About dark yesterday I found a mama cow laying on her right side. All feet straight out from her. With help we finally got her rolled over on her belly with back legs pulled to left side and front feet folded back under her. Linda like they lay down. We picked her up with hip lift and strap under her front end but never got her to put much weight on all four feet. She would try to stand but no luck.. after and hour or more we quit trying to keep her up band put her back down in same form as we had her. This morning she had her head turn down her right side. I turned her head and neck around to front and she attempted to get up but tried is all . I only have on hand about 10 ml banamine and a bottle of LA 200. By the time you read this I will be given her the banamine and 45 ml of the LA200. She weighs about 950-1000lbs (my guess). Help please.
Mama cow down
- Thread starter Tomcolvin
- Start date
Is she old? You might try a tube or two of CMPK. It sometimes works miracles, it often does nothing.
regolith
Well-known member
If she's trying that's good. Give minerals, especially calcium. Lift her a couple times a day - not for an hour if she's not bearing her own weight, ten, twenty minutes a time, massage her leg muscles while she's up, if she's crawling around she'll keep her muscles working so there is less need to lift, but if she's just sitting/lying she'll cramp up and won't be able to bear weight when lifted for that reason.
Keep her sitting up if possible, you can prop up a haybale against her shoulder, or park the wheel of a vehicle right behind her... from lying, pull her head up, pull it back towards her flank till she's sitting, then prop something solid behind her so that she stays sitting (this is much easier with someone to help; I used to tie her head off to her leg or keep her attached to the tractor and run to move something behind before she fell back, when dealing with milk fever cows).
First you need to know and treat the cause, then work on the impacts that being down and not eating will have on her so that she has the best chance of getting up and back to rights again. So food, water, warmth, prevent cramp, keep her in a position where she can ruminate/breathe comfortably (sitting) if she's lying flat she's at risk.
If she's not self-supporting after being assisted (as you did) her chances of a recovery are reduced unfortunately.
Keep her sitting up if possible, you can prop up a haybale against her shoulder, or park the wheel of a vehicle right behind her... from lying, pull her head up, pull it back towards her flank till she's sitting, then prop something solid behind her so that she stays sitting (this is much easier with someone to help; I used to tie her head off to her leg or keep her attached to the tractor and run to move something behind before she fell back, when dealing with milk fever cows).
First you need to know and treat the cause, then work on the impacts that being down and not eating will have on her so that she has the best chance of getting up and back to rights again. So food, water, warmth, prevent cramp, keep her in a position where she can ruminate/breathe comfortably (sitting) if she's lying flat she's at risk.
If she's not self-supporting after being assisted (as you did) her chances of a recovery are reduced unfortunately.
wbvs58
Well-known member
How long since she calved?
Ken
Ken
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So much better
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I’m mom
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She can support her weight will her back legs but not the front feet. I moved her into a pen where the other cows can’t bother her. She eats hay, cotton seed and drinks water. I rode by her pen just before dark and she was attempting to move around. How often can you give Mulitimin 90? It says 4.5mm per 110 pounds. I wish I knew why she was down, (knock down by another, mineral deficiency or other reasons. I’ll check on her tonight about 10:00pm. All I had on hand was a Bovikalc, an oral Calcium supplement. I’ll try to pickup some CMPK tomorrow. If any more ideas, I’m open.
M o
A Colvin
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Oil
She is only about 2-1/2 years old. This is first calf. Got her up in sling, gave shots, fed some hay. She puts weigh on back legs but front legs just a little. She ate a good bit of hay and drank a little water, but not much. I now have her hanging at the hay ring and she is eating a little hay. Her calf came and nursed some while ago. If she would put weight on front legs? I believe she might make it. Septic at hay bale.h
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Hpacres440p
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She looks awfully thin. Is this her usual condition?
Travlr
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She has loss some weight. She is a small frame cow but her weight loss has mostly been due to her calving and this trauma she has gone thru. I left her setting up up this evening and when I went back tonight around 9:00pm she had moved around and was on her side again. Got her setting back cow style with tractor and help from my son in law. Why do they want to turn there heads down their sides looking backwards? After getting her setting up again I used the 4 inch strap that I picked up the front end with to tie her to a 12 inch post on the corral. About 11:00pm I left her eatting cotton seed. We will see in the morning if she is still attached to the post. Her back legs tonight when I got there were straight out and stiff. I had a time getting them them cow style when setting her up. I’m praying she has a good night. I’ll try and lift her again in the morning.
