The Rural Voice, 1982-04, Page 20DAIRY
Bring your cows, quota, wife and family to
one of the best on the market. 150 acre show
place, land in two parcels, Targe barn has
loose housing pens, 28 ties with cleaner, big
paved yard, 16 x 60' silo, also large bunker,
milk house attached, 2 drivesheds. Spotless
clean brick home. Farm fronts on hardtop.
Don't buy until you see it. Reduced to
$149,000. Machinery can be purchased.
Call
M.K. Hendry, Realtor,
20 Main St. Dundalk,
Tel: [519] 923-2812
BOOK NOW
FOR 1982
BUILDING
SEASON
FOR OXYGEN CONTROLLED 8
BOTTOM UNLOADING
RE-INFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES
GIVE USA CALL OR BETTER STILL
DROP IN AND SEE US
Schoonderwoerd Bros.
Ltd.
MITCHELL, ONT.
OFFICE EVENINGS
3484701 FREE ESTIMATES 393-8814, 345-2459
PG. 18 THE RURAL VOICE/APRIL 1982
The downer cow syndrome
BY DR. BEN MILTENBURG
To most dairymen and cow -calf operators, the downer cow
brings to mind a sick cow, then a hopeless cow and then a dead
cow. To veterinarians, these cows are frustrating as well. Let's
define our subject more closely. A downer cow is one that is
bright and alert, stays in a normal (sternal) position, but can't
get up. Obviously, a dying, flat out cow would not qualify.
Most downer cows occur in the spring months, i.e. March to
May, and typically involve adult dairy cows or dairy and beef
heifers. Occasionally an adult beef cow goes down following a
tough calving.
There are four common sources of downer cows of which the
most important is the treated milk fever cow that brightens up
but never gets up. The second source is calving paralysis --most
often seen in heifers. Toxic diseases such as toxic (septic)
mastitis may also 1 ead to downers as may injuries such as hip
dislocation, fractures, torn ligaments. etc.
Let's look at how these four downers work. The milk fever
cow after two calcium treatments is rarely. if ever, still short of
calcium. Some of these cows may have a concurrent
phosphorus deficit and will respond to phosphorus injections.
A few of these cows will respond to potassium administration.
The rest will have no deficiencies. whatsoever. and will eat
normally but won't get up. Almost all of these cows will be
down with muscle necrosis (death of tissue) due to the
'compartment syndrome'. As the cow lies down continuously
on one hind leg. her weight severely compresses the thigh
muscles. These muscles are enclosed in a jacket of tough,
inelastic connective tissue that doesn't stretch. The pressure
within this jacket can rise so high that no new fresh blood can
flow into the muscle which then actually dies off due to lack of
oxygen. In fact, at autopsy it is common to see the entire core of
these thigh muscles totally dead. You find that hard to believe?
Just sit down on the concrete floor and tuck one leg under you
(as if in an easy chair) and sit like that for 24 hours. (We'll bring
the hip lifters for you tomorrow when you try to get up.) Ever
wondered why fat cows get into so much trouble? Just wear a
30 lb. backpack in the above experiment (we'll bring a
stretcher.)
Heifers with calving paralysis can have damage to the
obturator and/or sciatic nerves. With obturator paralysis the
cow will 'split herself' on a slippery floor such as freestall alleys
that are cleaned with a blade. With sciatic nerve damage the
leg may stick rigidly forward alongside the cow, she may walk
with a very unsteady, swaying gait or she may knuckle at the
fetlock. As a large calf passes through the dam's pelvis, these
nerves are compressed against bone and are actually bruised.
The toxic mastitis cow may be too sick to get up for 24-36
hours and by that time she has extensive muscle necrosis due
to the compartment syndrome, i.e. strictly mechanical damage
to her own muscles. Again, each of these three cows may tear
ligaments, tendons and muscles in their clumsy struggles to
rise.
As many downers are lost, we must use all available known
ways to treat and prevent this problem. Firstly, time can be
critical --one night spent hanging over the gutter edge with one
leg can finish a 1400 lb. Holstein for good! The first rule, then,
is to calve all cows out in a box stall or pen with a thickly bedded
manure pack. Do this especially for cows prone to milk fever.
i.e. 4-9 years old, excessively tat cows, cows witn sore stiff
joints and first calf heifers. Treat milk fevers as early as
possible --remember, we can give her calcium when she's still
standing (she doesn't have to be FLAT OUT for us to make that
diagnosis!; Use of vitamin Downer -D and proper dry cow
feeding (especially calcium: phosphorus ratio) are also