Post by Applelonia on Jul 11, 2018 1:23:15 GMT -5
Going to try to explain this the best I can ~ I’m very upset and I’ve been crying....I just got in from finishing chores at 1am so there may be lots of typos.....
I went outside around 3:30 this afternoon, Appy was eating in the pasture. It’s been hot here in the 90’s heat index. Today was mid 80’s. She only has shade in the back pasture area of her pasture. Most of her pasture is sunny. Most of the day she is grazing in the sun. But she does have shade if she wants to go there. She was standing in her shady area around 3:30pm and then went off to look for things to eat in the pasture. She seemed normal. Then she walked off in search of pasture forage - was walking normally at 3:30pm.
This evening I was doing chores ~ a little before 8..Appy was laying in the middle of the pasture. No sun was on her at the time. Her head was up then she just laid it down. “Appy” no response. She was laying on her right side with her head bent back so that her horns were almost touching her back. “APPY” I saw her tail flick and her ear move. It didn’t look right. I immediately cut across the other cows pasture and went to see her. She never picked up her head but she was alive. I checked her for signs of bloat - nothing. I checked her horn temp - normal - no fever. I felt her all over and she didn’t feel hot or too warm. Breathing was normal. But, I thought “OH NO!” This is my fault I should have left her in when it was hot today. I had thought of leaving her in but she’s been out for days and I figured it’s healthier for her to be out on pasture then standing in the barn all day which she would prefer. I ran and got her water. She picked up her head and did not want the water. She then tried to get up - shaky legs. She had her rump up and was on her knees on her front legs trying to stand. She finally got up but immediately picked up her left front leg and could not put weight on it. She was shaking in the legs and they were buckling under her but she stood on three shaking legs. She tried to hobble away. She then went down again - head went back in the same weird position.
I called both vets. One was just two minutes away finishing up a call at a different farm. He came and Appy got up once again on shaking legs - unable to put weight on her left front leg.
I got the horn rope for her and we tied her up to the fence post so the vet could inspect her.
I’ll try to explain it the best I can with words....
Her left hoof was bent back so that the top part of her hoof was parallel with the ground. She did not want to or could not straighten it out to the normal position.
The vet moved her leg all around. As he was doing this I had my hand on her rump - between the hook/pin bones. I heard and felt clicking in this area. It was coming from several locations within her hip. I then felt clicking in her spine. I told him but he didn’t think it was necessarily related. I believe it is. He moved her leg again and clicking, popping in her hip and spine. It was not like the crinkle back as I called it (when she calved the first time and got all that air along her spine - over three years ago). That was like air under the skin. This felt like it was deep in the bones. Hope that makes sense.
She was grinding and grinding her teeth. Vet did not give her anything.
He could not feel any broken bones but he thinks it’s broken in her leg...he’s thinking humerus area. There is lots of very visable swelling in her humerus to elbow to forearm (ulna, radius) area.
I talked to the second vet by phone. They asked about black leg vaccine - if that’s what this is I will feel beyond sick if it could have been prevented. ☹️ They said it’s a possiblity but that at this point high doses of Penicillin and prayer would be her only hope. They also lean towards injury of some kind - either a break/fracture or a radial nerve injury. They said for this steroids would be given while we waited to see if there was any improvement.
Tomorrow is going to be over 90 degrees. The second vet said she will get heat stroke if she’s out in that and down. My husband took down the stall wall that devides her stall. I don’t know how but she needs to get back to the barn in the morning. Please pray she has the strength to get there.
She has made her way to the back side of the pasture. She does not want to be by the other cows. I don’t like her out there in the dark with our coyote population and possible cougars in her weakened, injured state but I can not get her back at 1:30am in the morning. So, I pray The Lord keeps her safe.
The first vet thinks there’s not much chance it’s anything other than a broken leg. He thinks only real option is to beef her. I was sobbing.
Both vets said to wait and leave her overnight and check her in the morning...I told my husband I don’t know if I can do this anymore...having animals is too painful. This feels like a horrble, terrible, awful dream...
