Jersey with labor not progressing(photos)

[lakeportfarms]

Thanks for all the input...here's the summary.

Calf was VERY BIG, well upwards of 100 lbs.
One front forelimb was ok, the other was bent at the knee. By the time we saw she wasn't progressing, we called the only vet we knew that did large animals that was near us. We had brought her back from the farm because we wanted to keep an eye on her. I wasn't going to be at the farm for a few days. Our farm is 1.5 hours away, and the vet for there doesn't travel that far. When we learned the vet near our house couldn't get there for 12 hours we went in ourselves to try to get it in position. My wife had to go in first because the cervix was so tightly clamped around the other forelimb, I couldn't even get my hand inside. My wife couldn't even reach the hoof. Finally I was able to get my hand in (one only) and just barely cup the hoof (I am 6' plus with long arms and I was extended as far as I could without sticking my head in there) and I had to yank it into position.

We then tried pulling but the calf seemed to be stuck at the shoulders or head. We got the head straight, but only advanced the calf about 3". We were pulling for a couple of hours. We knew the calf was dead, and I got the tractor and a comealong. All that succeeded in doing was pulling the cow to the ground and causing her to pass out briefly.
We discussed dismembering the calf, but there was no room inside. The vet had been broken into 3 days earlier and all of his equipment was stolen, so he couldn't do the c-section on her. He gave her the shot to try to loosen the cervix and renew the contractions, but we still couldn't get the calf out, so we at that point basically prayed and decided to let nature take it's course. I guess we could have pulled out the utility knife, and in hindsight that would have been her best chance by then.

I did manage to get a good vet out the following day, but the calf had already started rotting and the vet gave her chances of recovering less than 10% due to the length of time that had passed. She was clearly already showing signs of toxicity, and if she survived the surgery he didn't give her much chance of overcoming the infection. If we tried to pull the calf it would have ripped the cow up. We didn't want her to die with that type of trauma.

When you don't have problems previously you are not always prepared. Situations like this teach you a lot. We knew about MSU but didn't think we could get her there in good enough shape to matter. We learned which vet would move heaven and earth to get out when he was required. We hadn't had a situation where that speed had been needed in the past. His name takes the place of the other one on the fridge now. Our home is on the edge of a very affluent area, I could get our cat spayed for $200.00 all day long, but there are very few large animal vets around. We are fortunate to have found one, unfortunately it was too late for her. Thanks for all your advice, that's why I read so many of the posts to begin with, even if it doesn't affect me now. I know anything is a possibility. We'll miss her, she was the family cow, even a pet if you will, where the others we have are more for a purpose. My favorite thing about her was when petting or rubbing her on the neck she would start flapping her ears back and forth. It was her way of showing her affection.

 

[mnmtranching]

You two had quite an ordeal. Sounds like you gave it your best shot.
It's a done deal but, Seems to me the only chance the cow had was a C section. seems like the Vet should have gotten it done?

 

[randiliana]

It is a sad deal you guys had. The vet you called really should have been much more reliable for you, if he didn't have the stuff to do the job (because it was stolen), then he should have done the right thing by you and your cow and recommended you to another vet. He should not have done what he did, giving a shot of oxytocin and telling you he'd try again in the morning, he should have known that this cow had been in labour for over 12 hours, and leaving her ANY longer was not an option. You did right calling in a vet when you knew things were over your head, his advice to you was about as wrong as it could get.

 

[I luv herfrds]

lakeport sorry to hear that you lost a good cow.

One good thing though is you found the vet you could count on when you need them.

 

[milkmaid]

Sorry to hear about the cow. I definitely agree with the others - don't ever use that vet again - glad you found a new vet. No excuse for the old vet; with that many vet clinics in your area surely he could have referred you to someone else or else bought/borrowed the equipment he needed for a c-section.

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

Truly a sad, sad story and outcome...

IMO a case of "Vet Malpractice" if I ever heard one! Appears that Vet was either incompetent, didn't want to mess with large animals, could care less about the health and comfort of a large animal, was too busy serving his "city" smal animal practice, etc.

On the other hand, if the calf was dead and that large, and one could not readily expand the cervix I don't see any way in "Hades" that someone could stick an arm with a saw or other tool into the uterous and cut up the calf and remove its parts...duh! IMO the only way the situation could have safely and humanely been solved would have been to anaesticize the cow, perform a C-Section, remove the fetus, and provide post-surgical painkillers for couple of days or so.

