Need Help W/ Sick Cow

Sabrina67 · #21 12/26/08, 11:16 AM

Heartstrings, I am so sorry, please don't let it make you scared to have a cow. I know how hard it is to lose an animal, but don't let it rob you of a great experience. (((HUGS)))

Horse Fork Farm · #22 12/26/08, 08:22 PM

You guys are so kind, I still am depressed but it helps to come here and "talk". The cow never passed any blood, never developed diarrhea or a fever either. I've never seen any animal go downhill so fast before. Between 9 pm Christmas eve and Christmas morning she was so bad I could'nt belive it. There was no warning period where we might have had time to try a few things. We did the penicillin and pushed some fluids, gave some baking soda, moved her around several times but never could get her up. We were up until 4 this morning and then grabbed a couple hours sleep at that point around 6 she was in awful shape, in a coma like state with no response. We still kept trying but it was no use. I'm so afraid to try this again, I think I'm a big wuss with too soft a heart. I wish I was tougher but ever since we had our last baby and he was so critical for so long I'm having trouble dealing with any kind of serious sickness even in animals. Its like it took everything I had to get thru Matthews hospital stay and theres nothing left in me to fight with anymore..... maybe I'm just really really tired. You all are good people to talk to when things are tough.

Ronney · #23 12/27/08, 04:14 AM

I'm sorry to hear the outcome BUT that was not a failure on your part and please don't let it put you off having a cow in the future. If her deterioration was that rapid there was probably nothing either you or a vet could have done to save her - and there are diseases where that happens. I lost a bull to MCF and in that case the vet took one look at him and knew what the problem was. It is also incurable and he was shot as soon as was practicable to do so but the deterioration in such a short space of time was shocking. I also lost a cow to FE and the same vet couldn't pin point the problem at all but he did his best. When she died he asked to do an autopsy and the first incision told us both what she had died of and the liver confirmed it. A good, healthy looking cow that went downhill rapidly and died in three days despite the best care me and my vet could give her.

If you read posts on here, you will know that many have cows that are well into their teens, still producing calves and an abundance of milk and I fall into that category. I've had more cows live to a ripe old age than I've ever lost so give it another go. If you've had problems with a child, you will find (and you probably already have) that owning and milking a cow is therapuetic (sp?). Everybody should milk a cow and keep a garden - both a good for the soul, the brain, the heart and their health

Cheers,
Ronnie

kgchis · #24 12/27/08, 11:57 AM

I know how you feel. Typically when a cow is down, if you don't get them on their feet within 48 hours they won't recover. When you are talking an 800 to 1200 pound animal, getting them up is easier said than done.

I have had cows well into their 20s still having calves so I wouldn't think breeding her contributed to her problems.

I have found older cows tend to hurt their shoulders as they age, and their bones get more fragile. My guess is she may have hurt her shoulder or hip.

I have had this happen several times over my past 20 years or so in dealing with cattle.

It sounds like your cow had a much better life than most cattle, and you made her final hours as comfortable as you possibly could. Sometimes that is all you can offer them.

beccachow · #25 12/27/08, 12:04 PM

It is fortunate that she slipped into a coma; it sounds as if she really didn't have a lot of time to suffer. You did what any good owner will do, and that's to do the best you can to keep the animal comfortable in her final hours. She went from eating and drinking and slipped into a peaceful sleep, that is the way to go.

I understand about being "gun shy" now, believe me, I do. Give your heart a chance to heal, then when you are ready, get a sweet little baby to love or a nice older sweet natured animal to breed, whatever your heart tells you to do. You did nothing to cause this illness in your cow, and have lots of love to share for another. Don't let this scare you off, you can do this and you SHOULD do this.

hugs hugs and more hugs. It hurts, but time will make it better, I promise.

Horse Fork Farm · #26 12/28/08, 01:35 AM

I'm printing this off so I can re-read it again when I decide to try again, there is so much good info to go over. Unfortunately I am one of those people who thinks they can fix any and every thing that goes wrong, and when I can't fix it I get really upset. I know I can't really fix it all every time but I keep trying anyway. Life would go easier if I could admit that when I'm in the middle of a crisis!

One of my cousins is going to start raising bottle calves again this year and wants me to help him. I probably will since it would have to be good experience. I'll be able to learn a lot while someone else makes the decisions for a while. When I feel ready I can pick one of the healthy ones and bring it home to start again. My cousin is good for me to be around as he is a "starchy" kinda guy. I was fussing around saying I'd never try it again and he said "yeah, thats just what you need to do, try once and then give up, you need to toughen up and get back on the horse"! I felt pretty sheepish when he put it that way. I guess we all need a kick in the butt sometimes!!!

Madsaw · #27 12/28/08, 06:21 AM

Heartstrings,
I know what your loss feels like. Been down that road a few times. Only just to wake up the next day and go back to it. Been many times I said that's enough I am done farming. I am still squezzing them twice a day yet.
I think it would help if you could get some answers as to why she passed. So, to help with that I have a few questions. Did you get her already dry? Also did she seem to have swelling in her bag. Also what kind of dairy cross was she. Holstein jersey? I have a idea what it was but just wanted to make sure before I say
Bob

francismilker · #28 12/31/08, 01:43 PM

Don't give up on farming! Sometimes it seems that the deck is stacked against you but there are plenty other cows out there. Often though, when we purchase a young, bred heifer the end results in death due to the heifer having calving difficulty because she was too early bred or the calf was too large. Other times, we end up purchasing something that appears to be healthy and early bred only to figure out the animal was too old to breed and only looked good still because the calf wasn't taking too much from them at that early point of gestation.

If I was going to give anyone willing to try their first cow any advice at all, I'd say to go to someone you know and trust and pickup a young cow/calf pair. Or, alternatively go to the salebarn and pick up something that is aged as a three-four year old and has a new calf to her side. This way, you can handle the calf as it grows (assuming mother will let you) and you can be in control of what the cow gets bred back to. Once you get the young heifer calf gentled and get a weined second calf out of the cow, sell her. By this time, the heifer calf should be bred to something in your control. (preferably a jersey or low birthweight angus) and you can start your first milking experience out with a pet that you get along with and that has a clean bill of health.
Sorry for your loss.