation after working so hard to get him out... anyhow, she started back up.. couldn't stand on his own for the first day, and was wobbly for the next 2, but he's well on his way now and a very hungry big guy!.. the cow, well, she's got some sort of fierce tears, and took 4 days to lose the placenta, she couldn't get up for a day and a half, and is still pretty wobbly, but I have her on dex and tetracycline.. she's a bit of a pincushion.. she's had 10 shots in 4 days... but as long as the hind end can heal, I think she'll be OK, though I probably won't keep her for another season.. .she's a bit feverish now, but alert and eats well (I just started the antibiotics this morning)

Hope your cow is doing alright!

 

[2/B or not 2/B]

Well Nesikep, good work there. I hope they'll both be fine. Ours didn't appreciate all the shots, suppositories and unwelcome human contact but she's back with her peers now and doing really well. She takes it easy and we're pretty much leaving her alone now, but in July we'll turn her with the bull and see if she breeds. I'm pretty sure she came into heat not too long ago, but I'm sure she's still healing and I don't want her to get injured. If she can't breed back with two months extra rest, she'll be going to town.

 

[rockridgecattle]

Two ideas here which might help for the next time

1. Father in law made his puller out of 1" steal tubing and about 1.5" flat tubing. The flat tubing is bent so it can sit under the cow's opening with a strap which goes over the hips. (Tail goes between the strap and tubing).
The 1" steal is attached at the center of the bent tubing perpendicular, and about 5 feet long. The come along is attached with bolts to the end of the tubing. I will try and take a pic tomorrow. The tubing is not welded onto the the bent flat. It is threaded on so it can be turned.

2. Have on hand a bottle of oxytocin. 3 or 5 ml (cc) in the neck (will check my book in the morning). Then get your gear together. Give it a few minutes to work. If you have a good relationship (recommended) with your vet, get him/her to teach you how to give in the tail bone (recommended). It opens her up so you can get both arms in there...seriously!...and fast! I would explain it, but i am new at it and don't want to give wrong advice.
This drug is something i would not be without. helps to open up her cervix more.

3. Get some lube from your vet. Might never need it, but then again a small 500 ml bottle will go along way and never go bad. Lube is way better than mineral oil and cheap insurance. More slippery vicocity (sp)

Since it was just last night, give her a shot of Oxytocin. Our vet again recommends it for any birth which is a hard pull, twins, or in some way a difficult pull. It helps to shrink the uterus. Must be given within 48 hours though.

Sorry about the calf, get some rest and i hope the rest gets better

 

[rockridgecattle]

oh yeah, two other things in the arsenol is cool
Epinephrine and dophram.
The epi goes IM in the nec, 2cc, then the dophram, 2cc goes under the tongue. Dophram helps to assist in AR if needed. Stimulates the breathing.

Our vet use to sell it by the bottle injected under the tongue, costly, then she sold it by a small vial and then you just squirted under the tongue for absorbtion, now she sells single doses to squirt under the tongue. Dophram has a short shelf life...Little miracle drug that is....

 

[Kingfisher]

Well, On tuesday I was sharing your problems, I had a 125 lb bull calf on a heifer, and like yours, the head/shoulders weren't too bad to get (just me pulling), but he got hiplocked as well.. luckily for him, he was able to breathe when he was halfway out, and he was bawling the whole time (the calfing chains aren't exactly comfy), and then my dad and I we pulling on him, twisting him, and after about 20 minutes we finally got him out, and then he stopped breathing.. I felt he still had a pulse, so I started CPR.. which nearly made me pass out from hyperventilation after working so hard to get him out... anyhow, she started back up.. couldn't stand on his own for the first day, and was wobbly for the next 2, but he's well on his way now and a very hungry big guy!.. the cow, well, she's got some sort of fierce tears, and took 4 days to lose the placenta, she couldn't get up for a day and a half, and is still pretty wobbly, but I have her on dex and tetracycline.. she's a bit of a pincushion.. she's had 10 shots in 4 days... but as long as the hind end can heal, I think she'll be OK, though I probably won't keep her for another season.. .she's a bit feverish now, but alert and eats well (I just started the antibiotics this morning)
Dang............sounds like MASH

 

[Double R Ranch]

We just had a 110 pound bull calf. Couldn't believe she did it on her own! Of course it was in the middle of heavy rains n flooding, thunder storm and high winds.
Hope all your heifers and calves recoop and heal.
We had one year some time back where all our heifers had 115-150 pound calves from a "low birthweight bull". We sold him and started AI'ing. We did learn a lot so try and take something from these experiances.
Best of luck.
Double R