On 6/11/06 2:01 PM, "Lucky.Pittman@murraystate.edu"
<Lucky.Pittman@murraystate.edu> wrote:
> So the statement, ��If the cow is down, draw a blood sample before treatment
> is given,�� needs correcting.
Yes.
> I never bothered to collect a blood sample and have it analyzed prior to
> initiating treatment - most of those cows can't wait the two days it would
> have taken to get those results back from the diagnostic laboratory.
I agree. This is why farmers should know all the possible causes and what
has been done prior so that they know that it is most probably GT and can
treat them immediately.
Milk fever is easy to identify.
Nitrate toxicity is easy - the blood goes brown and farmers should again
know all the possible causes of nitrate toxicity and what has been done so
that they know that it is most probably NT and can treat them immediately.
Apart from the above, other causes of animals being sick are local things
such as anthrax in some areas (don��t touch the animals).
Walking unsteadily in circles. See Ketosis and Listeriosis and BSE.
Walking slowly or stiffly, lacking energy, indifferent to surroundings.
Laminitis, Acidosis, foot problems and endophyte staggers, Facial eczema
(these can also kick at their stomach).
Milk fever type symptoms can be because of low calcium, low or excessive
magnesium, low phosphorus, high fluoride, low sodium, over-weight and/or
Phalaris staggers if soils are low in cobalt. Uncoordinated movements can be
from low manganese. Muscular dystrophy (progressive wasting of muscles) and
walking stiffly can be low selenium and/or low vitamin E if not on green
pasture or good pasture silage.
Movements Uncoordinated. Low manganese, endophyte toxicity, BSE.
Muscles twitching. Ryegrass or fescue staggers from endophyte toxicity.
Nitrate toxicity, prussic acid toxicity.
Downer cows.
Milk fever (usually just before or just after calving), grass tetany
(usually a few days after calving), Ketosis, low phosphorus, low sodium, low
cobalt and/or low zinc (Zn blood levels of some can crash during calving).
Pinched nerve, cracked pin bones from low boron (painful like osteoporosis),
being unfit before calving, weakness from cold and/or hunger, many other
deficiencies and sicknesses, lack of ambition and/or no will power.
Drenching carefully with salt and/or zinc sulphate can help those that are
deficient.
> In my own practice experience, if the cow was already down and
> convulsing/seizuring, I was NEVER able to 'save' them. Every one I ever saw in
> that condition died, in spite of administration of the recommended treatments.
What are your recommended treatments?
Best wishes,
Vaughan Jones
Hamilton
Waikato
New Zealand
