Post by Heidi on Oct 7, 2013 4:48:44 GMT -5
Hi All
Its been quite a while since I've been on here (mind you, its been quite a while since I last milked!). Life has a way of keeping one busy.
Anywho... two days ago, I needed to put Spot the Jersey to sleep. The short version is that back four weeks ago, we had to move her into the cattle yards overnight with the other cows, and the bull. When I went out in the morning, the bull had obviously kept trying to mount her, and being in a small area, and an old cow, she wasn't able to get away from him. She was unable to get up. So, we let her rest for a couple of days, just moving her a bit, then for the next two weeks we lifted her three times a day with the tractor. After 10 days, she was able to stay up for longer and longer and progressed to grazing around almost like normal. However, once she went down she was unable to stand on her own, and we'd have to lift her again. Ultimately, she would stay standing for days a time (which probably in itself isn't a good sign or actually healthy), but as I believed that she more than likely was pregnant, and only about six or eight weeks off calving, then we could continue with the lifting until after she calved.
During the course, she developed some pressure sores on her front knees, and although the sores healed her knees became hot and swollen. Last week the scabs ruptured, and it was evident there was an infection, and started treating it with IM antibiotics. When the course finished, the infection remained, and when I started to massage, there was a substantial pussy, thick discharge, however, she was still staying up and grazing. However, the infection progressed, and after cleaning the wound out Friday morning, she went down unexpectedly, which did give me a good opportunity to examine it thoroughly, and I was very concerned about the extent of involvement of the infection. That afternoon, when we tried to lift her, she made no attempt to help, which she had previously.
We lowered her and I sat next to her. I stroked her neck, and her breathing slowed from the heaving of pain and exertion, to that of calm resignation. I told her that it was time to go, that it was okay to go, and that she had done well. I thanked her for the milk she'd given our family, and the five calves we had from her, Raisin, Skye, Sugar, Bot and Tamara (and her foster calves, Chuck and Jersey Boy)...all since she came to us in June 2009. Raisin and Skye are sill in the back paddock raising their third calves.
I saw in her eyes that she needed to go, but her tired old body, so used to bearing calves and producing milk, wouldn't let her. I rang up our neighbour and he came over straight away. With one shot, he ended her suffering, and it was over just like that.
My neighbour, a born and bred dairy man, believes she was probably about 14 or 15 years old.
In closing, Spot's eulogy goes something like this..."A good cow, she did her job well. She hated children and dogs equally, calved easily and loved her calves, and those she fostered/ passionately, vale Spot. If there was a hereafter for cows, I would hope you're grazing in pasture, a calf at your udder and every other creek flowing with molasses".
Now, just in case you think I am grief stricken, well, I am saddened, but I did do a mini autoposy later, to determine the extent of the infection on her knee. It was extensive and invasive and had several tracts/tunnels running through it and had infiltrated up to six inches below the knee. I think it is termed chronic septic arthritis when it gets this bad. Interesting that it does confirm that often a down cow dies from the effects of being down, not the trauma which caused it to go down in the first place. I also had the opportunity to feel inside her mouth and was astounded and the cilia like structures that line their mouths, obviously to facilitate mastication and chewing their cud. Her teeth were all intact, but had as pronounced wave in them from years of chewing.
The other surreal thing was after she was put to sleep, my neighbour, Scott, my husband, Scott and I stood around having a chat about this and that, whilst Scott (the neighbour) had his high powered rifle casually slung over his shoulder. Yep...somewhat surreal. Unlike America, Australia has very strict firearms laws, and so we don't come across gun toting people very often here!
Okay...that's it. Vale my old girl Spot. Thanks for reading.
H
Its been quite a while since I've been on here (mind you, its been quite a while since I last milked!). Life has a way of keeping one busy.
Anywho... two days ago, I needed to put Spot the Jersey to sleep. The short version is that back four weeks ago, we had to move her into the cattle yards overnight with the other cows, and the bull. When I went out in the morning, the bull had obviously kept trying to mount her, and being in a small area, and an old cow, she wasn't able to get away from him. She was unable to get up. So, we let her rest for a couple of days, just moving her a bit, then for the next two weeks we lifted her three times a day with the tractor. After 10 days, she was able to stay up for longer and longer and progressed to grazing around almost like normal. However, once she went down she was unable to stand on her own, and we'd have to lift her again. Ultimately, she would stay standing for days a time (which probably in itself isn't a good sign or actually healthy), but as I believed that she more than likely was pregnant, and only about six or eight weeks off calving, then we could continue with the lifting until after she calved.
During the course, she developed some pressure sores on her front knees, and although the sores healed her knees became hot and swollen. Last week the scabs ruptured, and it was evident there was an infection, and started treating it with IM antibiotics. When the course finished, the infection remained, and when I started to massage, there was a substantial pussy, thick discharge, however, she was still staying up and grazing. However, the infection progressed, and after cleaning the wound out Friday morning, she went down unexpectedly, which did give me a good opportunity to examine it thoroughly, and I was very concerned about the extent of involvement of the infection. That afternoon, when we tried to lift her, she made no attempt to help, which she had previously.
We lowered her and I sat next to her. I stroked her neck, and her breathing slowed from the heaving of pain and exertion, to that of calm resignation. I told her that it was time to go, that it was okay to go, and that she had done well. I thanked her for the milk she'd given our family, and the five calves we had from her, Raisin, Skye, Sugar, Bot and Tamara (and her foster calves, Chuck and Jersey Boy)...all since she came to us in June 2009. Raisin and Skye are sill in the back paddock raising their third calves.
I saw in her eyes that she needed to go, but her tired old body, so used to bearing calves and producing milk, wouldn't let her. I rang up our neighbour and he came over straight away. With one shot, he ended her suffering, and it was over just like that.
My neighbour, a born and bred dairy man, believes she was probably about 14 or 15 years old.
In closing, Spot's eulogy goes something like this..."A good cow, she did her job well. She hated children and dogs equally, calved easily and loved her calves, and those she fostered/ passionately, vale Spot. If there was a hereafter for cows, I would hope you're grazing in pasture, a calf at your udder and every other creek flowing with molasses".
Now, just in case you think I am grief stricken, well, I am saddened, but I did do a mini autoposy later, to determine the extent of the infection on her knee. It was extensive and invasive and had several tracts/tunnels running through it and had infiltrated up to six inches below the knee. I think it is termed chronic septic arthritis when it gets this bad. Interesting that it does confirm that often a down cow dies from the effects of being down, not the trauma which caused it to go down in the first place. I also had the opportunity to feel inside her mouth and was astounded and the cilia like structures that line their mouths, obviously to facilitate mastication and chewing their cud. Her teeth were all intact, but had as pronounced wave in them from years of chewing.
The other surreal thing was after she was put to sleep, my neighbour, Scott, my husband, Scott and I stood around having a chat about this and that, whilst Scott (the neighbour) had his high powered rifle casually slung over his shoulder. Yep...somewhat surreal. Unlike America, Australia has very strict firearms laws, and so we don't come across gun toting people very often here!
Okay...that's it. Vale my old girl Spot. Thanks for reading.
H