A brood cow of mine was watering in the pond and got stuck in the mud. She was in the water for 12-24 hours. I pulled her out and she walked the next day but the day after that she went down. I gave her 36 ml of LA 200 and two days later gave her another injestion. She's improved and is eating grain and has an execelent appetite. She doen't have any coughing or respitory distress. She seems to be very alert and responsive the last two days. She's been down for 8 days now and won't rise even though she seems much improved. What are that chances that she will get up on her own? Is the some way I can help her to get to her feet?

Thanks, Phil

-- Philip L. Smith (farmer7@atlantic.net), February 18, 2002

Answers

Find a cow lifting frame and get her on her feet a few times a day. it's hard to keep circulation in a cows legs if she's down full time. I push the coffee treatment for it's caffein perk up, it helps but it's not the total answer. A cow would take a lot, say 8 to 10 cups. The lifter is so much more important though.

-- Ross (amulet@istar.ca), February 18, 2002.

Phil,

Do you have a loader or portable A frame hoist that you can get near her? If she is not too old and you boost up her rear end you might entice her to try to stand again. I have lost a few who went down and never got up, but I have coaxed many more to their feet and many more years of 4 legged life by lifting. 8 days down seems like a long time to me, but perhaps she is just coming out of it.

What happens if you place her feed out of reach? Will she make an attempt to stand?

Oscar

-- Oscar H. Will III (owill@mail.whittier.edu), February 18, 2002.

Phillip, if she is able to rise partially with her hind legs, I'd continue to fool with her, but if she can't do that, or flip herself from side to side, she's all done. A cow gets down and on one side for too long (we're talking hours only, sometimes), it pinches a nerve and that's it. But if they are down and can shift themselves from side to side, they have a chance. If they are down and can partially raise their hindquarters a foot or two up and then fall back, it's probably only a matter of time before they stand up. If she does get up for you, absolutely let her on no concrete for quite awhile since she may slip on it. Good luck with her.

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@nospammail.com), February 19, 2002.