Very very Lame Heifer

cacs

I have a heifer that is due to calf in about a weeks time. She went lame on one foot about six weeks ago. Now it appears that she is lame on all four feet. She is
Slightly swollen above the hoof and quite tender on it. She can honestly barely walk. I Have been watching her on the camera and She some times only gets up once a day. She also has quite a bad smelly scour. She has been done for Fluke And worms about 4 weeks back. I presume the two are not linked. I have been to two vets we have given her a course of antibiotics and and inflammatories no success. She definitely won’t rear a calf as she melting away if we can get the calf out of her. But honestly I think she won’t make it all. I Don’t know how she is going to turn the corner. I bought her as a maiden heifer a year ago so I don’t have any family history on her. Any ideas welcome.

893bet

Has she been professionally pared?

valtra2

cacs wrote: »

I have a heifer that is due to calf in about a weeks time. She went lame on one foot about six weeks ago. Now it appears that she is lame on all four feet. She is
Slightly swollen above the hoof and quite tender on it. She can honestly barely walk. I Have been watching her on the camera and She some times only gets up once a day. She also has quite a bad smelly scour. She has been done for Fluke And worms about 4 weeks back. I presume the two are not linked. I have been to two vets we have given her a course of antibiotics and and inflammatories no success. She definitely won’t rear a calf as she melting away if we can get the calf out of her. But honestly I think she won’t make it all. I Don’t know how she is going to turn the corner. I bought her as a maiden heifer a year ago so I don’t have any family history on her. Any ideas welcome.

Get her in a crush and turn her up by a professional hooftrimer. He should be able to see whats happening

greysides

While I'm sympathetic to the situation and would hope there may be someone who can help, in an effort to avoid infringements, I'm obliged to point out the guidance of the charter is regard to questions of this nature.

Offering Diagnosis:

A competent diagnosis can only be made by a vet and should not be attempted over the internet. It is permissible to recount similar cases and the diagnosis, especially if they had veterinary involvement. Readers will have to be aware of the dangers inherent in making a decision from such advices. Similarly, once an animal has been examined and treated by a vet, there is nothing to be gained by remote second-guessing.

Offering Treatment:

Discussion of over-the-counter medicines is fine. For the more day-to-day conditions treatments can be discussed, but specific (POM) antibiotics should not be prescribed. Mentioning previous similar experiences, particularly where veterinary help was sought, or suggesting supportive therapy or preventative methods is fine. For serious or uncertain conditions, suggesting a treatment is not allowed and will be subject to infraction.

whelan2

Has the vet actually seen her?

tanko

Sounds like laminitis to me, this would explain the lameness and scouring.
She's in a lot of bother, i'd be getting a vet to her asap.

cacs

whelan2 wrote: »

Has the vet actually seen her?

Thanks for the comments lads. The vet has not come out to see her as they both said there is very little that can be given to her when she is so close to calfing. Initially I thought she got hurt on the slats when it was just one back foot. Now I think it is something more joint related.

White Clover

cacs wrote: »

I have a heifer that is due to calf in about a weeks time. She went lame on one foot about six weeks ago. Now it appears that she is lame on all four feet. She is
Slightly swollen above the hoof and quite tender on it. She can honestly barely walk. I Have been watching her on the camera and She some times only gets up once a day. She also has quite a bad smelly scour. She has been done for Fluke And worms about 4 weeks back. I presume the two are not linked. I have been to two vets we have given her a course of antibiotics and and inflammatories no success. She definitely won’t rear a calf as she melting away if we can get the calf out of her. But honestly I think she won’t make it all. I Don’t know how she is going to turn the corner. I bought her as a maiden heifer a year ago so I don’t have any family history on her. Any ideas welcome.

Have the pin bones gone down a bit? They go all the way to the Peedle bone in the hoof, everything moves when the pin bones move.

cacs

tanko wrote: »

Sounds like laminitis to me, this would explain the lameness and scouring.
She's in a lot of bother, i'd be getting a vet to her asap.

I was trying to get a vet to her the last few days but it is proving difficult. Maybe tomorrow morning things might get back to normal snd get someone out. Honestly I think she is way past pairing

greysides

cacs wrote: »

The vet has not come out to see her as they both said there is very little that can be given to her when she is so close to calfing.

SWEET JESUS!!

SuperTortoise

Until she's seen by a vet get her on straw bedding away from other animals, having her on slats will do her no good especially if there's more in with her to thunk her around the place.
Also if your vet has been unwilling to come out over the last few weeks/week i'd be looking for a new vet.

tanko

cacs wrote: »

I was trying to get a vet to her the last few days but it is proving difficult. Maybe tomorrow morning things might get back to normal snd get someone out. Honestly I think she is way past pairing

Maybe i'm wrong but i'd say that the infection is gone completely through her at this stage.

greysides

tanko wrote: »

Maybe i'm wrong but i'd say that the infection is gone completely through her at this stage.

You could well be right, but never say never, especially with a young animal.

_Brian

Seriously need to get yourself to a new veterinary practice of your asking for a vet to come out and they are refusing.

Get her into a deep bedded shed, one that has old bedding in it if possible, fresh straw on concrete is nice but a soft dung bed with fresh straw will be easier on her.

cacs

_Brian wrote: »

Seriously need to get yourself to a new veterinary practice of your asking for a vet to come out and they are refusing.

Get her into a deep bedded shed, one that has old bedding in it if possible, fresh straw on concrete is nice but a soft dung bed with fresh straw will be easier on her.

