VET DIARY RESEARCH PROVEN
DOWN COWS ARE COMMON CALL OUT
As a farm vet you can always tell when lambing or calving time has started from how many mid-week out of hour calls you receive. When lambs and calves start hitting the ground, the number of call outs increases week on week. These vary and can be anything from calvings, lambings or prolapses, to collapsed, hypothermic calves in need of some fluids and a pick-me-up. This month has been no exception! Another common call out is to examine down cows. You have all been there; you look in the shed early doors and find her laid down. You walk over to her and she either attempts to rise but just can’t quite make it or she simply isn’t interested in getting up. The causes of this are numerous, complex, often multifactorial, and the prognosis can be influenced by many other factors. A “down cow” is any cow that will not stand due to a primary issue. This primary issue may be nerve damage caused by a difficult calving, external trauma, metabolic disease e.g. milk fever or a toxic process such as an E.coli mastitis. Early identification is key and prompt treatment of the inciting cause is important to prevent her becoming a “downer cow”. A “downer cow” is a “down cow” which has gone on to develop “downer cow syndrome”. This is where a cow has gone down, and although the initial cause has been resolved, the secondary muscle or secondary nerve damage is preventing her from rising. Up to 80% of down cows can develop this syndrome. The extent of muscle damage can be diagnosed with a blood test by your vet and there are cut off values which can be useful in predicting prognosis. Treatment is centred around providing her with TLC- good grub, plenty of access to water (or regular drenching), deep bedding and regular turning/lifting 7-8 times daily to reduce the muscle/nerve damage (similar to a nurse preventing bed sores). If this can’t be provided, we must consider the welfare of the cow and sometimes culling may be indicated. Good nursing care massively improves outcomes; however it often takes longer than seven days of nursing for the cow to stand, with some animals taking over a month to recover! It is important to remember the crucial role of nursing care next time you are faced with a down cow!
CHRIS BURNS
BVSc MRCVS of Cliffe Veterinary Group T: 01273 473232 E: chris@cliffevets.co.uk www.cliffefarm.co.uk
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WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | APRIL 2020
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