Sick Cow - won't lie down

patsy_mccabe · 06-06-2019 4:07pm #1

Have a sick cow here, she's 15 years old. Had the vet out with her last Saturday as she was gone very thin, scouring and her nose was red and peeling a bit.
Vet reckoned she had a touch of photosensitization (which I suspected myself) but also a touch of pneumonia in the right lung. Left lung ok. He gave her Metacam and gave me Marbocyl to inject for 2 days after. I put her in a shed too for 3 days for the photosensitazition. She didn't have a high temperature.

Thing is, every time I check on her, 3 times a day, she is standing up. I've her with 10 or so other cows and all would be lying down. She picked up a small bit since the vet's visit, but scour is still very bad. I bring her in and giving her dairy nuts and she's eating them. She's walking around fine and from a distance she looks ok.

whelan2 · 06-06-2019 4:15pm

Was she dosed?

Albert Johnson · 06-06-2019 4:23pm

What's her breathing like? If there's a slight draw on her then perhaps the pneumonia hasn't cleared up fully. I've seen cows with fluid on there lungs that can appear worse when lying down. They stay standing because it relieves there breathing somewhat. The fact she's eating is a positive sign but I'd definitely keep a close eye on and ring the vet if still unhappy with her progress.

patsy_mccabe · 06-06-2019 4:35pm

whelan2 wrote: »

Was she dosed?

No, she got no dose. Do you mean for worms? I was going to do her tomorrow with a pouron, when the weather clears up. Just in case she has them.

tellmeabit · 06-06-2019 4:39pm

Had 1 here wouldn't lie for days, till she eventually went down tried. Turned out she had a hurt and was afraid to sit. Would be up and down away when on antinflam injection.
Used to pee small bit and often, really only showed sign of something wrong when peeing aside from time I saw her just collapse .

whelan2 · 06-06-2019 4:46pm

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

No, she got no dose. Do you mean for worms? I was going to do her tomorrow with a pouron, when the weather clears up. Just in case she has them.

Ye for fluke and worms. Could she have a wire or something?

Mooooo · 06-06-2019 4:59pm

If she has photosynthesisation dont give her a pour on, give her an injectable version as pour on will irritate her more. If she has pneumonia anti inflammatory is the way but be careful as too much metacam can have knock on effects on the liver so talk to the vet about that

bosallagh88 · 06-06-2019 6:28pm

Levafas diamond is meant to be a less severe dose for treating the scour ur vet would be able to advise better but is the scour bubbly ?

patsy_mccabe · 06-06-2019 6:34pm

bosallagh88 wrote: »

Levafas diamond is meant to be a less severe dose for treating the scour ur vet would be able to advise better but is the scour bubbly ?

Never thought of stomach fluke. Could be that.

bosallagh88 · 06-06-2019 7:13pm

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Never thought of stomach fluke. Could be that.

I had one with bad scour gave her sulpha powder for a few days TIL it cleared up then zanil

148multi · 06-06-2019 7:41pm

How's her milk holding up

patsy_mccabe · 06-06-2019 8:24pm

148multi wrote: »

How's her milk holding up

She's a suckler and doesn't look like she has much. Calved since Jan and vet reckons she's empty. Plan to get rid of her, all going well.

148multi · 07-06-2019 8:20am

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

She's a suckler and doesn't look like she has much. Calved since Jan and vet reckons she's empty. Plan to get rid of her, all going well.

Would a high energy nut be better, dairy nuts fairly high in protein, if liver is dodgy she would need high energy feed. don't like giving doses that cover too much parasites when animal is sick, perhaps just a hoose dose. Chat vet about above and maybe why she didn't have a high temperature.

patsy_mccabe · 07-06-2019 10:27am

bosallagh88 wrote: »

Levafas diamond is meant to be a less severe dose for treating the scour ur vet would be able to advise better but is the scour bubbly ?

Found her lying with the others this morning. Her scour is very watery, smelly and it does have bubbles. Gave her a sachet of sulpha powders as I had them here. Ill get some levafas diamond for her aswell.
My money is on the stomach fluke as I've had it her a few times and the levafas diamond cleared it up.
Anyway, thanks for all the help.

Green&Red · 07-06-2019 11:12am

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

She's a suckler and doesn't look like she has much. Calved since Jan and vet reckons she's empty. Plan to get rid of her, all going well.

I'd be looking to get rid while shes still standing, shes a 15yo cow you can't expect too much from her

Lime Tree Farm · 07-06-2019 11:34am

bosallagh88 wrote: »

Levafas diamond is meant to be a less severe dose for treating the scour ur vet would be able to advise better but is the scour bubbly ?

I have heard and read the opposite for Levafas Diamond. Accurate weighing is also advised.

Care should be taken when treating heavily pregnant animals or animals under stress from adverse weather conditions, poor nutrition, penning, handling, etc. Levafas Diamond Fluke and Worm Drench is not effective against Type II Ostertagiasis (winter scours) in cattle https://www.glanbiaconnect.com/shop/product/Levafas-Diamond/B9038690

This is a hard product on cattle’s systems as it increases their metabolism. Those with worms and fluke will be visibly sick for up to 24 hours after dosing and scour profusely for a few hours.
https://www.farmersjournal.ie/farmer-writes-tackling-the-parasite-problem-197519

The only two products on the market that will control rumen fluke are Zanil (also controls adult liver fluke) and Levafas Diamond (also controls adult fluke and Type I stomach worms). Both are high volume drenches and the recommendation is usually to give two doses a number of days apart (consult with your vet on this)
https://www.independent.ie/business/farming/product-knowledge-key-when-dealing-with-fluke-26783304.html

patsy_mccabe · 07-06-2019 1:04pm

Green&Red wrote: »

I'd be looking to get rid while shes still standing, shes a 15yo cow you can't expect too much from her

I've 4 cows 15 years old here. 3 of them to go this year. Just letting 2 of them rear the calves on a bit more. Will be sorry to see them go, especially one of them who was the head Mama in the place. Lovely quiet intelligent cow. If you were doing anything in the yard or field, she'd come over on her own to see what you were doing. Her no. 2 in charge is a pedigree and a tiny bit wicked.

Muckit · 07-06-2019 6:16pm

Bet u the levafas will sort her

fatten her off grass and bye bye come Oct

Mooooo · 07-06-2019 6:39pm

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

I've 4 cows 15 years old here. 3 of them to go this year. Just letting 2 of them rear the calves on a bit more. Will be sorry to see them go, especially one of them who was the head Mama in the place. Lovely quiet intelligent cow. If you were doing anything in the yard or field, she'd come over on her own to see what you were doing. Her no. 2 in charge is a pedigree and a tiny bit wicked.

Had a cow here we rolled over, when we were milking all year round it was easier, not to put her in calf but she was the boss of the herd and great to keep them moving. She put the head down and wouldn't stop till she hit the field or the yard on the way back in. The herd was fierce slow to move the year she left. Only issue was if you didn't have the wire across the road or forgot to close a gate there was no getting in front of her

whelan2 · 07-06-2019 8:24pm

Mooooo wrote: »

Had a cow here we rolled over, when we were milking all year round it was easier, not to put her in calf but she was the boss of the herd and great to keep them moving. She put the head down and wouldn't stop till she hit the field or the yard on the way back in. The herd was fierce slow to move the year she left. Only issue was if you didn't have the wire across the road or forgot to close a gate there was no getting in front of her

We had one here like that. The general was her name. Was around the time Martin Cahill was shot

Sick Cow - won't lie down

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