Old Cow...can I keep her alive long enough to calve?

[Wisteria Farms]

Yes, Nes you are correct... came on slowly... which is why I blamed just the extra weight on her frame. We lifted her with the tow straps and got her moved outside but have decided to try something different so this morning we are going to try to get a canvas tarp under her with rods along the edges and do more of a sling-type lift. The straps seemed to impede movement of her legs... she looked more "splayed" than anything... will keep you posted. Calves took 2qts each this morning... GREAT!!! and we might take them for a visit with momma since they're pretty good on their feet... might do Granny some good to see/smell them.

 

[Nesikep]

we've found that as well that straps don't help too much, maybe a sling type thing would do better. Good to hear at least the little ones are doing well!... they'll be terrorizing you to let them suck on your fingers soon enough

 

[Wisteria Farms]

OK... update... Unfortunately we put Granny down this afternoon :cry2:

Last night when we checked on her, we thought we were losing her. She laid on her side and her eyes were rolling back in her head. So, we rocked her back upright but she just didn't seem "right". She then ate her evening feed and seemed to snap out of whatever it was. So, we decided that today we would make the sling...we were going to get her up again and try working the back legs.

When we went out and started gathering everything, she really was in a depressed state... normally she would look at us with bright eyes and moo for her grain and look all around at everything... not this morning. She had a slight "shake" to her head... not really a shiver like she was cold (weather was nice) but just a sort of tremor... and her eyes were different... like she just wasn't all there.

So, I called the vet and she came out. She asked when she got here if I wanted her to put her down or to check her out. I said to go ahead and check her out. The first thing she did was take her temp and she said that it didn't even register... apparently there was no circulation in her back end. I don't get it because yesterday after hoisting her up she DID move her legs...but just a very little. So, with the situation what it was, the vet agreed it was best to put her down rather than to let her get in any worse shape.

I've replayed everything we did as we were beating ourself up wondering if it was something WE did but I tell you there is NO ONE who could have been gentler with her. I operated the tractor and EVERY MOVE was extremely, extremely slow. When I laid her down outside, I rolled her to the opposite side of which she'd been laying...again, very very slowly... and we wondered if her episode was maybe due to blood flowing to areas that had been compressed...but, it was obvious this morning that things were starting to go south.

She is buried in my back yard and will have a flowering dogwood over the top of her. The vet, Dr. Laura Peterson of the Jersey Calhoun Veterinary Clinic is going to get a HUGE Thank You... She's been our vet now for several years and she is ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL.

 

[dun]

Dammit!

 

[branguscowgirl]

Oh I am so sorry! But I am greatful for your calves an your wonderful vet also.

Something you may consider, is a spinal abscess. I had a cow last year diagnosed with that. My vet said that it is really quit common. As the abscess progresses, so does the preasure in the spinal cord and the neurological symptoms. Very simuliar to Granny's. The bacteria is usually from the gut. Antibiotcs usually do not reach it. Dex can keep the symptoms at bay for awhile, but not long. I just had one down at UC Davis for an X-ray, ultrasound and a spinal tap that is barely 3yrs old.
Just a thought that fits.

 

[PLTannery]

Perhaps she threw a clot? Something like Deep Vein thrombosis? Clot in the legs from not standing, then when you got her up yesterday it dislodged and settled in her brain causing a stroke? Might explain the head tremor and her not being herself.

Sorry to hear, but at least you have the two babes.

 

[cag]

So sorry it's hard to lose one no matter what

 

[cowgirl8]

So sorry.

 

[Wisteria Farms]

Thanks everyone...there were a lot of tears yesterday (part of why I think so much of my vet...) she was so very compassionate...even laid Granny's head over her shoulder like she was sleeping. Then she called me later in the afternoon with info on what we need to do to test the heifer for freemartin... it'll actually get sent to UC Davis. Due to her size (40lbs) we're going to wait and let her get a little bigger before drawing 10cc tail blood!! They say its better, the younger they are, but just not at her size. She said we could hold her down and get it from the jugular but I don't want to traumatize her at all and risk her getting sick.