Yea I have her out on a straw bed for the last two weeks. It looks My normal vet is moving to small animals and I think just does not want any big animals. We are only with The practice for 20 plus years. Probably staying with each other out of loyalty. The other vet is just dealing with me over the phone. But I do need a new vet. I started calling my normal vet last Monday one week on I am still no further. But tomorrow I will go to a new practice. I think you maybe on to something with the laminitis. I will let them make a call on it tomorrow. Thanks for the good advice for all the posters

cacs

greysides wrote: »

You could well be right, but never say never, especially with a young animal.

Thanks Greyside

cacs

tanko wrote: »

Sounds like laminitis to me, this would explain the lameness and scouring.
She's in a lot of bother, i'd be getting a vet to her asap.

Thanks Tanko I think your on to something

cacs

White Clover wrote: »

Have the pin bones gone down a bit? They go all the way to the Peedle bone in the hoof, everything moves when the pin bones move.

Ok did not know that. Pin bones are only starting. She has at least a week to go yet

Lime Tree Farm

cacs wrote: »

Ok did not know that. Pin bones are only starting. She has at least a week to go yet

We got caught out last Feb, cow extremely lame and thin, she gave birth unseen, to twin calves the following morning - one still born. Found out later on the calving thread that cows carrying twins loose condition very easily.

dar31

Long shot, but did you check her for mastitis?

whelan2

OP you need to sort out your vet situation. What happens if you have an emergency or a calving? Just wondering are you near base price as your vet situation is a bit like hers.

K.G.

Own bred or bought in?.there are some nasty foot diseases doing the rounds

Lime Tree Farm

Lime Tree Farm wrote: »

We got caught out last Feb, cow extremely lame and thin, she gave birth unseen, to twin calves the following morning - one still born. Found out later on the calving thread that cows carrying twins loose condition very easily.

Forgot to say the lameness disappeared immediately following birth, probably the later stages of pregnancy must have been pressing on a nerve . She had twin heifers the previous year as well.

RD10

Next door neighbour had a second calver with something that sounds similiar last year, not sure if she had it before calving as i didnt see her till she was out in field but looks like she did. her calf died at birth-no way she would have been fit to rear it. bad infections in both back feet.
Cow in a lot of pain, swollen above both hooves, vet out multiple times, lanced foot, bathed, ended up cutting away part of hoof. Antibiotics you name it.
Nothing seemed to work. She wasted away to a bag of bones and was eventually taken away.
Think it had probably started to go right through her. Awful watching her trying to get around in field.
Hopefully yours will be a different story.

curiousinvestor

Years back had a similar issue, cow near calving,lame, antibiotics , going backwards etc etc.What really peaked my interest was the swollen comment from op at hoof
The vet went straight for the stethoscope and said the cows heart was In serious trouble and to factory her immediately. A obvious sign was the swelling, I cant remember the explanation. She died 2 weeks later.

cacs

curiousinvestor wrote: »

Years back had a similar issue, cow near calving,lame, antibiotics , going backwards etc etc.What really peaked my interest was the swollen comment from op at hoof
The vet went straight for the stethoscope and said the cows heart was In serious trouble and to factory her immediately. A obvious sign was the swelling, I cant remember the explanation. She died 2 weeks later.

Thanks for the help lads. Asked a very good vet to come to me today. He dung sampled blood tested and paired her feet. He is pretty sure it is laminitis in the feet which caused an secondary infection. Her feet are as soft as he had seen. Suggested she may have rumen fluke also. Thanks for the hood advice

tanko

Did he recommend any treatments? Dosing her for Rumen fluke would be very hard on her at this stage.

funkey_monkey

So the vet thinks she is saveable?

cacs

tanko wrote: »

Did he recommend any treatments? Dosing her for Rumen fluke would be very hard on her at this stage.

Your correct Tanko he said leave the rumen dose until she recovers from the feet and calf’s down. One thing at a time. He gave her a course of antibiotics, anti inflammatories and pain killers. Paired her feet. I could see a marked improvement in her this evening. Get her off concrete ASAP and out to grass. Factory her in back end

tanko

How is she now?

RobinBanks

Lime Tree Farm wrote: »

We got caught out last Feb, cow extremely lame and thin, she gave birth unseen, to twin calves the following morning

Forgot to say the lameness disappeared immediately following birth,

Same here a few years ago. Cow was carrying twins and had laminitis.

OP, I am glad to here she is improving. Let us know if she calves down.

cacs

RobinBanks wrote: »

Same here a few years ago. Cow was carrying twins and had laminitis.

OP, I am glad to here she is improving. Let us know if she calves down.

Heifer calfed down Monday. Not a lot of milk but will keep a calf going. Honestly after she calfed down I could see a huge improvement. Her manure looked more natural and no strong smell. Got the blood test and dung samples back all clear. I think she was in severe pain with the laminitis and her stomach was upset. Big change in her in a week. Honestly I thought she was slipping away for the previous three or four weeks. I was worried she would fail to get up some day. The weight and draw of the calf took its toll on her that with bad laminitis .

Lime Tree Farm

Get some dairy nuts for her

funkey_monkey

cacs wrote: »

Heifer calfed down Monday. Not a lot of milk but will keep a calf going. Honestly after she calfed down I could see a huge improvement. Her manure looked more natural and no strong smell. Got the blood test and dung samples back all clear. I think she was in severe pain with the laminitis and her stomach was upset. Big change in her in a week. Honestly I thought she was slipping away for the previous three or four weeks. I was worried she would fail to get up some day. The weight and draw of the calf took its toll on her that with bad laminitis .

Glad you got the calf out. Hopefully things improve from here on in.