Post by squashblossom on Apr 4, 2017 23:38:37 GMT -5
I haven't been on here for so long, because my cow is a bit older (I got her from Craigslist 6 years ago and they got her at auction with a calf, so don't know how old, but at least 9) and I haven't bred her for 3 years --but she is my buddy. Things have been going great, until now.
Last night she did not come running to be fed as always, but i got her to eat a bit, and this morning she did not come out of the loafing shed, so I knew something was wrong. I suspected pneumonia because it has been so cold and wet, the vet thought that was probably it too, but when he got here she was down in the shed could not get up even tho she tried. No fever, no dehydration. normal rumen, normal poop. he was puzzled but thought she might have injured a hip. When he went to his car to get an anti-inflammatory injection, she finally got up with a Herculean effort. I thought that was a good sign, When he gave her the injection she flopped down in a bad position in the compost pile next to the fence, and it took a lot of work to dig out around her and get her situated in a good position. I gave her food and water and she seemed relatively comfortable, so we hoped a quiet day in the sun and the anti-inflammatory might be what she needed.
An hour later I saw her standing by the food bin and was amazed she was already feeling so much better sh could have walked to it--but I wen to check on her and discovered she had dragged herself on her knees to get there and somehow stood up , but her knees were scraped and bleeding. But she was eating, that seemed good.
A bit later when I looked out I could see she was lying down again, so I went down to check on her and her front legs were stuck up to her armpits in the mud (we have a very muddy area where the water drains down the hill) and her back legs were sticking straight out back. No way could she get out. I drove to my dairy farmer neighbors for help, and they came with the skidloader and we had to pull her out by one back leg, up the slope to where we could roll her in the bucket and move her into the shed. We got her positioned well on a layer of fresh straw and gave her food and water. I had to go to a meeting and when I came back a couple hours later she had tried to get up and had crawled across the floor and her hind legs were out straight back again. My kind dairy farmer neighbor came over and we managed to get her feet under her again, but i kind of doubt she will stay still all night.
I am feeling so distraught. And exhausted. The dairy farmer doesn't sound very hopeful for her--but then he thinks a cow over 6 years old is extremely old. Is there any hope? When will I know that there isn't hope? Or that she is in serious pain (she is so stoic and sweet)? How can I keep her still and quiet to heal? What can I do to help her? How crazy is it that her hind legs have been sticking straight back--does that cause permanent damage?
Last night she did not come running to be fed as always, but i got her to eat a bit, and this morning she did not come out of the loafing shed, so I knew something was wrong. I suspected pneumonia because it has been so cold and wet, the vet thought that was probably it too, but when he got here she was down in the shed could not get up even tho she tried. No fever, no dehydration. normal rumen, normal poop. he was puzzled but thought she might have injured a hip. When he went to his car to get an anti-inflammatory injection, she finally got up with a Herculean effort. I thought that was a good sign, When he gave her the injection she flopped down in a bad position in the compost pile next to the fence, and it took a lot of work to dig out around her and get her situated in a good position. I gave her food and water and she seemed relatively comfortable, so we hoped a quiet day in the sun and the anti-inflammatory might be what she needed.
An hour later I saw her standing by the food bin and was amazed she was already feeling so much better sh could have walked to it--but I wen to check on her and discovered she had dragged herself on her knees to get there and somehow stood up , but her knees were scraped and bleeding. But she was eating, that seemed good.
A bit later when I looked out I could see she was lying down again, so I went down to check on her and her front legs were stuck up to her armpits in the mud (we have a very muddy area where the water drains down the hill) and her back legs were sticking straight out back. No way could she get out. I drove to my dairy farmer neighbors for help, and they came with the skidloader and we had to pull her out by one back leg, up the slope to where we could roll her in the bucket and move her into the shed. We got her positioned well on a layer of fresh straw and gave her food and water. I had to go to a meeting and when I came back a couple hours later she had tried to get up and had crawled across the floor and her hind legs were out straight back again. My kind dairy farmer neighbor came over and we managed to get her feet under her again, but i kind of doubt she will stay still all night.
I am feeling so distraught. And exhausted. The dairy farmer doesn't sound very hopeful for her--but then he thinks a cow over 6 years old is extremely old. Is there any hope? When will I know that there isn't hope? Or that she is in serious pain (she is so stoic and sweet)? How can I keep her still and quiet to heal? What can I do to help her? How crazy is it that her hind legs have been sticking straight back--does that cause permanent damage?