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wbvs58
Well-known member
I think the photos tell the story right there Tom, she is emaciated and trying to feed a calf. I asked when she calved as they will have their heads turned around to the side with milk fever. I wouldn't expect milk fever at 2.5mths post calving but I think ketosis is a real possibility, a young cow trying to feed a calf in an emaciated condition she would be breaking down her body to try and keep going. I don't think you will save her and I think the kindest thing to do would be to shoot her and look after her calf. I hope I am wrong but it doesn't look or sound too good to me. You can get some urine from her by rubbing her fanny and get it tested for ketone bodies.
I would get your hay tested too as it looks like it is not up to the nutrition you need for your cows.
Ken
I would get your hay tested too as it looks like it is not up to the nutrition you need for your cows.
Ken
Hpacres440p
Well-known member
Not the same animal, but in goats, the head back was “I’m trying to die” position. Pregnancy ketosis is/was a big deal, especially with large or multiple kids-they took up so much abdominal space that the rumen was limited in capacity and the mamas couldn’t keep up nutritionally. Same thing happens with low nutritional value feed or forage. They would go into ketoacidosis breaking down fat, muscle, any reserves their bodies had. There were lots of “rescue recipes”, but once they got to the head turned back stage, the outcome was generally very poor.
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Mrcopier
Well-known member
At his point it doesn’t look good
TexasJerseyMilker
Well-known member
I think it's ketosis too by her condition and the time of onset. Feed stores sell CMPK tubes for milk fever but they also sell keto tubes. It's best to have several of each on hand just in case. Those Keto tubes have propylene glycol for energy and a lot of minerals. You need the special caulking gun to give both those tubes, not the construction kind.
Cow urine can be tested for for ketosis with the ketone test strips. You can get at those at walmart and other pharmacies. They are used for an emergency test for people that have low blood sugar from diabetes. To get a cow to pee for a sample you firmly stroke the area just below her vulva with your thumb and have a jar ready to catch some urine. It's probably too late for this one but worth a try.
Cow urine can be tested for for ketosis with the ketone test strips. You can get at those at walmart and other pharmacies. They are used for an emergency test for people that have low blood sugar from diabetes. To get a cow to pee for a sample you firmly stroke the area just below her vulva with your thumb and have a jar ready to catch some urine. It's probably too late for this one but worth a try.
Cow update: have given today 10 ml multi min 90, LA200 40 ml, 16 oz of propylene Glycol and picked her up (to do all this) , kept her hanging for an hour. She ate some cotton seed and drank some water. Kicked once with her back feet but won’t put weight on her front. I put her back in cow position and put a tarp about 4-5 foot up over her because it’s now raining. I’ll give 16 more of the P/G this evening when I raise her again. If no good results from her this evening I may have to do the undesirable. Thanks for your input.
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Mark Reynolds
Well-known member
Seems she is improving, but slow. At the very least, I'd wean the calf right now. I'd give consideration to shipping her if she recovers.
Kinda curious what her herdmates look like? If they are in great shape then feed might not be the issue.
Does she have teeth? Maybe these questions have been asked and I missed it.
Does she have teeth? Maybe these questions have been asked and I missed it.
I notice yesterday what look like a 3 fist size knot on her right side of neck starting about her ear down her neckline. I thought it was maybe from her turning her head to the right so long. When I straighten her head frontward as it should be it wasn’t as noticeable as it was this evening. If she is no better in the morning I don’t think I’ll give anymore propylene Glycol. If she can’t show some muscle strength in front and back legs and try to stand some weight on her feet, I may have to pull the trigger. I pray not. I think her calf must be nursing on one or both of the cows that we raised together. They were 3 calves born in a separate pasture away from the herd about 4 days apart in age. Sad day.
Yes on teeth. She ate hay and cotton seed Monday night, Tuesday and Wednesday and drank water. Not much eating today but a little cotton seed and a little water.
Have you seen her chewing cud?
