The Combine Forum banner

Down Cow

8.5K views 26 replies 20 participants last post by  Mayoollie  
#1 ·
One of my best, she's getting older, but up to now is in great shape, good teeth, good calves, no troubles.

4 days after palpating, vaccines, and cydectin, she started staying away from the herd and not coming to the feeding. VERY unusual for her, my Dad's pet name for her was chow hound, because she was always the first in line to the feeder. I'd spot her by the feeder in the mornings, but feeding time at night, she'd be off again. Finally I noticed she had trouble walking, back legs a little out of control. She had enough mobility to defy every attempt made to get her in to the barn the first night we tried, so I thought maybe she was getting better. By Monday of this week, she was no longer getting up.

The kicker is, not only is she down, she will not drink water. She has some interest in eating, but no drinking. We are watering her by tube so she stays hydrated. She's had a round of dexamethosone. She gets amino acid treatment in the water for energy, she got Calcium in the first tube watering we gave her.

Seems something on health day would be the trigger, but maybe coincidence. Vet is stumped. First thought was swelling by a nerve from A&D injection, but no hard spots indicating that.

Any thoughts?
 
#3 · (Edited)
This is beef cow by the way.

Interesting. When the vet and I talked this morning, we're going to give Epsom Salt in the next watering for Mg. Just might work. He said maybe 50% chance.

We had a wheat field that went to total crap getting over run with grass. We chopped it when the wheat was dry, grass was green, but kept going late into the fall as the grass began to dry due to frost and muturity. We put a round bale of hay in with it. Wondering if there'd be high potassium in the wheat? Higher than they usually get anyway?

Kinda weird it's only 1 in the herd though.
 
#7 ·
If this cow dies I would recommend getting the brain sent in and tested for rabies. Rabies also mimics milk fever and symptoms include paralysis. Incubation time on a cow can be up to 3-4 months, especially if she was bitten lower on the rear leg.

Probably a long shot on it, but you have been tubing this cow and if you are like me and most other, you have cuts on your hands. If the test is negative, no harm. If positive you get shots and just saved your own life.
 
#12 ·
Or just shoot, shovel, and shutup! BSE?? We should close our border!
And then find a Canadian link??Sounds like the last time prices where up. Dig a whole put her in seed some grass on top and leave it be. Cows have a number just the same as acres of corn once they are harvested it really doesn't matter which one it was. I can't say I don't have favorite cows but as soon as they aren't carrying their weight they are gone cause I can't carry theirs.
 
#13 ·
likely a long shot, but thought I'd throw it out there just to stir the pot...

leukosis? it is an infection of the lymph nodes (fairly oversimplified, but close enough). It's viral, not bacterial, can be spread by bodily fluid only (needles, etc) The reason it may result in down cows is that there are some nerves in the spine that have lymph nodes close by, swollen lymph nodes can press on the nerves, and it gets worse from there. Only way to know for sure is to test for it. Other symptoms would be weird bulgy eyes (swollen lymph nodes behind eyes apparently) or general poor immune response (compromised immune system in general). We know we have it lurking in our dairy herd and have been slowly working at trying to get rid of it, it will be a long process....

If you have cows old enough to succumb to just leukosis by itself, you are doing a great job on everything else!

Hope she's doing ok, or that you have at least been able to decide what you're doing with her. With prices the way they are, it's worth trying a few things!
 
#15 ·
I got magnesium in her on Saturday, but by Sunday she was fighting the tube so hard, I could not keep it down her and get any more. Her manure and pee is pretty much normal, normal temp.

I get that she's old, she doesn't owe me anything in that regard. BUT, #1 it happened very suddenly, making us think we did something or triggered something on health day. #2, it matters if it is something contagious or otherwise a possible herd wide issue.

I ran the tetany idea by the vet. He said maybe so, but for it to only affect 1 cow like that, she's got some other issue going on that made her the only one to fall to it.

I had the rabies thought myself and thought I was being silly....and yes I do have cuts. Good thought there.
 
#16 ·
I should say, she is still alive, but after apparently holding her own for a good long while, she looks a bit worse as of this morning. I'm thinking we'll put her down, but I'll probably have a post done, I need to know what happened. She is 15 1/2 now, but always got around great, bright eyed, good calves, bred back again just fine this year, good demeanor, good teeth.....checked every year.
 
#22 ·
15 is not uncommon at all in my herd. She's not even the oldest. Not saying they all make it there, but it is not uncommon.

some times its a whole lot better finding a cow with there feet in the air, saves on the stress of trying to figure out the treatment, and saves the vet bill.
Hahaha:D Ain't that the truth. Probably would have still had a post done on her. I don't lose cows out of calving season! It just don't happen!
 
#23 ·
Euthanized the cow on this past Friday. Had a post done....somewhat inconclusive. Saw evidence of a fungal infection in certain areas, "Possible it got into the spinal canal or nerves". But we didn't do the bugger of a job to split the spine open and know for sure. Strange......

Good call to put her down though, she was beginning the death spiral of her gut dying due to being down too long.
 
#24 ·
Never easy to put down a faithful friend, a task that I most certainly do not enjoy however sometimes is just the only thing to do. I can relate to how you would feel about it.

And that sucks when nothing simple or obvious jumps out during a pm, always nice to have the knowledge of what exactly happened.

Trust all else is good with you my friend, keep thinking about how I owe you an email:eek:
 
#25 ·
Had this happen to a heifer. It was the pour on/ivermectin that did. Not the first time I have heard of it happening. Happened to a friend, cow was down for quite some time, eventually got up and calved the next day. Google it, you'll find some articles. I believe it's from killing H.Bovis at the time it's migrating through spinal canal. Temp will be fine, has appearance of milk fever at the beginning. That should be printed in HUGE letters on the label. I know This post is older but it may save you a life or two in the future. Half hour of research will explain it better than I can for sure.
 
#26 ·
Oh boy, the thread comes alive, haha.


I know exactly what you're talking about. The vet and I covered that, but at the moment it escapes me why it was ruled out. Must have been a blood test or fecal or some reason why he ruled that out, but it was conclusive. It piqued my interest for sure! Thanks.
 
#27 ·
If it was BSE you would know it. The symptoms are far more pronounced. I would not worry about it being BSE, that would be the last thing on my list. Even in the UK it is now extremely rare. Same as anthrax.

A cow of that age could have any number of health issues, I can ask my wife if you like, but in my (now ancient) experience, if it had been milk fever or staggers, or ketosis maybe, you would know about it very quickly, normally because the cow will die from it very quickly if no remedial action is taken, and you often get a number of cases occurring around the same time. I would guess most vets would spot these kind of routine things near instantly given their symptoms.

You are probably right to PM a cow that has died suddenly however, just to check for anything more sinister.

Lead poisoning, brain tumours, a variety of problems of this kind of thing all look similar, dazed, ill thrift, zombie like state.