please help!! advice needed

[mrsnkddavis]

First let me start by saying this is not my cow but is on the property we are living on. Our neighbor/landlord owns the land and her friend owns the cows. Hes an old timer know it all and wont call a vet even if it means saving a cow. If it was my cow i would have had the vet out here yesterday. Although i can intervene without gettin in trouble. I help w all the animals around here.
With that said, Dorothy (first time heifer) has been in labor since tuesday. No hooves stickin out and has been on the ground ALOT and in very obvious discomfort. I am unsure if her membranes are intact. Yesterday i observed a viscousy clear fluid coming out in a trickle when she would contract while standing. She wasnt doin the 'pee' squat so i know it wasnt that. The volume makes me ponder if it was her waters or not as the consistency seemed to thin to be cervical mucus
Is she okay? Is it normal to labor this long for a first timer? I have gonebto school for vet tech but cattle was only vaguely covered. Should i attempt to break her water if its intact?? Only reason i havent stuck an arm (sterile of course) if because i have no stanchion or halter for her. Ive been tempted to try when shes laying down. Old man withers will not call the vet as i stated previously and can only do something if feet are stickin out. His words exactly. It breaks my heart to see her suffering. If theres anything i can do im open to any suggestions!!
Thanks!

 

[dun]

Do the cow a favor and shoot her.

 

[dieselbeef]

nobody that has had cattle for any amt of time can allow this to be true..

 

[fitz]

Old man withers may have messed up on this one.

fitz

 

[Anonymous]

I Jumped to conclusion

 

[cow pollinater]

I don't mean to sound offensive, but I've been around alot of young vet techs and vets that needed a whole lot more experiance with cattle before they started telling everyone else how to do it. I am not there seeing what you see so I may be wrong and my sincere apologies if I am but heifers can be tricky. I've seen a few that did kind of drag it out for a day or two before heavy labor began. Obvious discomfort is open to interpretation. One such case just happened to be in a pasture that neighbored people who knew everything there was to know about cattle(no, they really did... all I had to do was bring it up and they would tell me everything there was to know, especially all the stuff I, and just about everyone else with cattle does wrong :mrgreen: ) including a daughter studying to be a vet tech. I drove by for three days and thought, "she's getting close" and kept on driving. Once labor really began it was a two hour deal. That whole neighborhood is still talking about the miracle calf that survived four days in labor and that family doesn't speak to me anymore. :roll:
I hope for the heifers sake that I'm right. I do like that you care enough to step on toes and step in.
I do feel that it is his right to manage his calving as he sees fit.

 

[greybeard]

Old man withers will not call the vet as i stated previously and can only do something if feet are stickin out. His words exactly.

I guess he feels it's cheaper to dig a hole than pay a vet. :deadhorse:

 

[denvermartinfarms]

Old man withers will not call the vet as i stated previously and can only do something if feet are stickin out. His words exactly.

I guess he feels it's cheaper to dig a hole than pay a vet. :deadhorse:

Just like some people feel losing a 1500$ cow is cheaper than a 40$ shot.

 

[dennisford]

Calf could be coming breach. Need to palpate and see. Call a vet and you pay the vet. You will feel better and maybe save her life. I'm sure the owner will be greatful. Lol.