Any ideas of what it might be that might be fixable? Or does this sound like a broken leg?
Those of you who pray...please pray for Appy.
I went outside around 3:30 this afternoon, Appy was eating in the pasture. It’s been hot here in the 90’s heat index. Today was mid 80’s. She only has shade in the back pasture area of her pasture. Most of her pasture is sunny. Most of the day she is grazing in the sun. But she does have shade if she wants to go there. She was standing in her shady area around 3:30pm and then went off to look for things to eat in the pasture. She seemed normal. Then she walked off in search of pasture forage - was walking normally at 3:30pm.
This evening I was doing chores ~ a little before 8..Appy was laying in the middle of the pasture. No sun was on her at the time. Her head was up then she just laid it down. “Appy” no response. She was laying on her right side with her head bent back so that her horns were almost touching her back. “APPY” I saw her tail flick and her ear move. It didn’t look right. I immediately cut across the other cows pasture and went to see her. She never picked up her head but she was alive. I checked her for signs of bloat - nothing. I checked her horn temp - normal - no fever. I felt her all over and she didn’t feel hot or too warm. Breathing was normal. But, I thought “OH NO!” This is my fault I should have left her in when it was hot today. I had thought of leaving her in but she’s been out for days and I figured it’s healthier for her to be out on pasture then standing in the barn all day which she would prefer. I ran and got her water. She picked up her head and did not want the water. She then tried to get up - shaky legs. She had her rump up and was on her knees on her front legs trying to stand. She finally got up but immediately picked up her left front leg and could not put weight on it. She was shaking in the legs and they were buckling under her but she stood on three shaking legs. She tried to hobble away. She then went down again - head went back in the same weird position.
I called both vets. One was just two minutes away finishing up a call at a different farm. He came and Appy got up once again on shaking legs - unable to put weight on her left front leg.
I got the horn rope for her and we tied her up to the fence post so the vet could inspect her.
I’ll try to explain it the best I can with words....
Her left hoof was bent back so that the top part of her hoof was parallel with the ground. She did not want to or could not straighten it out to the normal position.
The vet moved her leg all around. As he was doing this I had my hand on her rump - between the hook/pin bones. I heard and felt clicking in this area. It was coming from several locations within her hip. I then felt clicking in her spine. I told him but he didn’t think it was necessarily related. I believe it is. He moved her leg again and clicking, popping in her hip and spine. It was not like the crinkle back as I called it (when she calved the first time and got all that air along her spine - over three years ago). That was like air under the skin. This felt like it was deep in the bones. Hope that makes sense.
She was grinding and grinding her teeth. Vet did not give her anything.
He could not feel any broken bones but he thinks it’s broken in her leg...he’s thinking humerus area. There is lots of very visable swelling in her humerus to elbow to forearm (ulna, radius) area.
I talked to the second vet by phone. They asked about black leg vaccine - if that’s what this is I will feel beyond sick if it could have been prevented. ☹️ They said it’s a possiblity but that at this point high doses of Penicillin and prayer would be her only hope. They also lean towards injury of some kind - either a break/fracture or a radial nerve injury. They said for this steroids would be given while we waited to see if there was any improvement.
Tomorrow is going to be over 90 degrees. The second vet said she will get heat stroke if she’s out in that and down. My husband took down the stall wall that devides her stall. I don’t know how but she needs to get back to the barn in the morning. Please pray she has the strength to get there.
She has made her way to the back side of the pasture. She does not want to be by the other cows. I don’t like her out there in the dark with our coyote population and possible cougars in her weakened, injured state but I can not get her back at 1:30am in the morning. So, I pray The Lord keeps her safe.
The first vet thinks there’s not much chance it’s anything other than a broken leg. He thinks only real option is to beef her. I was sobbing.
Both vets said to wait and leave her overnight and check her in the morning...I told my husband I don’t know if I can do this anymore...having animals is too painful. This feels like a horrble, terrible, awful dream...
Any ideas of what it might be that might be fixable? Or does this sound like a broken leg?
Those of you who pray...please pray for Appy.