Help with sick cow

kycn · #1 12/15/13, 04:17 PM

Just read through sticky thread on posting for sick question, I will try to cover what I can.

I am boarding approx. 7 yr old Jersey heifer for a friend. She had a calf back in July and then in Sept brought her here to breed to my bull. Been out with my cows eating hay, no supplemental grain. All mine are fine.

She was eating and drinking this morning, although acting lethargic. Now I can't get her up. She is even pooping laying down. Poop normal. She has a little bit of clear discharge coming from her nose. It also looks like she is drooling a little out of the mouth.

I brought her to another paddock because she has lost some conditioning, I am thinking the other cows were not letting her near hay. So I did give her some grain yesterday morning, last night and this morning to try to start getting some weight on her. Tried not to give her too much too soon.

That is all I can think of right now.
Thanks for the help

G. Seddon · #2 12/15/13, 04:53 PM

Vet, vet, vet! This is someone else's animal. Take the cow's temperature and get the vet out there so you know what you're dealing with.

Is the owner aware of what's going on? Do you have a written agreement with the owner with directions for how to handle this type of situation?

kycn · #3 12/15/13, 05:04 PM

Yes, she is aware and will take care of vet.

After posting this, went outside and she is up and moving around, eating a little, drinking a little.

I just don't want to over react.

SpaceCadet12364 · #4 12/15/13, 06:13 PM

It is better to over react then to go out to a dead cow. That gets expensive fast.

wr · #5 12/15/13, 11:30 PM

Does she have pneumonia as well as being underfed? I would have the vet out in a heartbeat if a boarded animal was failing to thrive.

wr · #6 12/17/13, 03:15 PM

How is this cow doing now?

Jennifer L. · #7 12/17/13, 06:32 PM

I'd bet pneumonia, too. December is a hard time of year for cows adjusting to winter feed and winter temps. Hope she's doing better.

kycn · #8 12/17/13, 07:06 PM

So I took the cow to the vet yesterday, ended up being put down at decision of owner. The vet did a rectal palpation and said she had an intestinal blockage and a large section was all twisted. There wasn't anything that could be done. Might have been cancer he said.
What is considered old for a cow?

myheaven · #9 12/17/13, 07:27 PM

23 is an old cow to me. 12 for dairy