What do you think it is? (pics)

[HOSS]

I have a cow that has been having a hard time this winter. First she is on her second broken front hoof. Both times the vet trimmed off the broken piece and glued on a wood block. The first time she recovered but this second time it seems that maybe it aggravated a secondary problem. She has always had the "bowed up" back since I got her. I figured she had some Holstien in her since most of them have a bowed up back. The vet thinks it is caused by foot problems on her back legs but he can't pinpoint what he thinks it is. She has never really maintained her condition when nursing unlike my other cows but this year is the worst I have seen for her. Last year she weaned a 600 pound steer and is on pace to do the same this year (she is one of my late calvers this summer so her calf is not ready for weaning yet). She is on high quality hay, minerals and AMD protien tubs all free choice. In this pic she has actually gained weight in the last few days. She seemed to have gotten signs on pneumonia a few weeks ago so I got her up and gave her a dose of Nuflor. Part of her symptoms was she was offfeed, runny nose, caugh and stiffness in the back hips. The Nuflor took care of all of the symptoms but back hips and she is eating but not like she used to. Now that all of that background info is over......take a look at her pics and see if anything stands out regarding her feet / hips. It appears to me that she stands with her back feet close together. She acts like she don't like to move and getting up is hard. She is being culled this year but since she is bred I would like to get her in the best shape possible before selling.

 

[blacksnake]

Hoss
I have a 6 year cow that looks exactly the same. She was in good shape,moving good until about a year ago. I think she slipped on the ice during last winter. I had the vet out and he looked at ther. He seemed to think she damaged her hips and suggested I cull her OR spend a whole lot of money for x-rays/treatment. I kept her since she was bred and she weaned off a good calf. I didn't breed her back, going to take her to market before too long. I bet your hip problem is not associated with her other problems but others probably have abetter idea about what is going on.

 

[stockman12]

It comes from desire to go to the packer. :shock: :shock:

 

[angus9259]

hardware? how long till that next calf comes? if it's hardware, the backhoe might need to come before the calf

 

[Roadapple]

Arthritis. Does her hips grind or pop when walking? Does she take little short steps with back legs? If hardware, walk her down hill and listen if she grunts, then walk or stand her up hill and see if she still does. Temp. slightly elevated, or breathing shallow? Kicking at stomach?

 

[HOSS]

She doesn't grunt or kick at her stomach. She takes small steps with her back feet. She doesn't walk in a continual stride but takes a stiff step with one leg and then repeats with the other until it is beside th first then she repeats. I don't hear any popping but she has a hard time getting up or backing out up the slight pond bank when she drinks. She is a young cow about 3 years old. This is her second calf. She has been very athletic and energetic in the past. She did become a rack of bones with her first calf no matter how much grass or hay she ate. After weaning she regained condition well....she just dumps everything into her calf. As a first calf heifer she weaned off a 600 pound calf. She has access to loose mineral full time as well as high quality hay and the protien tubs. The rest of my herd is in great condition. She is definetly a cull. I just want o get her in as good a shape as possible before selling. I may just bite the bullet and take her to the sale Tuesday. Her calf is close to weaning age and it looks great so I will probably split him off and sell him separatley.

 

[Howdyjabo]

I would be thinking one of the wasting diseases

 

[alisonb]

she is one of my late calvers this summer so her calf is not ready for weaning yet).

Please pull the calf. That cow is in so much pain she can hardly look after herself never mind a calf.
I would suggest putting her on her own and giving her an anti inflam.If it is her feet/hips/hardware you will see an improvement in her even if it may be slight and short term. That should give you an indication to whether it is pain or a disease in your elimination process.

 

[Smith1000]

I've got one that has something similar going on. It is not as extreme as in the photo yet and has kind of developed over the past 3 weeks. She just began limping spontaneously with no signs of swelling in the rear legs. She favored her left rear more at first, but now seems stiff in both rear. Seem kind of like her legs are tight or arthritic. She kind of wobbles along and really does not seem to be in pain. Kind of like an old dog with bad hips. It appears to me that there is some atrophy in the rear. She is 9 years old. The weather is not helping much as it has been very cold and windy recently. This winter has been rough on her, but this came on very fast (whatever it is). She may have fallen. I will try to give her a painkiller to see if she improves. She does not hold her feet so close together, but acts like both rear are tender.

 

[KNERSIE]

It appears as if there is some swelling on the brisket? That in combination with the arched back and awkward position she carries her head suggests that hardware is a possible cause. The only other reason i have seen the brisket to swell is an accumulation of fluid caused by heart failure, either way the prognosis isn't good.

