Long bred cow down

[hillsdown]

Well, no vets called back. Called 3. But it is Sunday night. Gave her 10cc dex. Wife and son will babysit her during the day tomorrow and tomorrow afternoon she will get more if she isn't up. The calf is really active, and from my limited experience the calf should be close to term judging by head size. I guess we'll see

NO dexamethasone Hook !!!!!! You just aborted the fetus . 12 cc's at 6-9 months causes abortion , so 10 cc's will do the same .

 

[Alan]

Well, no vets called back. Called 3. But it is Sunday night. Gave her 10cc dex. Wife and son will babysit her during the day tomorrow and tomorrow afternoon she will get more if she isn't up. The calf is really active, and from my limited experience the calf should be close to term judging by head size. I guess we'll see

In all seriousness, it sounds like you are doing all you can for the cow. I hope she does okay and the calf is okay. I also agree with some dextrose, IV if possible, sub- Q if not. It May give her enough energy to pop up.

Good luck,
Alan,

:tiphat:

 

[Alan]

Well, no vets called back. Called 3. But it is Sunday night. Gave her 10cc dex. Wife and son will babysit her during the day tomorrow and tomorrow afternoon she will get more if she isn't up. The calf is really active, and from my limited experience the calf should be close to term judging by head size. I guess we'll see

NO dexamethasone Hook !!!!!! You just aborted the fetus . 12 cc's at 6-9 months causes abortion , so 10 cc's will do the same .

Okay here I am trying to help Dexamethasone is different than dextrose. Dexamethasone is a steroid and dextrose is a sugar based liquid in an IV bag. Also don't rule out milk fever if she is late term she may be having trouble with her calcium levels.

 

[Anonymous]

Well, no vets called back. Called 3. But it is Sunday night. Gave her 10cc dex. Wife and son will babysit her during the day tomorrow and tomorrow afternoon she will get more if she isn't up. The calf is really active, and from my limited experience the calf should be close to term judging by head size. I guess we'll see

NO dexamethasone Hook !!!!!! You just aborted the fetus . 12 cc's at 6-9 months causes abortion , so 10 cc's will do the same .

I know hd...it's a gamble I gotta take at this stage. The vet I talked to yesterday said that if he came out today he would just give her the dex too. It's going to be close on wether the calf is term or not.

 

[hillsdown]

Well, no vets called back. Called 3. But it is Sunday night. Gave her 10cc dex. Wife and son will babysit her during the day tomorrow and tomorrow afternoon she will get more if she isn't up. The calf is really active, and from my limited experience the calf should be close to term judging by head size. I guess we'll see

NO dexamethasone Hook !!!!!! You just aborted the fetus . 12 cc's at 6-9 months causes abortion , so 10 cc's will do the same .

I know hd...it's a gamble I gotta take at this stage. The vet I talked to yesterday said that if he came out today he would just give her the dex too. It's going to be close on wether the calf is term or not.

I would have waited until after I tried the dextrose IV and banamine, to see if she improved at all . But It is what it is .

To know if she is getting close if you couldn't really tell when you went in rectally you could check one teat to see if there is colostrum yet. I know it is risky to break the seal but at this point you really have nothing to lose .

Good luck with her ,let us know how she if she recovers and/or calves . :wave:

 

[rockridgecattle]

Hey hook,
We have had some cows go down like yours in the past. Some just too close to calving and their old bones just could not support the weight.
That said, the reason for all of them going down was the same.
Calcium / mag deficiency.
What we came to realize is, those poor hay quality years, the mineral we normally use just isn't enough. For some of the cows, especially the older ones, the calcium and mag in the mineral just was not enough and they could not support their body weight. This problem always seemed to hit the older cows. The summer was hard on them due to drought, the hay quality was poor due to drought, mineral was not enough to fill the gap. It was like they were using more cal and mag than ingesting.
Don't know if this is your problem or not. Just thought I would toss it out there.

Good luck!

 

[hillsdown]

Hey hook,
We have had some cows go down like yours in the past. Some just too close to calving and their old bones just could not support the weight.
That said, the reason for all of them going down was the same.
Calcium / mag deficiency.
What we came to realize is, those poor hay quality years, the mineral we normally use just isn't enough. For some of the cows, especially the older ones, the calcium and mag in the mineral just was not enough and they could not support their body weight. This problem always seemed to hit the older cows. The summer was hard on them due to drought, the hay quality was poor due to drought, mineral was not enough to fill the gap. It was like they were using more cal and mag than ingesting.
Don't know if this is your problem or not. Just thought I would toss it out there.

