New Calf

[BrokenolMarine]

Drama This Morning....

About 6:15 this morning I heard Tina come in from the barn, in tears. I came into the living room to find her really upset.
"Molly is down, and she's been down all night." She said, "You can see where she has struggled to get up all night long."

She was fine about 11pm last night before we went to bed, Tina went down to check on her.
She called the Vet, and he said he was out the door in Five. About Five minutes later he called back and asked if we could have a bucket of hot water waiting to heat the Calcium IV when he arrived. Miss T was back down at the barn, working on the cow when the vet arrived... and they gave her two IVs of Calcium, magnesium, phosphate. She began to perk up a bit, but still wasn't able to get up. T-Bone was watching from the side. The vet gave her a couple more treatments and left. Tina kept working with the calf and cow all thru the morning and by noon Molly was finally back on her feet.

Not completely out of the woods yet.... but way better than where she was this morning. She was close to gone.
Miss T is still upset over the stress... but at least she didn't lose Molly... If she had, the Calf would have been lost as well.

I'll keep y'all posted.

[Hatchdog]

When I read your title “drama this morning” I expected the sick one to be the calf. Best to Molly and Tee also. Hoping to hear some good news.

[JEBar]

I'll keep y'all posted.

please do ..

[BrokenolMarine]

When I read your title “drama this morning” I expected the sick one to be the calf. Best to Molly and Tee also. Hoping to hear some good news.

Well, it's been a long 24 hours plus. The vet was out and Miss T spent the rest of the time in follow up care including trips to Tractor Supply for ... well, supplies. She was back down at the barn off and on every couple hours to treat Miss Molly, and it was touch and go for a while, but she gave her a second dose of Calcium paste around noon, then another dose at midnight. In addition there were a few other tricks thrown in.

Then, Tee got sick as well... "Scours" Miss T called it. Basically it's severe diarrhea, but it can be fatal in young calves under the age of one month. At just two days old, Tee was certainly at risk. With Treatment, both he and his mother were up and about this morning and looking pretty good. Miss Molly still can't eat her hay as her face and mouth are badly bruised from her thrashing attempts at getting up when she originally went down but vet said that this should pass.

Oh, one of the magic elixirs given to Molly over the last 24 hours? Monster Energy Drink. Yup, turns out they are full of vitamins and goodies that help Cows and Goats recover if they go down following a birth and vets have begun to recommend them. Tina added a can to a gallon bucket of water and Molly drank it down yesterday afternoon. Then two cans to her large water bucket this morning and that water is all gone. When she bought a few groceries yesterday, Tina bought two four packs of Monster to keep in the barn fridge just in case.

Who'd have thunk it?

A long 24+ hours but Miss T was smiling when the chores were done this morning.... Glad to see it again.
She takes good care of all her animals... and feels it when they are in pain.

[daytime dave]

Monster energy drinks huh? I wonder if that company has any idea?

[220]

Good job getting her back on her feet. Milk fever?
Thankfully it isnt very common in beef cattle although I usually keep a IV on hand at calving time just in case.
Sheep occasionally get it, had one last lambing, I am not very proficient at inserting IV's so just get what I can into them subcutaneously. They are slower to respond but it usually works.
I do get a bit of pregnancy toxemia is sheep, it is pretty much just low glucose levels, usually I just give the glucose syrup or honey will keep the Monster in mind as it would probably work equally well.

My calves are getting old enough they are quite happy to just hang out together while the cows feed. Found around 30 of them on their own yesterday afternoon with not a cow in sight.

[BrokenolMarine]

The way it was explained to me was that the Milk Production drains the calcium down so low they become too weak to recover... unless you get calium into them. She got two bottles of Calcium IV, on top of the Calcium Gel that Miss T gave her early that morning. I'm guessing it's more common in Milk Cow breeds, since they produce so much MORE milk. Note the size of that bag in the first picture in this thread. Tina didn't have this problem with the last delivery because she feed Straight Alfalfa hay for the last six weeks or so Molly carried the calf, which is very high in calcium. This time she didn't because that can cause HIGH milk production and Molly is prone to Mastitis. Guess you are damned if you do and ...

Miss T went and picked up three hundred pound bales of Alfalfa yesterday and put some in the hay rack in the stall. Once her face stops hurting, I'm sure Molly will do a number on the hay in the rack. We don't plan to breed her anymore... once she stops producing after this cycle, she'll be retired and just grace the field and enjoy her life.

[220]

Hypocalcaemia commonly called milk fever her in Aus.

A bit of information on cause, treatment and prevention

https://www.mla.com.au/research-and-dev ... ilk-fever/

[BrokenolMarine]

Thanks for the information, most all of it is in agreement with that which we have received from the VET and from two sources heavily into the Dairy business. (one of which offered the Monster trick.)