I was thinking about the fact that we were GOING to ship Granny after weaning last year's calf but I wanted a heifer so bad and decided to wait...(combined with the fact that we knew we'd find it hard to send into the unknown). The money end of that would have meant getting slaughter price for her... With losing her, obviously there's no salvage value but she gave us two calves... which is such a gift.

 

[slick4591]

Really sorry.

 

[Wisteria Farms]

For those of you who are certainly going to ask why we were going to ship her....she DID have trouble in the EXTREME heat... over the last 2 years each time we would have temps in the 100's we were especially concerned with her.

 

[highgrit]

That's to bad. Making the call when to ship them is a tuff one. But a 40lb. heifer and being a twin to a bull calf is a no - brainner in my book. Sorry for your loss.

 

[dun]

The money end of that would have meant getting slaughter price for her...

It may not pencil out on the botom line financially, but to me with those old girls there is more then money involved. Yup, when it comes to Granny cows I'm a big marshmallow softy.

 

[cmf1]

Sorry to hear about Granny, Angie.
But, it's hard to imagine the old girl having a better gig all around than what you guys afforded her.
I'd love to hear you tell us all that the heifer is not a freemartin, so keep us posted.

 

[branguscowgirl]

I admit it. I don't "ship" my "special cows". They are like a horse or dog to me in that way. Their last days are not going to be trauma through a sale yard and a slaughter house. They either die or get put down here on the ranch. I am not wealthy, and it is a financial hardship, but their "life" meant more to me than the dollars. I know most of you won't agree, but that's ok. I do not need you to. So please no lashing.

 

[Nesikep]

That's too bad, and I remember having to put mine down... She exceeded my expectations, as I had started keeping replacement heifers for her position since she was about 12, last year I even had gotten as far as digging the grave, but it turned out her sister had a stroke and needed it first. When cows have been exceptional, or aren't in any shape to travel, I'll put them down here... if they just stopped being productive and are in otherwise good health, I'll ship them. I couldn't have salvaged the meat from either... Rosie was on anti-inflamatories not suitable for meat animals, and the vet had given her sister LA200 about 2 weeks prior (which was useless).

My Rosie is by a maple.. it's was a nice and available location

 

[Wisteria Farms]

Thanks everyone... I'll keep you all posted. I'm anxious to weigh these calves again and see how far they've gotten in a week...they're eating really well but I'm waiting to see if we wind up with scours (hopefully NOT). They eat their 2qts in the a.m. and 2qts in the p.m. and they WANT MORE but I'm holding off so as not to OVERFEED. Realistically I know its highly likely the heifer will NOT be able to stay on so I'm trying not to get attached...can't really say the same for the hubby! I have to admit though...we were putting hay out the other day and Granny's older daughter "Randi" was laying in the pasture looking EXACTLY like her momma. Jeff even drove the tractor RIGHT next to her and she didn't move an inch (same "I don't give a crap what you do...I'M LAYIN RIGHT HERE" attitude that her mom had...Its nice to have a glimpse of the old girl through her daughter.

 

[Nesikep]

They get more than just half their genes from mother... a whole lot of the character too

I wish I could email you milk.. I've got extra and it sounds like you need it!

 

[Wisteria Farms]

I wish I could email you milk..

You're too funny... its the "thought that counts"...thanks!

 

[aprille218]

You could feed them more milk replacer as long as you do it gradually. Add a 3rd feeding at half strength then gradually increase to full strength (over 10-14 days). We always feed our bottle calves more than the bag says. Current bottle calf is almost 2 months old and gets 1 gallon 3 times a day. Looks as good as if he was on mom. We'll keep up this amount until he's 3 months and then reduce the strength of the milk replacer until he's weaned at around 4 months. Aprille