Good luck!

A good mineral program makes a world of difference doesn't it RR . My FIL has never ever put out minerals for his Lakenvelders :???: Do not know why he doesn't have more train wrecks but he does have to have the vet out often to pull calves and thenm again later to infuse them because they do not clean afterwards .

 

[Anonymous]

Hd, ideally I agree. Not having either on hand limited me. That won't happen again.
Rock ridge, they've got free choice mineral, but just the standard variety. And they've been on stockpiled Bermuda all winter. Didn't even have to hay them. She's probably 7-8 years old, and in good condition.
Thanks for the ideas and help everyone

 

[Chris H]

I am sorry for misunderstanding the posts. I'll edit my prior post but it'll still be captured in the quotes. Again, my apologies.

 

[Anonymous]

No worries Chris.

 

[sim.-ang.king]

Hook, my dad reminded me that with the banamine we also put a bag of ice up in the vaginal cavity to relieve inflammation on the nerves, and help her cool down. But that was back during the 100 degree weather so you probably don't need to do this time of year. Just double bag it so it doesn't let any water leak out inside.

 

[Isomade]

Sorry Im late to the thread Hook. Here is what you do. Get Deadeye to drive the 4-wheeler with you on the back. Have him speed past her while you rope her. Jump off the atv and wrap the rope around a tree. Then yell and hot-shot her till she gets up. Sorry I didn't get here sooner, but you know you can always count on me to help. :mrgreen:

 

[denvermartinfarms]

Sorry Im late to the thread Hook. Here is what you do. Get Deadeye to drive the 4-wheeler with you on the back. Have him speed past her while you rope her. Jump off the atv and wrap the rope around a tree. Then yell and hot-shot her till she gets up. Sorry I didn't get here sooner, but you know you can always count on me to help. :mrgreen:

Yea, and if that don't work get your 22 with some birdshot.

 

[Roadapple]

Some time back, someone posted, that when he had a downer, he gave them a double dose of CMPK, and it never failed in getting them up. Can't remember who. But, if she is close, why not induce her, if you're afraid of her not getting up?

 

[TexasBred]

Some time back, someone posted, that when he had a downer, he gave them a double dose of CMPK, and it never failed in getting them up. Can't remember who. But, if she is close, why not induce her, if you're afraid of her not getting up?

He may have with the dex. Folks read up on what causes milk fever. You don't feed extra calcium when a cow is in the last two months of pregnancy. You actually pull excess calcium, salt and potassium away from them. You want them to have low blood calcium levels but not "suddenly" as when they begin lactating. They adjust the the lower blood calcium levels and then when they do calve and begin lactating the cow pulls the calcium from the bone with no problem. If you have been feeding excess calcium she simply begins to pull it from the blood...thus the sudden calcium drop causes the milk fever. That is why the CMPK works !!!! Milk fever is not that common in beef cows. There will be the occasional case but if you're having real problems with it you have a real nutritional problem.

 

[bward]

"bag of ice up in the vaginal cavity " ??!!?? Oh come on!!!

 

[sim.-ang.king]

"bag of ice up in the vaginal cavity " ??!!?? Oh come on!!!

Worked...sounds like you might need to try it. :lol2:

 

[3waycross]

"bag of ice up in the vaginal cavity " ??!!?? Oh come on!!!

Worked...sounds like you might need to try it. :lol2:

:shock: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

 

[TexasBred]

"bag of ice up in the vaginal cavity " ??!!?? Oh come on!!!

Worked...sounds like you might need to try it. :lol2:

:shock: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

Sounds sort of like the TV commercial. "I seldom have a cow with internal problems, but when I do "I put a bag of ice up their vagina". "Meltdown therapy" :lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

 

[Anonymous]

She's still down. Going there this evening to put a jeans patch on her(great idea!) put up a tarp for shade (got warm here today) and hopefully meet the vet there. Frankly, I'm hoping that 10cc of the dex doesn't induce her but helps her. My wife will be going to get dextrose and iv supplies tomorrow if the vet can't make it tonight. I've never done a IV, so I was hoping to see it done first.