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Post by caledonialass on Nov 20, 2008 17:25:03 GMT -5
Dexters are certainly heartier than most other breeds and until mine got "Hardware" she was always healthy. We gave her a magnet and it does'nt bother her anymore but she wont get up! We've been trying for three days to get her up but she wont. The vet says there's nothing wrong with her she eats drinks and plops just as any other cow only she does it while she's down.
Has anyone elses cow done this? Will she ever get up or is our best bet a crane? Most other cows would have died of bloat or colic by now but she has no sign of either. Any suggestions? Ideas? I'd apreciate any info there is. Thanks.
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Post by onthebit on Nov 20, 2008 17:37:47 GMT -5
What are the symptoms of hardware disease?
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Post by Cloverbell on Nov 20, 2008 19:41:55 GMT -5
Has the vet been out to examine her?
Hardware usually manifests itself as dry or wet cough, losing weight, eating and pooping like normal but failure to thrive. We had one suspected of having it that we treated for months, two vets, every drug, still declined and we had to put her down finally. Really miserable. The only way we could have known for sure was to load her carcass up and take it to UT for an autopsy but we didn't go that step and buried her. Very, very sad.
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Post by otf on Nov 20, 2008 19:54:58 GMT -5
caledonialass, did your cow calve recently, did the vet give her anything, have you rolled her over several times a day, is she making any effort to rise?
Our experience with hardware: cow with one-month calf on her was found spending a lot of time lying down, obviously "off." Our regular vet was away, but the vet covering for her came, examined her and said he thought it was a tumor but that we could try putting a magnet in her and giving her penicillin (of course, he had neither with him!). So, I got a magnet in her, gave her penicillin, tried to bottle-feed the calf (no go!); but by the next day, she bounced back, her udder filled up, and her calf was able to nurse again.
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Post by onthebit on Nov 20, 2008 22:15:34 GMT -5
The reason I asked about hardware disease is because I have a young first calf heifer who isn't doing as well as the others all of a sudden. She is either wormy or has hardware disease IMO. So I am going to treat her for both.
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Post by caledonialass on Nov 21, 2008 0:40:59 GMT -5
she just weaned her calf, and yes we've given her penicillin and calcium. She does attempt to rise and we do roll her over. When my brother got back from a long haul today we got her lifted but she has'nt attempted to use her legs to support herself yet. Other than that she seems just fine, and the vet just shrugs his shoulders and says he don't have a clue what's up.
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Post by Cloverbell on Nov 21, 2008 17:28:35 GMT -5
Update? Anything new today?
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Post by caledonialass on Nov 21, 2008 18:30:09 GMT -5
Today she started to actually use her front legs to support herself a bit, but her hind quarters are still slack. She eats and drinks and whatnot as healthy as can be, but thats about it. I've been rubbing her legs with stimulating ointments in hopes of helping her along. Anyone know how long you can keep a cow "Hung up" ? Most everyone who stops by to see her gets all fluffy and says we neeeeed to let her down because she is uncomfortable. They don't seem to be able to grasp that down is pretty much dead. I really want her to pick up and be healthy, she's the sweetest girl.
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Post by tiffin on Nov 21, 2008 18:42:08 GMT -5
Keep us updated. Good luck.
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Post by marion on Nov 21, 2008 18:52:25 GMT -5
I always thought the classic sign of hardware disease was looking sort of sucked up in the gut, with a roached back as well as generally not thriving. They say to test for hardware by pinching down on each side of the withers and the cow will groan if she has hardware.
I think the vets cover their bases by giving a magnet just in case , with non-specific syptoms, and sometimes it seems to work..marion
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Post by isolde on Dec 11, 2008 21:22:25 GMT -5
We had a cow down like that and after a month of head scratching the vet finally thought to align her spine and pelvis. She jumped up healthy and hearty! Perhaps you should consider having her checked for that?  ? |
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Post by caledonialass on Apr 1, 2009 13:47:30 GMT -5
Sorry I hav'nt got around to finishing the updates on this, We have been really busy.
As it goes, I was out taking care of me animals the night after my last update- and one of my sisters called to tell me that her son was being shipped to the hospital in another town. At this time her baby girl was only 1 week old and she needed me to go with her to help with her baby and sick son. when I returned 2 weeks later the vet had already convinced mum to just let him put the cow down.
Not how I would have chosen to end the story, but we cant be to picky about life I guess.
Anyhow me hands are full, what with training her sister to be a milk cow, so I've got a packed schedule to keep me busy.
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