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12/04/09, 07:07 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 212
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he wont get up
my little jersey bull calf (10 months old), will not move. It looked like he tried and then he either couldn't get his legs under him or he changed his mind. My hubby tried to get him up (picked up his tail and turned him around in a circle) but he just stayed put.  He is fairly tame but his new found level of comfort with me around is unusual/disturbing. I noticed a bit of mucus in his nose. He is eating without problem (he parked himself by the hay bale). It is very cold and a bit windy - he's outside, hopefully he'll move to the barn. Thoughts?
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12/04/09, 07:24 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: 100 Acre Wood
Posts: 292
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Perhaps if the little guy seems unable to move himself, you could help him move to the barn out of the cold wind..and while you've got that tail cranked up (altho' there are more gentle ways to move a calf), try taking his temperature to see if he is running a fever..ck
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12/04/09, 08:35 PM
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Join Date: May 2003
Location: Zone 7
Posts: 10,539
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A cow/bull that will not get up needs immediate attention. Cattle that are down for a few days seldom recover.
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Agmantoo
If they can do it,
you know you can!
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12/04/09, 08:43 PM
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Retired farmer-rancher
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: north-central Kansas
Posts: 2,895
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Quote:
Originally Posted by agmantoo
A cow/bull that will not get up needs immediate attention. Cattle that are down for a few days seldom recover.
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Right. I'd be for finding out what's wrong, and quickly. A visit from a vet might be necessary.
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* I'm supposed to respect my elders, but its getting harder and harder for me to find one. .*-
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12/05/09, 05:25 AM
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 2,558
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Quote:
Originally Posted by agmantoo
A cow/bull that will not get up needs immediate attention. Cattle that are down for a few days seldom recover.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ksfarmer
Right. I'd be for finding out what's wrong, and quickly. A visit from a vet might be necessary.
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Ditto. Animals just do not sit down in the wind and cold and stay there because they like it. Roll him on to a wool bale or tarp and drag him into the barn, take his temperature if you have a thermometer, and ring your vet.
Cheers,
Ronnie
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12/05/09, 10:38 AM
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: 100 Acre Wood
Posts: 292
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Please give us an update on this calf. I do hope he has been moved to shelter, assessed by a competent caregiver, and if necessary, treated..ck
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12/05/09, 10:45 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Cherokee Nation, Oklahoma
Posts: 1,488
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He's sick, sound kinda like coccidioysis (sp). I've found them dead with their head in a feed trough, so just because he's eating, doesn't mean he's not sick. Get a vet !
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12/05/09, 10:54 AM
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Join Date: Apr 2008
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we called the vet but got no response  We will try to move him into the barn as he is still out. He is still having bm's, is there anything I can to to treat? Or is this strictly going to have to be a vet thing, I don't know that I will reach him till Monday and he's the only out in these parts
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12/05/09, 11:17 AM
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Join Date: May 2003
Location: Zone 7
Posts: 10,539
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If the animal is not up by late tomorrow cancel the vet. You will be throwing good money at a lost cause. Put the animal down and move on.
__________________
Agmantoo
If they can do it,
you know you can!
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12/05/09, 11:26 AM
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Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 212
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He is not having any loose stool. Is there anything I can do or buy to treat? I would hate to lose him, he is my 12yo son's calf.
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12/05/09, 11:27 AM
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Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 212
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Also, if we had to put him down, does that mean all the meat would be bad?
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12/05/09, 12:23 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: 100 Acre Wood
Posts: 292
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6ncounting, from past posts I see you have had cows for some time now. Do you have a rectal thermometer? You can get a decent one for five bucks and a cheesy one for 99 cents. The VERY first thing when an animal is 'off' looking, is to take it's temperature. A sub-normal temperature is significant as is a raised temperature. Do you have a basic book on cattle care? I'm sure others can chime in with some suggestions here. You can't leave a down or otherwise ailing animal to decide to come in out of the cold. You MUST be able to move the animal out of the weather and where you can monitor the animals' signs and symptoms and feed/water intake etc. and be able to treat in a timely manner.
"Love" is not enough. You owe it to your children as well as the livestock, to become familiar with at least the basics of animal husbandry.ck
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12/05/09, 12:36 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 212
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He has a lump that he has had for months that has not previously appeared to cause him any discomfort. The lump is squishy(spongy), not gaseous. His temp is low 99.5 (taken while outside with the digi thermometer that I had for the kids) He has a scrape on his back leg.
Cowkeeper, he has been moved to the barn. He is eating and drinking fine.
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12/05/09, 12:56 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 47
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I don't anything about your situation but is there a chance he was injured by another animal or slipped and fell? It sounds like it could lean more toward an injury than an illness. Where is the lump located that he has had?
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12/05/09, 01:04 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 212
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the lump is on his abdominal region just above his hind leg. I don't know if he was injured by one of the others, I only have 1 with horns, it is unlikely that he slipped, they are in the pasture.
We've called every cattleman in the area and they were all baffled. Dh is off to the sale barn to see if he can get the vet there to come out.
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12/05/09, 01:45 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 703
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Till you can get a vet there, give him 15cc of penicillin in the muscle if you have it on hand. With the mucus in the nose I would lean toward peunomia. If you can get your hands on a vet and he says that is what it is he will treat in in the vein.
Bob
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12/05/09, 02:28 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 2,558
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With the lump, snotty nose and scratch on his leg, I wouldn't want to try and make a diagnosis as there are too many variables.
One thing though that I would strongly advise you do until you can get vet help, is to roll this animal from side to side every 3-4 hours, massage his legs and manipulate them if he will let you. If you are able to sling and lift him for 5-10 minutes every couple of hours that would be good too. This isn't so much to get him to walk or stand at this stage but to keep the circulation going to the muscles. This is vitally important because it is the loss of that circulation that most often kills downer cows.
Good luck,
Ronnie
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12/05/09, 03:25 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 212
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He is allowing us to manipulate his legs, he does not appear to have pain in them. He has cuts on both hind legs (dried blood, so they have scabbed) and there is a round one on on of his front legs. He has loose stool now The sale barn vet isn't able to come out, apparently today is a huge auction day and I still cannot reach the regular vet. I am separating him from the other cows at this point as a precaution.
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12/05/09, 03:58 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 132
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Did you e-sel his as a calf? It might be white muscle, his temp is on the low side, so I would give him a double shot of e-sel, if he wasn't injected as a calf and also the penicillin and keep him moving. Can't hurt at this point. Liz
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12/05/09, 05:05 PM
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Join Date: May 2003
Location: Zone 7
Posts: 10,539
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Bacteria pneumonia comes to mind. Probably a bottle calf and questionable colostrum access and now down and depressed from weather, stress and bacterial exposure to cuts and abcesses. I hope that I am wrong but my statement above still holds. PS...no, I would not eat the meat.
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Agmantoo
If they can do it,
you know you can!
Last edited by agmantoo; 12/05/09 at 05:10 PM.
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