Helping our paralysed cow get to fresh pasture

August 7, 2008

There's good and bad news about the sick cow today - The good news is that she survived the night. The bad news is that she still isn't able to stand. Cows that can't stand can't eat sufficient quantities of grass to maintain their muscle mass so it's really important that we can get this cow up and moving within a couple of days.

On the prescription of the vet, we gave her some pain killers and anti-inflammatories this morning in the hope that she'd get up by herself. She shows some determination and actually slid across the concrete a little way on her own but her hind legs and/or back still can't support her weight.

If medication can't help her hopefully some fresh grass and peace and quiet will do the trick. She wouldn't get either while in the cowshed so she needed some help to get to fresh pastures today - help by means of a tractor ride.

Let's hope that she begins to recover soon because if she shows no signs of improvement within a couple of days we'll have to consider letting her go - there's no point in making her suffer if she can't get better.

problems on the farm | calving problems | sick cow | tractor ride

Comments

Wendy Goodpasture said "Calve that can't stand" on 19-Nov-2008,

I read your story on your cow that was paralyzed and was wondering if you could give me some advice. I have 2 month Holstein steer that we found on the ground in a puddle of water on day my husband carried him in and got him warm and dry but the problem is that was seven day's ago and I have not seen him stand on his own sense. I go out at least three times a day and make him stand. He gets up walks around but then once he down he can't get up on his own. Do you have any idea about what might be going on in a case like this or have any advice for me. I would hate to have to put him down.

Thank you,

Wendy

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