The hind feet being close together is probably caused by a lack of condition and it is more likely to be a result as it is to be a cause of the problem.

 

[HOSS]

Well........This weekend the sun was out pretty good saturday evening. I noticed after an hour or so of standing in the sun she seemed to move better and was spending more time at the hayring and at the protien tubs. Knersie is making me reconsider the hardware potential. I wonder if it would pay to run a magnet through her. I pulled her calf from her Saturday morning. She is doing some pacing trying to find her calf but I think she will settle down soon. We are hoping she will put on a few pounds before we sell her.

 

[alisonb]

I wonder if it would pay to run a magnet through her.

Good idea, you just never know. I would still give her anti inflam over a couple of days and see how she reacts.

First she is on her second broken front hoof. Both times the vet trimmed off the broken piece and glued on a wood block.

I recently had a cow injure herself and crack the tip of her hoof(she was being bred).I had to clip the tip off and wow was she in pain. She started loosing weight almost immediately.It took over a month before she was herself again.
If your cow is on its second broken hoof......that may well be her only problem?
Good luck,its upsetting to have one cow loosing weight when the rest are all in good condition.

 

[Roadapple]

Well........This weekend the sun was out pretty good saturday evening. I noticed after an hour or so of standing in the sun she seemed to move better and was spending more time at the hayring and at the protien tubs. Knersie is making me reconsider the hardware potential. I wonder if it would pay to run a magnet through her. I pulled her calf from her Saturday morning. She is doing some pacing trying to find her calf but I think she will settle down soon. We are hoping she will put on a few pounds before we sell her.

I'm pretty sure you can't run a magnet "through" her, but if you do, don't stand behind her in case she should cough. It could be deadly. But for a $2.50 magnet, I would'nt wonder too long. But you still hav'nt said if you've checked her temp.

 

[HOSS]

Well........This weekend the sun was out pretty good saturday evening. I noticed after an hour or so of standing in the sun she seemed to move better and was spending more time at the hayring and at the protien tubs. Knersie is making me reconsider the hardware potential. I wonder if it would pay to run a magnet through her. I pulled her calf from her Saturday morning. She is doing some pacing trying to find her calf but I think she will settle down soon. We are hoping she will put on a few pounds before we sell her.

I'm pretty sure you can't run a magnet "through" her, but if you do, don't stand behind her in case she should cough. It could be deadly. But for a $2.50 magnet, I would'nt wonder too long. But you still hav'nt said if you've checked her temp.

I haven't checked her temp but will when I get her up to do the magnet and anti-inflammatory. I guess "through" was a bad choice of words.....how bout "put into her".

 

[dun]

Rather then injctable anti inflammatory, try aspirin. A coupe of hands full of grain with a dozen asprin twicw a day for a couple of days might help. There isn;t a slaughter withholding for aspririn like there is for the other

 

[stockman12]

Sell her, that will cure it.

Sell her

 

[rockridgecattle]

if you have pulled her calf, I would sell her as soon as:

All the withdrawal from any drugs has taken place.
I would not bother with any other drugs as that will increase the withdrawal time
I would not worry about adding more #'s to the cow. I would feed her a good maintenance ration until the withdrawal day and then that is it....sell her rail grade and take what you get.
When you add in the cost of feed, the time to feed, the drugs, and subtract the pounds she "might"gain, you might be in the hole, especially in this volitile market.

The pencil and paper should answer your question...

If it were my cow, rail grade direct to slaughter...

 

[Angus Cowman]

should of sold her last yr but since you didn't putwheels under her NOW

 

[HOSS]

should of sold her last yr but since you didn't putwheels under her NOW

Call me sentimental but I gave her a second chance because she weaned a 600 pound calf last year as a first calf. Yes she lost alot of condition that year also but did not have any health issues and bounced back to great body condition. I had two 1st calf heifers do this. Number 3 and Number 61. Number 61 gained her condition back, had her second calf and barely lost a pound after that. If I had not given 61 that second chance she would have been pumping out nice calves for some other farmer. This one is Number 3 and she is struggling now with issues. She goes to the sale barn next week but I still got a good steer calf from her. That helps cushion the blow.

 

[djinwa]

She is being culled this year but since she is bred I would like to get her in the best shape possible before selling.

I'm a bit ignorant. Why does being bred matter? Is she being sold to be someone's future calf-raiser?