Heifer paralized with first born child..help

[Debbie at Bount]

I had a "real" rancher pull a calf for me off a very young heifer with a big calf. He used a come a long. Anyway, she is down, moving around but her rear is paralized at the moment. I am talking about the cow not the calf. She delivered her baby Monday Night late. This is Wednesday, the baby is getting milk by me milking the cow. Has anyone ever had this experience. She is 18 months old.

Debbie

[myersfarm]

that happen even with the best of use calf to big cow to small...lots ways to pull a calf.....i have used a truck before when vet could not come out and didn't have a calf puller cow was ok...hiefer 18 months old in my opinion is
to young....just 6 more months helps alot on calfing problems......i have had some come out of it and some never do ...i roll them over twice a day that seems to help...john

[Debbie at Bount]

i certainly agree about the too young. I had "thought" the fencing was keeping the bull out!! All my young heifers have delivered now and I was just about to let them out with the bull. Boy have I learned alot this year!

So some don't come out of it? That is what I am afraid of. She moves arouond enough, eats great and drinks but ...to night we are going to get a tractor and try to lift her.

I really hope she gets up, I love this heifer or I guess you call first timer now.
Debbie

Originally Posted by myersfarm

that happen even with the best of use calf to big cow to small...lots ways to pull a calf.....i have used a truck before when vet could not come out and didn't have a calf puller cow was ok...hiefer 18 months old in my opinion is
to young....just 6 more months helps alot on calfing problems......i have had some come out of it and some never do ...i roll them over twice a day that seems to help...john

[wr]

Sometimes those guys (and I know plenty) get so determined to get the calf out that they rush things. They should have checked to see if the heifer just hip locked (all you need is to give the calf a bit of a twist) or if the delivery was truly difficult. I don't like a come along because you can't always work with contractions and if we have to assist we use calving chains so that we can work with the contractions. I would suggest that the heifer either has a pinched nerve or she's got pelvic damage. If she's harmed her pelvis (i.e. fracture or dislocation) a cow will develop an alternate solution in time but she'll be gimpy. You do have to get her up and keep her up or you'll lose her. My vet insists that if a cow is down more than 2 days the muscles atrophy and she won't be able to get up, I would call the rancher back over and ask him to have a look and give his opinion and I'd probably also call a vet. If he pulled too quick and too hard against contractions you stand to have the uterine buttons damaged and possible conception problems in the future. If she were mine, I'd also be watching for a possible prolapse from such a difficult delivery.

[agmantoo]

I suggest you prepare for the worst. Get the phone number of the nearest rendering service and call them and get their requriements for a pickup. A comealong is a poor substitute for a calf puller. I would wager that once the "real" rancher started pulling he just continued a steady straight pull until the calf emerged. Did he drag the heifer with the comealong or did he tie her to where she could not be dragged?

[OD]

We had one that got down in the creek, while having a calf. We had to pull her out with the tractor & then pull the calf. She was down for about 3 weeks before she could get up by herself, but she eventually recovered completely & had a good calf with no trouble the next year.

[pygmywombat]

You need to get her shifted from side to side and up in a cow lift every day so she keeps getting circulation to her limbs and organs. It may be nerve damage/ calving paralysis which she can recover from or she may need to be sent to slaughter. Give her 2 or so weeks of being lifted up daily. If she doesn't improve then do her a kindness and end it.

[Ronney]

Hi Debbie,
As you will have worked out from these posts, there is no easy answer to to dilemma. The biggest recognition is that when you have a downer cow they are a full on occupation and if you don't have the time, the kindest thing to do is to dispose of it. The cow must be turned from side to side at least twice a day and preferably every two hours. It is crucial that the blood circulation is kept going so when you've rolled her over, work the uppermost leg and massage it.
Get her standing with either a sling or hip clamps asap - and it sounds as though you've already got this organised.

If she were my cow I would get the vet out for his prognosis.

Yes, the cow was too young but I've had that happen too because my bull demonstrated that his idea of a good fence and mine were two different things so don't beat yourself up about it. Use it as a learning curve even if you do lose the cow. I don't know what "come alongs" are (will somebody explain please) but they don't sound too good. The pulling on a calf should be timed with the cow's contractions and the pulling pressure should be maintained at that point until the next contraction. Most large calves will be hip locked and as WR says, a small turn will sort that problem out.

Just as a matter of interest, I was lucky enough to have never had to calve a cow until 5 years ago. I had a brilliant vet who decided I was quite capable of doing it on my own with the help of my two step children and he talked me through the whole procedure over the phone. The resulting calf is now my breeding bull.

Good luck Debbie and like Agman I too have to say to be prepared for the worst - but think positive and who knows.

Cheers,
Ronnie

[unioncreek]

When I was still on the farm we raised Chianina (sp?) club calves off our black baldy cows. We eventually bought a full blood bull. Most of his calves were born all skin and bones, but every once in a while we would get a big one (over 100 pounds). One year we had four of them, one the vet had to cut up to get out, that was the only cow out of four that eventually did get up.

It doesn't look very promising for your, but if you can get her up in a sling you just never know.

Bobg

[OD]

Whether or not she eventually gets well depends a lot on how much time & effort you are able to put into taking care of a paralyzed cow.
My Dh is self employed, & is able to be here quite a bit during the day, so we were able to move our's around & pull her up several times a day.
I think she finally got well just so we would leave her alone, or maybe it was because she knew somebody cared what happened to her.

[cowman]

Might also give her an anti-inflamatory shot. The nerves may just be inflammed. Worth a try.

[Debbie at Bount]

SHE IS UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Got her up with a tractor lift last night for 2 hours. Very wobby but let the calf nurse while up. She is not up at the moment but if she walked for 2 hours last night (on her own holding her tail), I feel she'll make it. The vet says the nerves are repairing themselves and she should be fine.
Thanks,
Debbie

[Debbie at Bount]

Originally Posted by cowman

Might also give her an anti-inflamatory shot. The nerves may just be inflammed. Worth a try.

Thought the say and gave her shots of anit inflamtory shots. Vet says a very bad pinched nerve. Thank you cowman,
Debbie

[Ronney]

Wonderful news Debbie

Cheers,
Ronnie

[wr]

That is great news, please keep us informed of her progress. Did the vet offer any suggestions on the cause?

[myersfarm]

great to hear it....... keep us up to date plze........what kind was the shot does it have a name...john

[Debbie at Bount]

Can't think of the name of the shot but have given it over and over to the sheep for swelling. Swelling to the point of being paralazied was and is still to a point her problem. Did do a round of Pen G plus I give shots of straight B 12 for stress. Beleive me staight B 12 really works on animals for stress. I have had sheep stop eating and an hour after the shot their eating. Unfortunately, you can't buy B 12 over the counter in feed stores anymore (or at least in OK) because the feed store guy told me humans were using it.!! I guess it gives them a high. What will people think of next doing to themselves next!!! The B complex shots sold over the counters need 10 - 20 cc to do anything at old and a b -12 is 2 cc for a cow and 1 cc for sheep.

I am supplementing the baby and thinking of pulling the baby completely off her because I want no more stress on the girl by having to produce all that milk too.
Debbie

Originally Posted by myersfarm

great to hear it....... keep us up to date plze........what kind was the shot does it have a name...john