Wobbly Legs on New Mamma

[Ebaker]

Have a 3 1/2-year-old longhorn who calved 10 days ago. Noticed late yesterday that she was a bit wobbly/unsteady on her legs.

About the time I noticed her odd walking, I observed her having a bowel movement (looked perfectly normal) that was immediately followed by a bloody, mucuos discharge from her twat/vulva. That part doesn't really concern me because I've seen that before in new mammas.

Observed her until dark last night and since early this morning. Everyone else was up except for her. I finally coaxed her into getting up with some cubes so her calf could nurse. It seemed to take a little extra effort to stand and get all 4 legs under her, and she didn't stretch like they normally do (of course that could have been because she was more interested in getting another cube). Still unsteady on her legs and sort of stumbled backwards a few times. Doesn't appear that she's in danger of falling over...just wobbly...probably would be missed completely by someone who doesn't know her the way I do. She seems to be eating and drinking fine, calf nurses fine, no other discernable symptoms other than the fact that she just looks like she doesn't feel good.

Any comments/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

EB

 

[hillsdown]

Pinched nerve form calving .

Now is critical make sure she is not ridden or bullied by other cows ,if she injures herself now she may not get up again. I would separate her and her calf, make sure she is on ground with easy footing . Let her have some exercise but not too much, so keep food and water near at all times until she has healed.

You can also give her an anti inflammatory for 3-4 days as well.

 

[Ebaker]

If she had been like this since right after calving, I would have thought pinched nerve also. But she calved 10 days ago and yesterday was the first time she showed the unsteadiness and it does seem to be all 4 legs that are wobbly. Would it take that long for symptoms of a pinched nerve to show up?

No bulls around to bother her and her pasture mates are all gentle souls.

EB

 

[S&WSigma40VEShooter]

If she had been like this since right after calving, I would have thought pinched nerve also. But she calved 10 days ago and yesterday was the first time she showed the unsteadiness and it does seem to be all 4 legs that are wobbly. Would it take that long for symptoms of a pinched nerve to show up?

No bulls around to bother her and her pasture mates are all gentle souls.

EB

Where are you located? Do you have any dallas grass in your pasture? It is kind of early for this to happen but I know cows can get drunk off the fungus that grows on dallis grass in the fall as I have had a few that did that. I just took em out of that field, fed em some hay for about a week and they were as good as new but boy they were drunk as skunks. One fell over.

 

[Ebaker]

If she had been like this since right after calving, I would have thought pinched nerve also. But she calved 10 days ago and yesterday was the first time she showed the unsteadiness and it does seem to be all 4 legs that are wobbly. Would it take that long for symptoms of a pinched nerve to show up?

No bulls around to bother her and her pasture mates are all gentle souls.

EB

Where are you located? Do you have any dallas grass in your pasture? It is kind of early for this to happen but I know cows can get drunk off the fungus that grows on dallis grass in the fall as I have had a few that did that. I just took em out of that field, fed em some hay for about a week and they were as good as new but boy they were drunk as skunks. One fell over.

LOL!! We're in NE Texas and no, we don't have any dallis grass. But I'd be relieved (and amused) if that were the case here. : )

 

[S&WSigma40VEShooter]

If she had been like this since right after calving, I would have thought pinched nerve also. But she calved 10 days ago and yesterday was the first time she showed the unsteadiness and it does seem to be all 4 legs that are wobbly. Would it take that long for symptoms of a pinched nerve to show up?

No bulls around to bother her and her pasture mates are all gentle souls.

EB

Where are you located? Do you have any dallas grass in your pasture? It is kind of early for this to happen but I know cows can get drunk off the fungus that grows on dallis grass in the fall as I have had a few that did that. I just took em out of that field, fed em some hay for about a week and they were as good as new but boy they were drunk as skunks. One fell over.

LOL!! We're in NE Texas and no, we don't have any dallis grass. But I'd be relieved (and amused) if that were the case here. : )

It was pretty darned funny. I figured I would check just the same. Good luck with the problem.

 

[LazyARanch]

I have to concur with HD... probably due to some post-parturition inflammation.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Is it possible she has a uterine infection? Perhaps from a small portion of a retained placenta? Was the discharge stinky?

Have you taken her temperature?

Just a thought/guess.

Katherine

 

[rockridgecattle]

Calcium and magnesim (sp) deficiency? The possible start or low grade milking fever setting in? The cow's body might be expending more calcium and mag than she is injesting.
just a thought

 

[backhoeboogie]

Calcium and magnesim (sp) deficiency? The possible start or low grade milking fever setting in? The cow's body might be expending more calcium and mag than she is injesting.
just a thought

Exactly. Put her in a chute and put a tube of CMPK down her. $4 and she's likely fixed.

The number of downer cows that will get up off of the ground once they have had CMPK paste in their system for an hour will amaze you. If she is just wobbly, you are way ahead of the game.

Paste her now and again in 24 hours. If you mail order CMPK, shipping for 6 tubes is $18. Shipping for a dozen tubes is $21.

 

[TexasBred]

I agree with the CMPK but if you have the facilities to hold and work with a longhorn I personally would go with the IV solution followed up with a bottle of Dextrose. Either way the cost is very minimal.

 

[milkmaid]

Take her temp first - I have a hard time imagining a young longhorn cow with milk fever; it just doesn't fit the typical picture. Uterine infection would also make her weak (unsteady) and present similar symptoms. Normal temp try the calcium (slowly!), high temp you're probably looking at an infection.

What's her body condition? if she's excessively thin she could be weak from calving + lack of good feed.

 

[hillsdown]

If she isn't lacking calcium and you give her a bottle it could kill her.

My thoughts exactly MM ,,LH breed not milk fever and not ketosis. If it is then you have some serious nutrition issues that need to be addressed for a LH operation.

Give her an IV cocktail of dextrose, b12 and dexa methazone. That will make a huge difference.

OR call a vet........

BTW I wasn't talking about bulls and if you think even the gentlest cows will not pick on one that is under the weather then you haven't been around long enough.

Or just do nothing as there seems to be alot of that going on lately.. ;-)

 

[bward]

Sounds like Metritis. Put an OB glove and with lots of lube slide it up her vagina. Take it out and have a whiff. If you fall over it is definately Metritis and she needs veterinary help right away. When a uterus infection goes systemic, she won't always have a temperature, but she will definately be off and be wobbly, and appear as though she has some kind of metabolic disturbance, and sometimes there is no discharge at all from the back end. Treatment can last up to two weeks if thats what it is.

 

[TexasBred]

If she isn't lacking calcium and you give her a bottle it could kill her.

My thoughts exactly MM ,,LH breed not milk fever and not ketosis. If it is then you have some serious nutrition issues that need to be addressed for a LH operation.

Give her an IV cocktail of dextrose, b12 and dexa methazone. That will make a huge difference.

OR call a vet........

BTW I wasn't talking about bulls and if you think even the gentlest cows will not pick on one that is under the weather then you haven't been around long enough.

Or just do nothing as there seems to be alot of that going on lately.. ;-)

HD I've never seen a cow die from an IV of Calcium when she did NOT have milk fever but I have seen cows WITH milk fever die from an IV solution of CMPK given to quickly. A friend of mine gives EVERY cow a bottle of CMPK and a bottle of Dextrose before putting them into the herd....don't ask me why but he does it.... :?: