Yearling Heifer down!!
 

We separated our yearling heifer from the herd of goats she's been hanging with because she just seemed thin. She looked like she was gaining weight and was fine until this morning.

As of this morning's feeding, she will not and appears not to be able to stand up. I have rocked her back and forth etc and she just can't stand up. She is laying "up" on her haunches and eating but won't drink water or stand.

I have a 911 call into the Vet but have not yet been able to get a hold of him.

Any ideas would be appreciated!!

Cliff

TT: vet and he suspects either cocci (unlikely as its cold and she doesn't have diarrhea) or, more likely, magnesium deficiency.

I just drenched with 20oz water and a cup of epsom salts and am going to get magnesium/calcium paste to give her twice per day. We are also shifting her weight every few hours to be sure her nerves aren't damaged.

She's kinda laying upright (like a lion) and is eating and drinking fine. No respitory symptoms at all.

Let me know what you think.

This is copied from Keeping a Family Cow:

3 C unsulphured molasses- Liquid is all I use (A *complete* source for minerals and sugar)
1 C apple cider vinegar (must be REAL, with the mother)
1/2 C plain yogurt (This provides Calcium~to 'balance' the magnesium as well as phosphorus that is also needed. The powder culture is more for the probiotic aspect alone and will not offer the calcium or phos.)
2 - 8 TBSP epsom salts (source of magnesium)

Dissolve epsom salts in ACV first, if desired. Mix all together well.

This makes 4 cups of solution, give a minimum of 1 cup of the solution at least twice a day, as a drench or top dress on grain if the cow is eating.

Adjust the amount of epsom salts based on the amount of the drench you will be giving - you want the cow to have about 4 TBSP per day.

A note about the epsom salts - epsom salts are an inexpensive source of magnesium, and the amount your cow needs will be individual. Watch the consistency of her manure - if it is still dryish (biscuit dough consistency) add more. If she's getting too loose, reduce the amount of epsom salts.

'Dosing':

Down cow (off food/water): Drench hourly/every two hours (in the day and as often at night as possible). Depends on how much you are able to administer (due to the demands of life). Consider this to be a source of nutrition while the animal is unable to get nourishment on their own means. Continue the B inj for a minimum of 5 days. Decrease amount given as improvement is seen.

Struggling cow (not completely down/but has hard time rising, drinking only, not eating): Same as for a downer.

Up, but not really eating, drinking much: Same as above, until appetite increases. Then decrease to adding it on the feed, esp at milking time. Continue the B inj for a minimum of 5 days beyond solid improvement.

Up, eating grain/drinking but not really interested in hay or grazing: Add to grain TAD until better. If after the first day no real change is seen, increase until it does, then maintain until you are sure they are established again. Continue the B inj for a minimum of 5 days. Decrease amount given and improvement is seen.

When used as a 'Top Dressing' for daily grain, we are only feeding rolled Barley. (I do not know how corn would affect the over all drench health aspect as corn is known to cause acidosis.)

Hardware disease is a common term for bovine traumatic reticulopericarditis. It is usually caused by ingestion of tramp iron in fodder or silage. Sharp metallic objects are ingested and settle in the reticulum, and can irritate or even perforate its lining. The object perforates the reticulum and reaches the pericardium where it causes a severe inflammation.
Cows with hardware disease exhibit lethargy, have poor appetite, and have reduced milk production and weight gain also may have a fever, excessive grinding of the teeth or moaning in severe cases. In rare cases, an object may pass through the reticular lining and pierce the heart sac.

Thank you guys! You're awesome.

She doesn't quite fit any of the "dosing" descriptions. She is down, laying kinda upright like an alert dog/lion, but she is eating AND drinking.

I am dosing w sulmet for possible cocci and giving the epsom salts and magnesium, although the above recipe sounds great. I have everything but the molasses so will have to get that.

She nearly got up last time I was up there and is already acting stronger so am hoping it is the magnesium issue.

Please keep the info coming!

you did not say if you have ice or snow on ground

It wouldn't hurt to give a Vitamin E/Selenium injection in case of white muscle disease.

I dont have any advice, but I do want to say that I really am rooting for your heifer over here.

Downer cows are no fun at all. Best wishes for you to get her up soon.

Sounds like you're on the right track. I assume the vet considered any kind of injury say from slipping, which is what Myersfarm was asking about.

Personally, I'd forget the sulmet. First, without diarrhea I think coccidiosis is unlikely. Second, even if she had it, treatment accomplishes nothing in the later stages. They get better on their own (self-limiting) and become immune. Thirdly, antibiotics can mess up the digestive tract normal bacterial flora, making them more susceptible to worse bugs like Salmonella.

What is her diet? What has your weather been? Low magnesium is grass tetany, which you might google. Associated with certain hay or lush grass or certain wet weather.

Along with moving her around to prevent muscle or nerve damage, I assume you have alot of deep soft bedding.

DJ, I think you're right about Sulmet. I dosed once but will stop. She isn't in real deep bedding, just a few inches of shavings. I can pick up a straw bale tomorrow (don't have any).

She is on Eastern Oregon alfalfa and a little sweet feed for taming. She is not on pasture right now. Would that preclude it being magnesium deficiency if she is not on pasture? I hope we're on the right track.

She has been trying to get up a bit more but isn't quite strong enough. I am rolling her around and checking her legs for sensation. She reacts when they are poked.

To answer a questions above - no snow on the ground and she is actually in a stall in the barn and has been for a few months.

Does the heifer look gaunt? If she does and is not getting up, it could be hardware. In that case, you could try putting a magnet in her. The magnet is the shape of a large pill. Your vet should have one and can probably inject in for you. It's put in orally. Hardware is a tough one to resolve. Good luck.

I'd say Selenium def. also. We've had the problem here in older calves, not just newborns.

Just wanted to mention for everyones sake. Baled hay can contain all kinds of trash. If your buying hay from a farmer don't buy the rolls or squares that are laying next to the roadway. Years ago I bought a 5 X 6 that contained more trash than the county dump, shoes, glass, beer cans, everything but money...FYI

topside also first bales along a river that overflows.....same thing I found...more bear bottles and cans then I have ever seen in one bale off hay
glass bottles with lids on them

She has been in a stall for awhile so hardware would have had to come from the bales of alfalfa. We separate flakes and feed so I would think that we'd notice stuff but maybe not...

Heifer is definitely stronger today. I could barely roll her on her side and she gets herself back up (to alert laying position) very quickly right after. I feel like she would stand if I could just get herr up.

cjb all it takes is a nail or staple

CJB I believe she's laying that way because her gut hurts and that is the most comfortable position. That's why I mentioned hardware yesterday. Last year someone on this forum mentioned that if a bovine does not get up in a certain amount of time it never will, not trying to doom your heifer just mentioning it. I'd jump on her back and attempt to startle her into getting up...Right now...But that's me. Some cattleman have hoists/slings to lift a cow into a standing postion....Keep in touch...Topside

I would do like what I do to a horse when I am panicking about colic. Just start booting the animal as hard as you can and MAKE her get up..well obviously not hard enough to do damage, but enough to scare her. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. I would be really worried that she is never going to get up too.

Hardware disease is unlikely if she is eating well. A nail through the wall of the stomach tends to shut down the rumen contractions pretty quickly.

A heifer can be down (on good bedding) for much longer than a heavier cow before suffering muscle damage.

If you start kicking a heifer that is down with white muscle disease, she won't get up, but her muscle damage will get much worse.

What do her eyelids look like? Selenium wont hurt if the injectable isnt available then in GOATs we have found that red cell can be an emergency alternative. BOSE can be bought through Jeffers pet or Vally vet.

Good luck!

FYI, get a fecal done just to be sure

She's still not up and vet is coming in the morning.

Her sire is an inch over a mini and she is quite small and not heavy. I rolled her on her side to take pressure off her front legs for awhile and she acted like they were very stiff. However, she can get herself right back up to the upright laying position.

She is laying there happy as can be, doesn't act like her tummy is hurting at all. I used a sharp wire brush to give pain stimulus in the back legs and she nearly got up. I think my wife and older boys and I are going to go up and just lift her up onto her legs in a bit. We'll see. I have far less hope now that she's been down for 36 hours.

