colic in cattle

RD10

Have a cow showing signs of colic.
i'm wondering is there anything you can do for cattle with colic? im keeping an eye on her here and ive seen it happen here a few times before and has it always sorted itself out. hopefully she's the same but at what stage if its not sorting itself out do u ring a vet?

Mooooo

If they are in a lot of pain you'd need the vet to give painkillers. They may give a reason for it but sometimes there is not much else they can do. We would give liquid paraffin down the throat. Be no harm to ring them anyway see what they say

Who2

Throw a can of liquid paraffin into her and if she's no better in a while call the vet. It's most likely what he'll do anyway if it's colic.

tanko

Who2 wrote: »

Throw a can of liquid paraffin into her and if she's no better in a while call the vet. It's most likely what he'll do anyway if it's colic.

Most likely what SHE will do you mean:pac:. Four female and two male vets in my local practice.

greysides

Could it be she drank a lot of icy water?

Colics are brutely simple. There's the ones that will sort themselves out and the one's that will be fatal. Painkillers will help in both instances plus any specific treatment determined by likely cause.

Colic is a word for the signs shown due to visceral pain and can be associated with twisted uterus in a cow at calving or kidney pain also. Usually it's swollen or impacted gut but a bad scour can be preceded by colic. A False Colic can be caused by photosensitisation of the udder as the cow kicks at the sore udder/belly.

whelan2

I know its not very common but when I had the ragwort posioned cows the first symptom was colic

Limestone Cowboy

Had a cow yesterday showing all the symptoms of colic. Kicking her belly, throwing herself down on the ground in front of me and kicking, tail out and wouldn't eat nuts. Brought her in and gave her a litre of liquid paraffin but she's still not eating today. Doesn't look to be bloated. Not sure if she passed anything but she doesn't have the tail out today but clearly not right at the same time. Eye is glassy and she's empty. Was getting a lot of nuts the last few weeks trying to spare silage. Would I want to get the vet to her in the morning? I'm not sure if there may be something else causing it that would cause them to show colic like symptoms.

whelan2

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

Had a cow yesterday showing all the symptoms of colic. Kicking her belly, throwing herself down on the ground in front of me and kicking, tail out and wouldn't eat nuts. Brought her in and gave her a litre of liquid paraffin but she's still not eating today. Doesn't look to be bloated. Not sure if she passed anything but she doesn't have the tail out today but clearly not right at the same time. Eye is glassy and she's empty. Was getting a lot of nuts the last few weeks trying to spare silage. Would I want to get the vet to her in the morning? I'm not sure if there may be something else causing it that would cause them to show colic like symptoms.

Would get vet.

Limestone Cowboy

whelan2 wrote: »

Would get vet.

Would acidosis cause similar symptoms?

greysides

Acidosis is more dopey, wobbly with a scour. Could be some kicking but it may depend on how much gas gets produced and swells the guts. Moderate bloat with acidosis.

I'd be a bit concerned about her. Photosensitisation can cause a False Colic with kicking at the belly so check for red, raised skin under her belly and tail. Affects areas with light coloration or skin with no pigment. TBH, it doesn't sound like that either. Removing from sunlight relieves a lot of the pain.

I'd be worried it's an intestinal twist of some sort. If she's feeling cold and has a sunken eye things are not good. Not passing dung is a bad sign too. If things are bad in the morning it could be a job for a bullet rather than a vet. Hopefully it's not though.

You can get colicy signs before a bad scour but i imagine you'd have seen the scour by now.

Any sign of the liquid parafin around her anus? If there is her gut isn't completely blocked. A litre was a bit misery, I think a gallon is more usual.

Limestone Cowboy

greysides wrote: »

Acidosis is more dopey, wobbly with a scour. Could be some kicking but it may depend on how much gas gets produced and swells the guts. Moderate bloat with acidosis.

I'd be a bit concerned about her. Photosensitisation can cause a False Colic with kicking at the belly so check for red, raised skin under her belly and tail. Affects areas with light coloration or skin with no pigment. TBH, it doesn't sound like that either. Removing from sunlight relieves a lot of the pain.

I'd be worried it's an intestinal twist of some sort. If she's feeling cold and has a sunken eye things are not good. Not passing dung is a bad sign too. If things are bad in the morning it could be a job for a bullet rather than a vet. Hopefully it's not though.

You can get colicy signs before a bad scour but i imagine you'd have seen the scour by now.

Any sign of the liquid parafin around her anus? If there is her gut isn't completely blocked. A litre was a bit misery, I think a gallon is more usual.

That's all I had greysides. I didn't get close enough to see. She's lively enough and tail wasn't raised like yesterday so she probably has passed something. Should have got vet today but didn't see her till the evening, was helping a neighbour all day. No sign of a scour up to now.

greysides

If she's lively maybe she's been eating a plant she shouldn't have.....?

Limestone Cowboy

greysides wrote: »

If she's lively maybe she's been eating a plant she shouldn't have.....?

It's possible I guess. I'll get the vet in the morning anyway, thanks greysides.

Limestone Cowboy

Just a bit of an update, had vet this morning and after a lot of checking he reckons there is a partial twist in the gut. Cow was passing some gas while he was at her. Pumped fluids into her and a bottle of calcium and painkiller. Doesn't think it's an lda or rda, not much more he could do.

Limestone Cowboy

Well that took a sudden turn for the worst, feck it anyway

Say my name

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

Well that took a sudden turn for the worst, feck it anyway

Sorry to hear that! :rolleyes:

whelan2

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

Well that took a sudden turn for the worst, feck it anyway

I had a cow calved the other day . Milked her this morning she ate , had 12 litres of milk, put her back in with calves . Went to football and she was dead in the shed when I came home. Pissed off

Limestone Cowboy

whelan2 wrote: »

I had a cow calved the other day . Milked her this morning she ate , had 12 litres of milk, put her back in with calves . Went to football and she was dead in the shed when I came home. Pissed off

Pissed off myself now. Have to take the bad with the good though

Dozer1

tough spring mortality wise all around lost a cow a weanling and a calf in last 2 months and another calf is failing to get over pneumonia so he's a gonner too. another weanling vet reckons won't make it either he went through the herd and said general health is quite good just a bad run.

whelan2

Knackery man collected my cow there now. They are flat out.