The injuries to the left side of Molly's face, and body may indicate she actually had a seizure that caused her fall and contributed to her weakened state and inability to rise after going down. The constant rubbing on the stall floor rubbed raw spots in several locations which Miss T is treating with antibiotic lotions to prevent infection and lessen the discomfort for the cow. In the future, we'll move a camera in to cover the stall interior during calving ... at this time the cameras cover the outside of the barn on the lookout for predators.

I'll save the link for future reference and send it to my daughter as well.

[BrokenolMarine]

Tina was concerned about Miss Molly again this morning. She is up and eating but her breathing was off, raspy and labored. Tina suspected Pneumonia. She called the vet and and said he would rather run out and check her... he did and confirmed Miss T's diagnosis. Two shots and said they were good for four days... if she isn't better in four days let him know and he'll repeat the treatment. Miss Tina told him that she suspected the cow aspirated dust or dirt during her seizure, and the vet agreed.

T-Bone is bouncing around the paddock like the energizer bunny... and having a grand time. Eating (okay, sucking...) well. Molly is eating and drinking well and other than the Pneumonia, looks MUCH better. Hopefully she is out of the woods.

For entertainment value... Here are some pics of the family:
Stormy, is seven months and T-bone's "Sister" a Baldy Faced Angus....

sister stormy 231026.jpg (428.84 KiB) Viewed 5560 times

Princess Fiona is his Other Sissy... and I think she's four, and spoiled Rotten. She was down there right after he was born and nose to nose with him.

Sister Fiona 231025.jpg (529.47 KiB) Viewed 5560 times

Here is T-bone at two days old after a romp in the paddock and his belly full.

Tbone at two days 231026.jpg (427.11 KiB) Viewed 5560 times

Last but not least, this is Donkey, (Say it with a Scottish accent.) He is the protector of the herd, with a true hatred of Coyotes and all things Canine. He'll dance on their heads. He is often seen "Standing Guard" outside the stalls while Molly and Stormy sleep at night. He'll graze a bit with the gals during the day but will often stand and doze while they graze in the daytime. He pops alert at the slightest noise. He can be kind of an A$$. Haw Haw Haw....

donkey 1 230220.jpg (805.59 KiB) Viewed 5560 times

[dave77]

Does Donkey tolerate Princess Fiona?

[BrokenolMarine]

Does Donkey tolerate Princess Fiona?

Actually, No.
Fiona used to go to the barn with Mom and help Herd the chickens into the coop. She was good at it and the grin on the little gals face showed how much she enjoy working and pleasing Mom. Donkey has always been protective of Miss T and a bit jealous, and again, hates Canines, anything Canine. He had come up thru the woods behind the coop and BOOM, flashed out of the woods and charged Fiona while Tina was in the feed room of the coop getting the grain for the chickens.

She's small, but she's Quick.
Fiona heard the hoofbeats and Zoomed around the new barn, thru the breezeway, out the other end and under the barbedwire fence and was yelping the entire time. Tina was out of the feed room in a shot and ON donkey like a Rocket Launcher and smacked him with a Riding Crop across his haunches as many times as she could before he left a fire trail back up the path to the North Pasture.

Fiona had come straight to the house, and rung HER doorbell, to be let in and got in my lap shivering. (Yup, one on the steps at the front and back doors, she paws it and it rings a bell in the house... spoiled rotten.)

Tina checked her over thinking Donkey had connected and might have broken something. Fiona limped pretty badly for a few days but was fine after that. I pulled the camera footage from the coop/barn area and it clearly showed he never got within ten yards of her... The Princess is Quick.
She was limping due to the strain of her reaction. (When she was a pup, she had major knee issues in a back leg and had to have surgery to correct it, and has pins in that leg.)

NOW, If donkey is loose in the pastures, Fiona doesn't go in the pastures. If he is in the paddock, she doesn't go into the paddock/barn area. Mostly she'll go to the barn with MOM and sit outside the barbed wire calmly and wait for her to come back out and walk back to the house with her, or walk down with her to the barn then come immediately back up and ring the bell to be let in. She avoids Donkey... she's quick, but more importantly, the gal is SMART.

[BrokenolMarine]

It has been a bad week for Miss T. A hard week. Miss Molly was up the second day after the Milk Fever, but down that evening. T-Bone recovered nicely and was the energizer bunny, running and leaping around the paddock at 2 days, and a bundle of joy. He was obviously a baby boy, stubborn and demanding... NOW mom, Now...

Sadly, it appeared that Mom aspirated bad things into her left lung when she went down on that side during her seizure, and it turned into Pneumonia. We had become the Vet's best friend over the last week, and He had become Miss T and Molly's. Molly was more than just Tina's milk cow, she belongs to our daughter in Southern Oklahoma, we took her to free up space in her barn, and Miss T has always taken great care of our animals, and CARED for them as well. They have names and aren't numbers. They are pets.

