Tempting grub for a poorly Cow?

[steveR]

We have one of our Sucklers in a poor way after a problem 2 weeks ago.

2nd Calver, in great condition was not getting on with calving and looked a bit "starey eyed" so we had the Vet out as I was thinking Milk Fever plus issues... It turned out she had twins and the front was breach. Vet pulled out two dead calves and we also had a poorly cow as the problem was a combination of milk fever and fatty liver from her putting so much into growing the calves. She had simply run out of energy he reckoned...

So A-B's, Calcijet, CalciVit, Liver stuff, PropGlycol followed. Two days later, she was still very lethargic and after chucking so much money at her, I had the vet back and he pumped more stuff into via a pump including rumen activator, (twice) and glucose and the above! Then it was X fingers time.

We have been allowing her out to graze daily which she does in a very uninterested fashion. She will lick a bit of molasses, nuzzle around various cake including coarse ration (usually like sweeties to cattle!) but nothing seems to encourage her appetite and to get her properly recovering. She has a wander to then paddock and back to her shed, but thats about it!

Feels like a die'er, but she has kept going so far, and is a really nice cow! Any suggestions for something to tempt her or to pour down her again as an encouragement to get eating properly

 

[Cows 'n grass]

Ivy.

Even a cow on its death bed will normally eat ivy.

 

[steveR]

Thats what Janice said. She is walking past a building covered with the stuff, daily!

Will pull a bit down and offer it to her overnight

 

[Cows 'n grass]

Keep putting ketol in daily.

She will be at very high risk of getting a DA. LDA can slip in and out which can make them hard to diagnose but if she's really uninterested in food then she may already have one.

 

[steveR]

Keep putting ketol in daily.

She will be at very high risk of getting a DA. LDA can slip in and out which can make them hard to diagnose but if she's really uninterested in food then she may already have one.

LDA?
The Vet did a blood test, and found ketones were spot on. Is Ketol prescription?

 

[Dr. Alkathene]

LDA?
The Vet did a blood test, and found ketones were spot on. Is Ketol prescription?

Left Displaced Abomasum.

 

[steveR]

Left Displaced Abomasum.

Thanks. I've never come across this...

Would this show externally? There is a lump along her flank, but I put this down to the Calcijet site.

 

[milkloss]

Thanks. I've never come across this...

Would this show externally? There is a lump along her flank, but I put this down to the Calcijet site.

Not really had much to do with them but the vet would diagnose fairly quickly by ‘pinging’ the abomasum by listening with a stethoscope.

https://www.msdvetmanual.com/digest...ight-displaced-abomasum-and-abomasal-volvulus

 

[Princess Pooper]

Can you scrounge a nice bale of last year's hay? They'll sometimes start picking and then get eating properly, it's good as it goes slowly through the rumen so more time to absorb nutrients, also encourages cudding.

 

[steveR]

Can you scrounge a nice bale of last year's hay? They'll sometimes start picking and then get eating properly, it's good as it goes slowly through the rumen so more time to absorb nutrients, also encourages cudding.

That seems to be her preferred grub!

 

[Blaithin]

Variety is the spice of life. Get her a smorgasbord. What she eats one day may not be what she eats the next.

Beet pellets, soaked or not soaked, alfalfa, timothy, orchard grass, straw, bread, veggies, cookies, grain, leaves of trees.....

Daily probiotics should help and checking for that LDA, or even an RDA, won't hurt.

 

[steveR]

Variety is the spice of life. Get her a smorgasbord. What she eats one day may not be what she eats the next.

Beet pellets, soaked or not soaked, alfalfa, timothy, orchard grass, straw, bread, veggies, cookies, grain, leaves of trees.....

Daily probiotics should help and checking for that LDA, or even an RDA, won't hurt.

Seem to be trying lost of things... Last resort, is to have teh vet pump stuff into her again, but I am not convinced that this will do more thatn delay the inevitable if she won't eat!

 

[Blaithin]

Shouldn’t need the vet to pump more in. Get some probiotics to give her, in food if she’ll eat it or just a bolus or paste (mine is like a silicone gun to shoot in their mouth).

Or you could try a cud transfer with healthy cows. But that’s one of those easier said than done things

 

[primmiemoo]

Do you have ordinary, common hogweed growing in your farm, @steveR ?

If you do, give her some choice new leaves with her smorgasbord (I like that term, @Blaithin ).

Also try her with bramble. Cut her some stems, and either take off old leaves to give her, or some nice juicy shoots. There's a bonus to you, too, in that you'll prune the bramble and it'll respond by fruiting.

You could also try her with soft growth of gorse, withy leaves, and sycamore leaves.

Is she ok with drinking?

 

[Mr Mackay]

Some really sweet haylege as its smell is even more tempting than Hay sometimes , or a wad or too of clover haylege .
Or some soaked beet pulp with extra molasses

 

[steveR]

Do you have ordinary, common hogweed growing in your farm, @steveR ?

If you do, give her some choice new leaves with her smorgasbord (I like that term, @Blaithin ).

Also try her with bramble. Cut her some stems, and either take off old leaves to give her, or some nice juicy shoots. There's a bonus to you, too, in that you'll prune the bramble and it'll respond by fruiting.

You could also try her with soft growth of gorse, withy leaves, and sycamore leaves.

Is she ok with drinking?

She is drinking but not a lot... However, she seems to prefer a puddle to the clean water in the tank! We have her wandering around the access track to the stackyard and there is everything under the sun available to eat! I tried some willow leaves yesterday, as cattle will always strip a fallen branch in minutes! Not interested!

Might pop to Wynnstay and get some probiotics again for her. And more PG and Liver stuff... If she is alive...

 

[primmiemoo]

Fingres crossed ...

 

[bluebell]

i had an old suckler cow like that a few years back, i made a brew of about 6 teabags worth, a good amount of honey and some powdered glucose, all in warm water, then poured into a wine bottle to give her a drench carefully lifting her head by holding her nose and pouring carefully down, my thoughts were their was nothing to lose by this and im sure in my case it helped alot

 

[dowcow]

Milk is one thing we've found they'll sometimes drink when they wont drink anything else. Warm milk straight from the pipeline even better.

 

[simmy_bull]

Beet pellets would be my suggestion they are normally very palatable for cattle?