injured cow

[pattio100]

She is a roane-angus mix, and a very heavy milker, her apperance is good and her attitude is the same as it always is, very gentle.

 

[ranchmgr]

I have seen milk fever mid lactation! Heavy milker+just fresh= excellent candidate for milk fever! Check your pm's I sent you some syptoms of milk fever an hour ago, then check her if any of these are there call the vet asap.

 

[Beefy]

i was leaning toward ketosis.

 

[msscamp]

Thanks ranchmgr.

 

[pattio100]

If she does have milk fever what can I do to save her?

 

[Victoria]

Could be calcium deficiency :?: . We had it happen to a 10 year old cow a few years back. She'd calved awhile before I think a month but don't quote me on that. We just found her unable to stand but she looked healthy enough.
We called the vet (which you should do ASAP) and he came and gave her a bottle of calcium (sorry don't know exact amount) through IV, then I'm pretty sure another bottle under the skin. The next day we hip lifted her. The day after she came to the feed with her right leg a little week and then the next day she was fine. She is still with us and has never had the problem again.
I don't know how that fits in with the horns caught though. Could just have happened at the same time and not be connected or I could be way off base here which is why you need a vet.
I will say a prayer for your cow and please let us know what happens.

 

[Beefy]

what kind of mineral program are the animals on?

 

[msscamp]

i was leaning toward ketosis.

Isn't a symptom of ketosis sweet smelling breath or milk?

 

[Beefy]

i believe so. at least about the sweet smelling part.

 

[ranchmgr]

Beefy:
Usually won't be down with ketosis, and if eating not real likely. Ketosis is when they mobilize fat to meet energy needs, when they are "off feed" they will have a strong oder. Worked for a vet for four years while in college and a real ketotic cow you can smell along ways off, could tell as soon as we walked in a barn if 1 was ketotic.

 

[Beefy]

so far i've come up with ketosis, (milk fever) calcium deficiency, and trauma to the neck. i have found cows down with legs tangled in wire (trying to jump) but never with horns (ours are dehorned). i'm guessing since its a roan angus cross the horns arent huge like a longhorn although that would explain some roan coloration. even the ones ive found down in wire have all gotten up after a couple of tries.

 

[pattio100]

FINALLY got ahold of the vet, hes coming first thing in the morning, thank you all for all your help and advice and concern, i feel a little more confident about her situation now. im going to the barn to spend a very cold long night. Thanks again and I'll let you know how it goes. Good night.

 

[ranchmgr]

If it is milk fever she may not make it that long! If she does she will be in BAD shape!!

 

[milkmaid]

I'm going with either milk fever (calcium deficency) or ketosis. Probably the first as it's very common in middle-aged, heavy milking cows. Can hit up to a month after calving, I'm told, although I've only seen it in the 48 hours prior to calving and week after calving. What drugs do you have or what drugs can you get?

Milk fever is treated with calcium. CMPK gel (oral), or CMPK injection IV (can you run an IV?) with one bottle, I believe that would be 500mLs. Or, CMPK injection IP (intraparateniel -sp). Off hand, I believe C-M-P-K stands for calcium, magnese, potassium, and phosphorus... but at this point any calcium drug you can get into her may keep her alive until morning when you or the vet can do more.

Ketosis is treated with 50% dextrose. I was told the other day by my vet that dextrose is pretty safe on a mature cow; if you have it I'd give the whole bottle. If she has ketosis it will solve that; if she has milk fever it won't hurt. LOL. Needs to go IV.

Do you have either of those or do you have a neighbor (dairy would have both drugs...) that would be willing to help you? I'm logging off for the night, but you can run a search on the net for milk fever or ketosis which will give you more info. I wish you and the cow luck. Hope she makes it for you.

 

[ranchmgr]

I'm going with either milk fever (calcium deficency) or ketosis. Probably the first as it's very common in middle-aged, heavy milking cows. Can hit up to a month after calving, I'm told, although I've only seen it in the 48 hours prior to calving and week after calving. What drugs do you have or what drugs can you get?

Milk fever is treated with calcium. CMPK gel (oral), or CMPK injection IV (can you run an IV?) with one bottle, I believe that would be 500mLs. Or, CMPK injection IP (intraparateniel -sp). Off hand, I believe C-M-P-K stands for calcium, magnese, potassium, and phosphorus... but at this point any calcium drug you can get into her may keep her alive until morning when you or the vet can do more.

Ketosis is treated with 50% dextrose. I was told the other day by my vet that dextrose is pretty safe on a mature cow; if you have it I'd give the whole bottle. If she has ketosis it will solve that; if she has milk fever it won't hurt. LOL. Needs to go IV.

Do you have either of those or do you have a neighbor (dairy would have both drugs...) that would be willing to help you? I'm logging off for the night, but you can run a search on the net for milk fever or ketosis which will give you more info. I wish you and the cow luck. Hope she makes it for you.

Would she be down with ketosis having ate tonight? I have never seen that.

 

[Beefy]

Again i ask what the mineral program is like. i know some people around here have cows on winter annuals right now. so if thats the case it could be magnesium deficiency. of course there is always the possibility she stuck her head through to eat on the other side and got tangled and hurt herself struggling or if y'all were overly forceful you might have injured her but i doubt it. why did you pull her through the fence though? she wasnt by chance grazing on winter annuals in the next pasture?

 

[Ryder]

Got to guess nerve damage, being that horns were caught in fence.

 

[ranchmgr]

Thankfully if you treat for milk fever it also covers "grass tetany"- mag. deficiency, hard to tell them apart, given the calving time and being heavy milker, injury or milk fever is my bet. Milk fever first, injury second.

 

[Beefy]

i'll go wtih neck trauma for obvious reasons, and then grass tetany. i want to know how or why she got tangled...

 

[Victoria]

That is puzzling Beefy, how would a cow that old get tangled? :???: I'm interested to see the outcome of this one...