Tina has been treating Miss Molly 24/7 for the last week, getting up in the middle of the night to check her temps and give her meds...
but Molly failed to beat the illness. It's over.
Tina is exhausted.

Miss Tina called a friend - He came through for us and his nephew and young wife came today and picked up T-Bone and they will bottle feed him.
Tina gave them the calf based on need and a promise of a good home for the little fella.


It's been a bad week. Tina noticed that the barn standpipe failed and we have our guy coming in the morning to replace that, and the old line running to it...

Blessed we can get someone out. Not always the case these days.

[dave77]

So sorry for your loss. Have never had a pet cow but have had my horse and many goats that were pets and hard to lose.

Good that you have a good large animal vet. Our only local large animal vet is wanting to retire and is having a difficult time finding someone to take over his practice. Seems that most vets graduating now would much rather be treating small animals in a nice clean and comfortable exam room instead of making farm calls. There is a young vet here that I was able to get to euthanize a very sick goat when my regular vet was out of town but he really only specializes in treating horses.

[BrokenolMarine]

So sorry for your loss. Have never had a pet cow but have had my horse and many goats that were pets and hard to lose.

Good that you have a good large animal vet. Our only local large animal vet is wanting to retire and is having a difficult time finding someone to take over his practice. Seems that most vets graduating now would much rather be treating small animals in a nice clean and comfortable exam room instead of making farm calls. There is a young vet here that I was able to get to euthanize a very sick goat when my regular vet was out of town but he really only specializes in treating horses.

When we were in VA, and first married, Miss Tina had a LONG relationship with a large animal Vet that made farm calls. She met her when she first started her practice and Tina was available while the kids were in school. The Vet quickly discovered that Tina's background and experience was helpful when they ran into each other on the various calls, and she knew all the farmers. Tina enjoyed working with the animals and the Vet often call to see if Tina could accompany her on farm calls when she needed an extra skilled hand for this or that.

Eventually, the VET became comfortable enough that she would often tell the Farmer that if they liked, Miss T could come out and change the dressings or clean the wounds for them if they weren't comfortable doing it and save them her farm calls fees. She assured them that Tina would call her immediately if she felt the VET was needed. This freed up HER time for more pressing matters, and the farmers paid Tina a small sum for every visit.

After a few years in practice, she had several paid assistants and no longer needed Tina but never forgot who was there when she needed her. If WE needed Vet services, large or small, we never had to pay the farm call fee, just the meds and associated materials, or labor if she had to perform surgical procedures. Plus, if Tina called, the VET showed up. It was just one more in the string of "guys" (gals?) we hated to leave behind when we left VA.

We tried several practices when we got here, but stumbled onto the Doc we use now through a friend. Doc Warren has LONG been retired. He is in his 70s and only takes on new clients when HE feels like it. He works from his home, answers his "Office cell himself" and stays as busy in retirement as he did in the practice. (His words.) He came out to check a sick cow the first year for us, and he and Tina hit if off immediately. He took us ON as clients because he could see the care Tina put into the animals and the facilities. WE are lucky to have him on the "Team."

[Sir Henry]

Sorry for your loss. Keep us posted on T-Bone.

[JEBar]

sorry to hear this .... there is no doubt that you guys gave it your best

[BrokenolMarine]

Sorry for your loss. Keep us posted on T-Bone.

T-Bone left yesterday evening with a young man who looked like a lumberjack. He showed up in a crewcab pickup, lifted the five day old calf up and put him in the back seat. Fiona supervised and looked over her shoulder to ask me where Tee was going. After the young man left, I took Fiona for a ride in the UTV. We got to the end of the road, and the pickup was stopped and both doors on the truck were open on the driver's side were open.

I pulled up and rolled my window down. "Everything okay?"

He looked over his shoulder. Laughed.

"I got it now." I could see he was tying T-Bone down with the halter and lead line in the back seat. "He must think he is a dog, he tried to climb into the front seat."

[Hatchdog]

Sorry for all Tina had to go thru this week and for Molly too. I bet Tina got a laugh when you told her the calf who would be a dog story. I’m sure that helped a little bit.

[BrokenolMarine]

We had hoped that Molly would pull through, but we won't make an animal suffer so we don't have to make the decision. We had a friend who kept his old cat alive for five or six years longer than he should have by giving it about $200 a month worth of drugs.... it was like a Stephen King Pet Cemetary thing, ghosting thru the house. His wife, Tina and I had all told him it was TIME to let her go, but "She has been my best friend for so long," was his excuse. The same thing happened with his two dogs. Meds until they finally passed on their own in spite of the drugs. NOT fair to the animals.