I'm at a loss here..

[texanstraders]

9 year old Shorthorn. She calved 2.5 weeks ago. No issues. Calf got pneumonia , but we've dealt with that and she's fine. Problem is the cow started going down hill about a week after calving. She went off feed and wasn't drinking much. Last monday, I decided to worm her, to see if that would help. Well on Wednesday I noticed her eyes were "rolling back" and her third eye brow coming up. Took her to vet he kept her overnight. He figures she had a reaction to the Ivermectrin. (my dose was correct and the bottle was not out of date and kept at appropriate temp). He also found a uterine infection. Gave her LA200.a steroid, penicilin and inserted some antibiotics into the uterus. Sent me home with penicilin. He also gave her a tetanus shot just in case.
Well, she's no better and I think we're gonna lose her. Any thoughts on this one? She"s not eating or drinking at all. I have seen her urinate today and her poop has been a little hard. She moves around a bit. I have tried everything, sweet feed and oats. Its like she wants it but, she just cant eat it.

 

[dun]

Sort of sounds like something may be messed up in the digestive tract

 

[texanstraders]

Well, she was in the barn and being fed clean horse hay and good cubes, just before she fell ill. So I wouldn't think she has ingested something "foreign". The barn is clean. And she's 10 years old, not 9, not that 12 months makes a difference.

It seems it all went really bad after the ivomec. Like I said, dose was correct, and bottle was within date. Reading up on that it would take a WHOLE BUNCH to have ivomec poisoning for a 1500lb cow.

 

[kickinbull]

I am not sure about your cow, but I do know that we had a calf we were feeding milk with antibiotics(no longer do that), it's eyes bugged out, had the vet take a look, it was allergic.

 

[texanstraders]

Thanks. We switched the calf to a bottle today. Wasn't sure she was getting enough from momma.
Guess I'll just have to let it run its course for now.

 

[angus9259]

Hardware's always a possibility - no matter how clean the surroundings. If it'll kill them, they'll find it and eat it.

Ivermectin can cause parasitic reactions in the host animal. For example, I knows there's a certain larvae that lives in the cow's nervous system before it moves into the general blood stream. If you kill it when it's in the spinal column, you'll kill the cow. That expends my knowledge on parasitic reactions - but they do occur. I would imagine that parasitic load may also play a part??

All that said, I would never pretend to have more knowledge than a trained vet who's actually seen the animal. If they're at a loss, I'm pretty sure I am too.

 

[texanstraders]

Guys, I think I may be looking at a case of tetanus. She's looking like her jaw is locking up and the wife says she looks stiff when she walks. Guess it may have been introduced when she calved. I guess its a wait and see if the penicilin was too little too late?

 

[tsmaxx47]

don't have any help for you, but i would be interested in how she turns out; good luck!!

 

[Lucky_P]

Tetanus was my first thought, when you mentioned the third eyelid flipping up.
Most of the tetanus calves I've seen have a 'startled' appearance - ears are really 'up', and eyes wide open, like you spooked 'em.

Get back with your vet - if she does have tetanus, and if you're gonna try to pull her through, she's probably gonna need more than that single dose of tetanus antitoxin, and may need additional penicillin or Naxcel treatments.

 

[texanstraders]

Shes getting 35 cc of penicilin each day. I will give him a call tomorrow ,if she's still with us. If she goes down, I'm just gonna end it. (figures it rained 2 inches today. If I have to down her, removing her is gonna be a booger)

 

[1982vett]

Shes getting 35 cc of penicilin each day. I will give him a call tomorrow ,if she's still with us. If she goes down, I'm just gonna end it. (figures it rained 2 inches today. If I have to down her, removing her is gonna be a booger)

I'd have left that bitchen out if I were you. It's getting to where I'd think about shooting a good one if it would make it rain 2 inches.

 

[Roadapple]

According to my book on animal health, the organism that causes tetanus usually enters through a wound. If she has a wound it should be flushed out so the organism is not harbored in a closed-type wound. Should be given antibiotics and/or a tetanus vaccine given to produce immunity, which I think you said you've done. Treatment is usually divided in 3 steps. First is antibiotics. Second, the muscle contractions are relaxed by the use of muscle relaxants such as tranquilizers or chloral hydrates. Third, very high doses of tetanus antitoxin (up to 300,000 units every 12 hours) are recommended. Some local injection of the same antitoxin around the wound is also advisable. Cattle should be kept in a dark, quiet area during treatment, and excess exertion or noise should be avoided. Whatever treatment you use, lets hope for the best.

 

[alisonb]

She"s not eating or drinking at all. I have seen her urinate today and her poop has been a little hard.

I suggest you tube her with a rumen stimulant and inject her with an appitite stimulant urgently.
The longer the cow remains off food the greater the reduction in rumen activity and thus rumen micro-organisms. You need to re-establish the micro-organisims population quickly and get her eating.
Best of luck

 

[texanstraders]

Thanks for the replies. Had the vet back on sunday AM. It was Tetanus ..Guess the placenta came in contact with the dirt when she calved 2.5 weeks ago. Vet figures the placenta pulled some dirt into the uterus before she completely passed the placenta, thus causing the introduction of the tetanus.
She was too badly infected to do anything for her.