Calving in Below Freezing

[greybeard]

The vet came over and gave her a "drench" on Saturday. If anyone doesn't know what that is (because I sure didn't) they basically take a huge long tube, stick it down their throat right into the rumen and pump 8L of fluid into her. The fluid has a bunch of minerals and electrolytes and stuff in it. She took it like a champ but then had the worst runs the next day so we moved her out of the barn and into the paddock so she could watch the other cows and hopefully mock them and get eating.

5 days and still no food but maybe am I just missing her snacking a bit on hay? She fought us hard last night during her injections you'd think she would be exhausted from no eating by this point?

Anyone have any idea how long a cow can go without eating?

Depends on her condition and absolute nutritional needs, but they can go a long time on stored fat--at least 2-3 weeks if need be. The fact that she still has energy enough to fight ya when it comes to medication is a good thing.
Is she drinking any water at all on her own?

 

[cjc]

he could still smell the gas quiet

Depends on her condition and absolute nutritional needs, but they can go a long time on stored fat--at least 2-3 weeks if need be. The fact that she still has energy enough to fight ya when it comes to medication is a good thing.
Is she drinking any water at all on her own?

She is drinking water most days but she hasn't had much since the drench, I think it hit her pretty hard. But yes, she is still taking in some water.

She was living with my bottle calves so tonight when I give them grain I am going to bring some of the calves in with her and feed them together. She is always so aggressive with food I am thinking maybe if the calves rush the grain her food motivated instincts will kick in and she will try eating. I am grasping at anything here! I am offering her all of her favorite things. She has two types of grain, good quality hay, poor quality hay and alfalfa all to choose from in her paddock.

 

[farmerjan]

Did you happen to ask the vet about B-12? As an appetite stimulant? I had a cow that went for 9+ days with no apparent feed intake although she did drink 5-20 gal a day. Put electrolytes in her water bucket too to help keep her strength up. I gave that cow B-12; 5cc / day for 10 days, then she finally started eating. She had twisted (DA) and just didn't bounce back like most do. Once I got her to finally eat, she came back. Lost that lactation, and when she got back some weight we shipped her, since she had been a problem from the first calf and this was the third.
Good idea to bring the calves in to "entice her" to want to eat/hog the grain. She may be picking at the hay a bit when you don't notice. I think that cow of mine was eating a mouthful or two but not so you'd notice. She may need the company and she may be depressed because there is no calf to stir her maternal instinct. Her hormones have to be going in the opposite direction since she is no longer pregnant, and they do grieve for their babies even though there wasn't a successful outcome, her body is adjusting hormonally to the difference.
I would take the grain away and only offer it when you give it to the calves and she might get a little more interest since it isn't there in front of her too. Keep the hay there as she needs to be able to eat it if only a mouthful at a time.
Good luck, I think of her nearly everyday when I am doing my animals.

 

[cjc]

Did you happen to ask the vet about B-12? As an appetite stimulant? I had a cow that went for 9+ days with no apparent feed intake although she did drink 5-20 gal a day. Put electrolytes in her water bucket too to help keep her strength up. I gave that cow B-12; 5cc / day for 10 days, then she finally started eating. She had twisted (DA) and just didn't bounce back like most do. Once I got her to finally eat, she came back. Lost that lactation, and when she got back some weight we shipped her, since she had been a problem from the first calf and this was the third.
Good idea to bring the calves in to "entice her" to want to eat/hog the grain. She may be picking at the hay a bit when you don't notice. I think that cow of mine was eating a mouthful or two but not so you'd notice. She may need the company and she may be depressed because there is no calf to stir her maternal instinct. Her hormones have to be going in the opposite direction since she is no longer pregnant, and they do grieve for their babies even though there wasn't a successful outcome, her body is adjusting hormonally to the difference.
I would take the grain away and only offer it when you give it to the calves and she might get a little more interest since it isn't there in front of her too. Keep the hay there as she needs to be able to eat it if only a mouthful at a time.
Good luck, I think of her nearly everyday when I am doing my animals.