Don`t give up on her, I had a cow down for 48 hour a couple years ago. I talked to my mom the next morning, and told her I would possibly have a died cow to pull out of the shed this morning. Much to my surprize when I went out to milk that morning, she walked in the barn to be milk. I could not believe my eyes, I sold here later that year as a nurse cow and she had a fantasic little heifer for that guy the next spring. So don`t give up just yet, won`t hurt to say a prayer for her in your famliy prayers tonight. > Thanks Marc

had a cow down for 2 weeks in summer time lived another 5 years on farm till I sold her calf every year

The vet said to keep up treatment and that he would come out this afternoon if I wanted him to. He said that same - that many cows are down for days and, as long as they're eating well, drinking, seem comfortable and are being rotated so not crushing their legs....

I'm fairly new to cows so I did not know this. Still wish she would get up, though.

Definitely praying for her !

did vet give her a banamine shot

No but I have banamine. I am going to try that.

What would dose be for banamine? She is a very small heifer, nearly a mini. Guessing 600lbs?

would start with 3 cc per 100 once a day in the muscle

cjb

Has this animal been on a good mineral vitamin supplement?
What would you consider her body condition score?

If the answer to the first question is yes and the answer to the second is 5 or better I would think she has a pinched nerve.

Have you tried to see if she has any feeling sensation in her legs?

If she does not improve and you decide to process her for meat watch what you inject her with as the withdrawal period could be lengthy. Good luck.

Don't give up on her yet. Cows are great healers. They can be down for a long time and still come back and live for years. if she is still eating that is a very good sign. Once they stop eating and drinking, you don't have long.

Did you take her temperature? Does she have a fever? Dry nose? Any breathing problems? Cough? Runny nose?

I feel bad for you. Sometimes you can't do a whole lot, but I would keep on trying. Get some sweet feed if you don't have any. It is much easier to get cows to take oral meds if you have some sweet feed to mix it in. I have been known to grind a whole garlic bulb or two and put it in sweet feed for my cows when they look sick. It can't hurt. It smells nasty, but has some powerful antibiotics in it. Good luck.

The heifer died last night.

I had the vet out, he said that she really didn't look bad - not dehydrated, feces look normal, not uncomfortable. He decided to IV her with calcium and other vitamins. She had a heart attack during the second bottle of calcium. He said that it just didn't make any sense to him at all. I should get a call today with the results of blood and fecal tests. I would like to know what was wrong.

I am a ridiculous amount of upset over this. I loved this calf and she is exactly what I wanted. She was ready to be bred and I looked forward to milking her. Plus, she was super tame and sweet. Just sucks.

I will have huge vet bills AND had to pay $200 to a renderer to take her away. Our barn is at the top of a hill so my son and I had to drag her about 100 feet down the hill so the truck could pull right up to her.

This has not been a good day. :(
I have horrendous luck with dairy cows, it seems.

So sorry :( I hope you get some answers as to why. Did the vet look for evidence of hardware?

Oh, I am so sorry. Please let us know the test results. ~hugs~

She had a heart attack during the second bottle of calcium. He said that it just didn't make any sense to him at all.


I do not want to get you up set

I do know who your vet is BUT YOU NEVER GIVE 2 BOTTLES .....it will always cause a heart attack as far as I know ONE IS IT ...also ONE GIVEN TO FAST will also cause a heart attack


ask dousthouhavemilk

Oh man, I was watching to hear about her getting up. I'm so sorry to hear she passed. Im so sorry for you and your family!

Sorry, but your vet as good as killed her.
Even for full sized Jersey cows (and ours are big for standards) we never give more than one bottle of calcium at a time. For that matter, we ourselves don't do IV. They get one bottle sub-Q.
We had a young vet try to put two bottles of calcium IV in a standing Jersey cow. Dad refused to let him. He put the second sub-Q. She had to be retreated the next day when she crashed from too much calcium.
I'm sorry you lost her. I really figured you would get her up and she would get going again.
We had a cow down for 2 weeks due to calving paralysis. She has since calved with her second calf and is rebred with her third.
Hopefully the blood tests will show why she went down in the first place. Did the vet give a reason for giving a maiden heifer two bottles of calcium?

That is terrible news. Sorry to hear that.

So sorry to hear this news.