OT--Bull down--can't use hind legs

I have one of my herd bulls down for the last 3 weeks. He doesn't seem to be able to use his hind legs. Had the vet out and he gave him some shots and said possibly he injured himself falling off a cow or maybe had a tumor putting pressure on the spine. Basically he had no idea of what the problem could be.

During the first week he did stand a few times and walked around very slowly. He scoots around the pen with his front legs and shoulders. Eats good, has clear eyes, clear nose, good disposition, etc. Hasn't lost a lot of weight or condition considering he has been down for 3 weeks.

This is about a 7 year old bull. He is red and a cross between Beefmaster and Limosin.

Does anyone have a suggestion or story about a similar experience? Anything like hooking a rope on his hind legs and stretching him out to see if it unkinks a nerve or anything along that line.

All suggestions very much appreciated.

We had a couple cows suffered spinal injuries in calving. Vet loaned us a frame that clamped over hip bones, allowed us to stand them up by using a come-along attached to barn ceiling. Sadly, neither got any better even with all the nursing we did. Maybe time to call the butcher.

Sorry to say but the humane thing is a bullet to the head and call the dead stock pickup truck. When they are down for more that 24 hours the odds of them ever getting up are near zero let alone 3 weeks!

Most humane thing would be to just butcher him. But if I was gonna do anything involving ropes, I'd rig a belt and hoist him to a standing position and see if he can work it out himself. You can sometimes find the location of a pinched nerve or sore spot by running something blunt but somewhat pointed (bic pen cap?) along his back just to the side of the spine. When /if you hit a sore spot there will be a noticeable flinch. You can then massage the area with some absorbine to loosen things up and maybe use a heat lamp then see if he straightens it out himself. I'd be getting the freezer ready though.

Good Luck,

Dave

Well, I am no expert but I do have a few cows. Last fall my neighbor had a cow that was nursing a calf that went down like that. The vet suggested that it may be mineral defficiencies due to the time of year. He was lucky enough that she was in a pen and he fed and watered her for almost 6 weeks and that cow finally got up. The vet did give her shots for mineral deff. and I will admit that this was unusual outcome.

I had a cow that went down, thought she had pinched a nerve, if I lifted her with a hip clamp she could stand and walk some, whenever she laid down she couldn"t get back up. One morning after lifting her up I let the rest of the cows out and she was carrying on something furious so I turned her loose and she hobbled out to pasture with the rest of them. Come milking time I had to go looking for her and lift her up, but after that she was able to get up on her own. So I would say that if he can move his back legs there might be hope if you have a way of lifting him, otherwise better call the rendering truck.

Hip lift can possibly be used, but results are likely not real good at this point. I think I'd check with your butcher and make him into hamburger. If he is still healthy otherwise, I'd think he could be used for meat if drugs haven't been used in him.

Nev .er did this to big bull but used folowing on couple cows with split pelvis. Get 7 feet oh soft nylon rope (3/4) in diameterMake a loose loop just above hoof an tie double knot an than tape loose end ------do same on other hoof between hoof an dew claw. Than use hip lift with cushning under it an a cow will be able to walk.You can at least get animal where you want her.Depending on seriousness of injury she may heal or may need to do other option but rope will keep animal from doing spread eagle when she walks.

3 weeks? You've got more faith than me. Around here they might get 3 days...
Can't help you with the problem but most downers we see here (holstein)... if they don't get up in the first couple days, they aren't getting up. 12 ga takes the kink right out of them.

Rod

Seems like a nerve . I had a cow down after calving, fed and watered her for 4 weeks and she came good , was able to get up on her own. Give it a little more time and if it does come good, put it in the market, I don't think your chances of getting a good price for it now because it is unhealthy and may be classed as unsuitable for human consumption.

Animal down for three days, check the temp, if not over 103, that age, would be hamburger in the freezer. Obviously nerve damage.

There is The Proof , 9 out of 10 posts Say You Should Cut Your losses andbutcher , SURE WISH THE ODDS were BETTER, But lets not KIDD ourselves ,,,, I neverhad any Luck with Sciatic Nerve Severe in a Cow Either // just wastesd a Lotta Time And HOPES ...

Been there done that.
no use trying to doctor this bull up.
He"ll be done breeding anyway,won"t even make good eating.
Hamburger or coyote food.

Had a 1st calf cow that I paralyzed during a rough delivery. Calf was dead and I couldn't get it pulled without 4 wheeler. I knew I was going to hurt the cow but the other choice for her was the rifle. I'd guess her weight 900+.

After delivery cow could only drag herself in a semi circle. Went to vet, got steroids, antibiotic, and hip clamps. Nursed her in the swamp for 5 days. Put hip clamp on her at day 3 and lifted with front end loader each morning/night for around 10-15 min at a time. We were sometimes able to flip her side to side because she definately favored one side and we didn't want the blood to stop flowing. Managed to get her onto a utility trailer at 5 days (once you lift up the backend they get right up on their front legs and you can kind of move them anywhere you want, its like driving a forklift) and hauled her to pen at FIL's.

He would lift her with the hip clamps/loader a couple of times a day. (The skin gets raw real quick, get ointment). Once you lift them up with the loader you take some of the tension off of the lift and they kind of sway around on their back legs (I suppose it might be like when our legs go to sleep) and you try to let them center their backend to see if anything is working back there. I think the skin area the hip clamp goes on got to hurting her badly and she would really try to help herself get up around end of week 2. Around week 3 FIL came out one day and she had moved quite a way across pen. Next day watched her get up (albeit crudely) on her own. She had a limp that lasted for several months. I could only detect a weakness in her months later if another cow mounted her.

Because of this we did send her to market eventually but she had a great body condition when we did. (She was a good looking cow but we gave auction house full disclosure so someone wouldn't want to buy her for a replacement) If you don't have the time to work with the bull several times a day it probably won't work but if you haven't tried the hip clamps yet I'd try them for a week to see if you notice any ability in the animal to stand. It sure feels good to see them get back up.

At that age Im guessing some kind of bone cancer. Every time I've tried to keep a bull past 6 I've been sorry, and usually 5. Lady next door had some cows she had raised as pets. They ended up with some type of cancer. I know she spent thousands on them, ended up burying them all, over time.

I am no expert either but we have some Angus cows. If you have been giving him antibotics I do know you have to wait so long before it is out of there system before you can can them processed for food. Becareful

Update--well the bull died during the night. He was still eating and drinking at 6 p.m., but at 9 this morning he was gone.

Well, at least I tried by keeping him fed and watered and the vet visit. Guess we will never know what the real problem was.

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions and information.

Sorry you lost the bull. Is a heartbreak to loose a animal you've had for that long. Not to mention the financial loss. Been there, done that. Didn't even get a tshirt.