milk fever ?

[dac1]

i bought a cow and brought her home she had a calf the next day my wifes dad come by when i got home and said he had to give the calf a little pull he said she might have had it ok but she looked like she had been laying there a while so he give her some time and came back she got up and the calf nursed and is doing ok but she walked at first like something was wrong with her front legs kinda limping and wobbles on her rear kinda drunk like she is slowley getting better but still seems weak in her rear i read something where some one had similar symtoms and the vet said it was milk fever she keeps a sweaty nose !any suggestions or ideas on what this is ?

 

[TheBullLady]

Whenever you have to pull a calf, there's a good possibility the cow will experience some lameness or stiffness.. from laying in a funny position trying to calf, to having muscles being stressed from a hard birth. Likely it's something that will work itself out in a few days.

If she does have milk fever, you won't see her getting better without treatment. In fact, they usually go downhill quickly without treatment.

 

[dac1]

we have give her 3 shots of penicillin and a shot of a mixture of medicine that my father in laws buddy makes he is a big time cattle man around here he buys and sells cattle to a lot of folks around our area it's been three weeks and i would just like some input! thanks

 

[dun]

If it's milk fever there is a paste type stuff in a tube that you can give her, but the best is an IV of calcium.

Here's a pro method

http://www.palmervet.com/milk_fever.htm

 

[milkmaid]

it's been three weeks and i would just like some input! thanks

I seriously doubt it's milk fever if it's gone this long. I'd bet on what the others suggested, nerve or muscle damage -- which is not going to be fixed by antibiotics (penicillin). Just leave her be and see what happens. As long as she can get around and eats and drinks I wouldn't worry.

 

[dun]

The part about i being 3 weeks didn;t register with me. It's not milk fever or she'ld be dead by now. Have you temped her? The only things a willynilly approach of using antibiotics will accomplish is putting money in someone elses pocket for selling you the stuff and making you feel like you're at least doing something.

dun

 

[born2run]

Ketosis can hang on for awhile.

 

[milkmaid]

Ketosis can hang on for awhile.

:idea: Been a while since I've had to deal with ketosis and I completely forgot about that one. :idea:

So... What breed is she, dac?
what's she eating?
what's her body condition like, and what's the consistency of her manure?

 

[dac1]

dont know what breed she is for shure she weighs about 1000 lbs black with a touch of white on her belly i have her in a lot with our winter hay and plenty of grass 16 % cattle feed 2 times a day manure good not runny im thinking probbably nerve or musle like milkmaid suggested just wanting opinions might be why she was at the sale ! but i think the calf was from a charolais good size calf so if everythig goes ok i should be ok when sale time comes up 8)

 

[milkmaid]

i have her in a lot with our winter hay and plenty of grass 16 % cattle feed 2 times a day manure good not runny

Is she eating both the hay/grass and grain? If she's eating the grain you put out for her I'd pretty much rule out ketosis. Seems like they'll still eat hay but won't touch a bit of grain. Plus they drop weight -- I've seen a 200lb drop in about 48 hours.

If she's eating everything she's given I'd lean towards nerve or muscle damage, which is really just a wait-and-see thing. Not much you can do for her, other than give her time.

 

[dun]

I'm not aure, but doesn;t ketosis cause a strange smell to their breath?

dun

 

[born2run]

They say it does, dun. But I've been around a lot of ketotic cows and never been able to smell it. We use a powder that, mixed with urine or milk turns purple in varying shades if the cow is ketotic.

 

[GMN]

Its been 3 weeks and she is still wobbly? Is it wobbly on all 4 limbs, or is it one leg where it acts like it is paralyzed? Partial paralysis is pretty common where if they struggled during delivery before you pulled it, if it was a big calf put pressure on her nerves, we give Dexamethazone 10cc's, and Banamine. In time they do recover from paralysis if it is that. She not down is she?

GMN

 

[dac1]

she is eating a little hay and waits on you at feeding time for her grain also has plenty of grass now it's really her rear where she is wabbly and you cant tell she has lost any weight she is kinda short but a really strait good looking cow i still have her and the calf seprate from the others i dont want her in with the bulls we have two with the herd a limo and a black angus both about three years old .

 

[dac1]

i missed the last part of the question sh got up the same day just has had trouble since