FAC43: The Downer Cow Flashcards
Define Downer Cow.
- Cow has been recumbent for over 24 hours
- No specific cause for recumbency
- Cow is in sternal recumbency
- Usually related to calving
What causes a downer cow?
Traumatic
- Related to calving injury, hosing, bulling
- Sacroilliac luxation/subluxation
- Dislocation of the hip
- Pelvic fracture
- Injury/fracture of limb
- Tendon/ligament rupture
Neurological
- Obturator paralysis
- Sciatic damage
- Peroneal paralysis
- Tibial paralysis
Metabolic
- Hypocalcaemia
- Hypomagnesaemia
- Untreated acetonaemia
- Fat cow syndrome
Toxaemia
- Metritis
- Salmonella
- Peritonitis
- Acute coliform mastitis
What are the secondary complications following recumbency?
Nerve damage, compartment syndrome (fluid build up in the muscles), skeletal damage
What diagnostic tests do you do to assess muscle damage?
CK - elevated for 1-2 days
AST - elevated for 1-2 weeks
Urine: orange colour if there is muscle wasting
How do you treat a downer cow?
TLC
Turn cow over every 3 hours
Correct underlying disease
Anti-inflammatory drugs
Assist them in rising
Name some tools to help downer cows rise.
Bagshaw hoist
Inflatable bags
Cow nets/slings/harnesses
Water flotation tanks (expensive)
What is important about the water in a water flotation device?
It should be the same temp as the cow’s body.
If cold water, the cow expends energy to heat the water around her, but she is already energy deficient
What do you do wit ha downer cow that won’t get up?
Animal is unfit for transport and not eligible for human consumption with slaughter on farm
Must be slaughtered and disposed as fallen stock
