Is This Milk Fever?

[MichaelB]

My Tarentaise heifer calved 22 days ago, and despite my concerns with her udder before she calved she provides plenty of milk. We've had a lot of rain here over the last week (sorry Texans!), and when she came in to eat last night she was limping. I thought that maybe she had slipped in the mud and pulled a muscle.

This morning when I went out to feed (one cup of 12% protein sweet stock AM and PM, primarily to keep them tame), she got up and walked over to the feed pan and was the first one to eat. However, what had appeared to be lameness in her front legs now appears to be a stiffness or paralysis in her hindquarters - her back is arched, and her lower legs appear to be "sickle hocked." She has since gone to lie down in the shady area of the pasture to rest (the other adult cow is grazing nearby).

I'm looking at the "Cattle Health Handbook" by Heather Smith Thomas, and she says that milk fever starts with a loss of appetite and a slowdown of the digestive tract. My heifer seemed hungry this morning, and she grazed as she slowly made her way over to the shade. She passed wet manure and had normal urine just after she ate.

Does this sound like milk fever given her appetite and the amount of time since she calved?

I have very few veterinary resources where I am - would I be able to get calcium from Tractor Supply Company (it's open on Sunday), and could I give it IM instead of IV?

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

Michael

 

[KNERSIE]

It's highly unlikely to be milk fever so long after she calved, beef cattle seldom if ever get milk fever, typically its older highly productive dairy cows that get milk fever shortly after calving.

By the sound of it your heifer is in pain, possibly from some form of infection in the urinary or reproductive tract, or from hardware or it could simply be footrot or laminitis caused accidosis or for whatever reason. Take her temperature if her temp is high give antibiotics (even if its just LA200) and an anti-inflamatory like Predef, if you have any handy.

 

[MichaelB]

Thanks, Knersie. She is resting in the shade now, chewing her cud. She is alert and laying naturally with her legs under her. I will take her temp and see if it high and run up to TSC for drugs. I have a couple of tubes of banamine (I had horses for years), so will give her that.

I do have access to a retired cow vet and he can write script for antibiotics on Monday.

I am thankful that it is probably not milk fever, which would need immediate attention.

Michael

 

[hillsdown]

Could be hardware .

 

[MichaelB]

She has been laying around a lot today, but I was able to get a halter on her and walk her down to the barn. We got a temp of 102.9 F about 3PM, just a little elevated. I gave her some Banamine and she laid down some more, but she got up to eat hay and her evening ration about 7PM.

She doesn't seem to be as stiff as she was. I consulted Smith Thomas and my cow isn't stretching her head and neck forward and she doesn't seem to have any respiratory distress, so it may or may not be a case of hardware. I'll call my retired vet tomorrow morning and see what he thinks.

Thanks for the timely comments back. I live in Fauquier County, Virginia, and could have my pick of equine vets for a sick horse but I would have to go to the next county to find a cow doctor.

 

[Gale Seddon]

Hope your cow is doing better today. You could try Rose Hill Veterinary Practice in Washington, VA -- I think maybe 30 miles from you. Excellent vet service!

http://www.rosehillvet.com/

 

[regolith]

If that is a two year old heifer, it's highly unlikely to be milk fever. The risk starts at around five years old.

 

[hillsdown]

If that is a two year old heifer, it's highly unlikely to be milk fever. The risk starts at around five years old.

Rego I had a 2 year old Holstein pregnant with twins that suffered from milk fever. So it can happen, not common but.. Definitely not a beef anomaly though so you and Knersie are dead on about that .

Gale, that is awesome that you gave a LA vet clinic close to them, no excuses now . :clap:

 

[regolith]

I saw a four year old with it once, back in 2000 I think.
Was going to add that sometimes extra stress can trigger it in late lactation, so I guess the same is true when it hits younger cows? The weirdest I saw was in the dry herd in spring 2009. Found a cow down, not close to calving, treated her for milk fever and up she got. Kept an eye on her for a few days. A week later she still hadn't calved. Ten days later she still hadn't. She calved a couple of days after that - I don't think she had any trouble with MF at calving.