Stupid, jerk of a Vet...

Another reason to establish a relationship with a competent large animal Vet, especially if one lives on the outskirts of a "yuppie city or community".

 

[CattleHand]

The rest of the board can rip my ass on this one but a while back didnt Jo kind of have a case like this. Calf wasnt comin out and he took is knife and cut her upwards a bit? or downwards? I dont remember which. Could that work in this situation?

 

[milkmaid]

The rest of the board can rip my ass on this one but a while back didnt Jo kind of have a case like this. Calf wasnt comin out and he took is knife and cut her upwards a bit? or downwards? I dont remember which. Could that work in this situation?

Need to have a large enough pelvic opening for the calf to come through first.

 

[randiliana]

The rest of the board can rip my ass on this one but a while back didnt Jo kind of have a case like this. Calf wasnt comin out and he took is knife and cut her upwards a bit? or downwards? I dont remember which. Could that work in this situation?

Need to have a large enough pelvic opening for the calf to come through first.

And the cervix needs to be dialated enough too.

 

[talldog]

Had a horse colicing bad Fri. afternoon, called the vet, she was off so I called a friends vet( black) and he was there in a hour( that's how far he was away ) Drove 60 miles did the gig bill was 390.00. First and the nicest black vet I ever met !! Gave me his cell and will be my new vet ! Know your vet or suffer the wreath(Wrath). :stop:

 

[Keren]

I know one of my friends had a cow and the vet refused to do a caesar and said just to shoot her; instead, my friend loaded the cow up with antibiotics, waited until the calf rotted down, and scooped it out piece by piece and saved the cow. But, I'm assuming the calf was past the cervix, dont know how it would work if the calf was behind the cervix and the cervix closed.

 

[hillsdown]

You just give it a shot of Dex. We have done it with mummified calves a few times, give them dex and in a couple of days go in and scoop the dead calf out ,,usually piece by piece... (as per vets recommendation).

 

[lakeportfarms]

I doubt the calf would fit through the pelvis, even if we had managed to work her through the cervix. It was a big calf, and the Jersey seems to have pretty narrow hips compared to our beef cattle. We liked her a lot, but this is our first (and last) effort with a dairy cow. We bought her last August, just after she had been bred. It would be interesting to know what kind of birth weights the bull she was bred to throw. I bet they were big too. We're sad about losing her, but I wouldn't want to go through this every year either.

 

[dun]

I doubt the calf would fit through the pelvis, even if we had managed to work her through the cervix. It was a big calf, and the Jersey seems to have pretty narrow hips compared to our beef cattle. We liked her a lot, but this is our first (and last) effort with a dairy cow. We bought her last August, just after she had been bred. It would be interesting to know what kind of birth weights the bull she was bred to throw. I bet they were big too. We're sad about losing her, but I wouldn't want to go through this every year either.

Of the dairy breeds, Jerseys are noted for their calving ease. From what I've been told by the vet, their pelvic opening is shaped differently then other breeds. Since I've never looked at it I can;t say for sure.

 

[KNERSIE]

I doubt the calf would fit through the pelvis, even if we had managed to work her through the cervix. It was a big calf, and the Jersey seems to have pretty narrow hips compared to our beef cattle. We liked her a lot, but this is our first (and last) effort with a dairy cow. We bought her last August, just after she had been bred. It would be interesting to know what kind of birth weights the bull she was bred to throw. I bet they were big too. We're sad about losing her, but I wouldn't want to go through this every year either.

Of the dairy breeds, Jerseys are noted for their calving ease. From what I've been told by the vet, their pelvic opening is shaped differently then other breeds. Since I've never looked at it I can;t say for sure.

Typically jerseys calf very easily and can have surprisingly big calves without any problems. Lots of jerseys here are AI-ed to Fleckview and have the calves without problems when holsteins typically struggle to calf from the same bulls.

In SA there are probably more jerseyX hereford calves born than any other beefX dairy calves. A few years ago belgian blue bulls was the fad to use in dairies on cows who's offspring weren't retained for milking and the jerseys calved without problems. (It was quite interesting looking calves BTW, almost looked like limousin phenotypically)