Thanks for thinking about my girl! I didn't ask him about it as a appetite stimulate but I will today, he thought the drench would that and he added a bunch of vitamins too it so perhaps B-12 was in it.

She did put her head in the grain bucket yesterday when the calves were eating but she didn't really eat anything. So that does seem to stimulate her some way. We will do that for all her feedings. We also put a ton of molasses on grain and hay and offered it to her. She licked up the molasses so I may get creative with that today. I am sure molasses isn't the best thing to get her started eating on but its better than nothing.

 

[Mini Horses]

If she's licking molasses, maybe some of the fortified tubs or liquids would be a help? Like you, I'm grabbing at straws to increase food & nutrient intake. Red Cell has always helped my minis and some of the calmative meds can create the "munchies" for the animal.

 

[babsbag]

How is your cow? When I don't see a post in a situation like this I am almost afraid to ask. I hope no news is good news.

BTW did you ever find out if you are having a girl or boy?

 

[Beekissed]

After all the antibiotics, she could need some LABs/probios to jumpstart her rumen. I wouldn't give her less than 30 billion count, 50 if you can get it. That could get her eating and digesting well again.

 

[cjc]

She went 11 solid days with not even a sniff of food. I called a friend and said I was going to give her 2 more days to eat and then I was going to put her down. I tried one last thing. I drenched her one last time, @Beekissed all the good stuff you mention is in my drench. I also put the drenching powder in her water. Plus electrolytes in another to get her from all angels. I also took her off the LA 200 and moved her to a long active Penicillin, now I know I have hit her with all types of antibiotics. She is now eating a bit of hay. She is back to normal looking manure, not as consistent as she should be but its still not water. We have seen her eating hay the past 2 days.

I also took her out of her paddock and put her out with the calves. I think this helped her get to the round bale to eat. She is still not eating grain but I am going to give her another week to see if she can start to feel better. I refuse to watch her suffer so I am glad I am seeing some improvement.

I am taking her off metacam and trimidox today and only going to give her a few more doses (every 3 days) of the Penicillin. I gave her Trimidox, LA200 and metacam for 2 solid weeks. If it is going to help her I think it already has. Penicillin will be our last attempt. But I do have faith now that she is eating. She is still isolating herself from the herd at night and when grazing so that's concerning. And the not eating grain is a concern as well. She normally bulldozes the other cows for grain. I will let you all know what the next few days bring for our sweet girl. She ran for her life yesterday in the field when we tried to give her a shot. Bucking like crazy. Took 2 hours to get her. So that to me is a good sign.

@babsbag I am having a BOY! Thanks for asking. First boy on my side in 5 generations! He has A LOT of aunties waiting for him.

 

[farmerjan]

cjc I really think that any type of probiotics will help her gut tract. And the running for her life to NOT get the shot really is a good sign. Is she running a temp?? If not then you can pretty much rule out infection at this point. All those antibiotics have killed off any good intestinal flora and she won't have any appetite and nothing will taste good so she won't want to eat. If she is eating hay, don't worry about the grain for now. The bulk of the hay is better for her to get her rumen working better. I still also believe she is going through an adjustment of the hormones from the over long "pregnancy" , on top of the surgery. I honestly do believe that if she is eating the hay, she is on the road to recovery. She may never be a grain eater again. If there is no fever, then I think you will be okay. Keep electrolytes/nutrients in her water, and maybe some probiotics down her a couple of times to get her intestinal flora back up and going. The gels are a pain to give but REALLY do help. We use it for any animals that are run down, not eating, acting not "right".

We have a very thin cow that we are working with right now so I think of your trials when we feed. She is up and eating, she got very thin at pasture, I am thinking maybe hardware now and will put a magnet down her too. She's also been limping on one foot and wasn't going to the water trough so got dehydrated also. We had weaned her calf in late Oct so it wasn't that she was getting run down from that. And she isn't a pet or anything but you still try to take care of them....

 

[babsbag]

2 hours to catch her is certainly a sign that she is tired of being poked. Poor girl, it's hard when we have to hurt them to fix them.

Congratulations on the baby boy, sounds like he is going to be spoiled.