HELP need advice: cow having trouble after calving

[cjcranor1806]

I have an eight year old cow who two days ago started to have her calf. Tonight she is still pushing and having contractions like she is still in labor. We just palpated her and can not feel a calf inside of her. Her bag is completely full of milk and tight. She has had five calves prior to this with no problems.  We are thinking that she had the calf and coyotes may have got it, we have walked the entire pasture and see no signs of a calf. If anyone has any idea of what may be going on with her and why she is acting like she is still in labor I would really appreciate your advice.

 

[Okotoks]

If it's a complete breech you may not be able to feel anything other than a tail unless you have long arms. If it is a breech you will need to get the hind legs up.

 

[DL]

I have an eight year old cow who two days ago started to have her calf. Tonight she is still pushing and having contractions like she is still in labor. We just palpated her and can not feel a calf inside of her. Her bag is completely full of milk and tight. She has had five calves prior to this with no problems.  We are thinking that she had the calf and coyotes may have got it, we have walked the entire pasture and see no signs of a calf. If anyone has any idea of what may be going on with her and why she is acting like she is still in labor I would really appreciate your advice.

Call your vet  - she is acting like she is still in labor because she probably still is in labor - besides a complete breech she could have a uterine torsion, a fetal monster of some type - genetic or not - anything that impedes her ability to expel the calf - call your vet

 

[mainegirl]

You definitely need to call your vet. I had a similar problem this fall. The vet finally felt the calf. The cow's uterus tore and the calf was under her rumen. For the cow's sake...call the vet! I hope you have better luck than I did.

 

[cjcranor1806]

Thank you for all of your advice, we called the vet and he is coming out first thing tomorrow morning.

 

[seniag1123]

Call another vet!

 

[RidinHeifer]

YOU NEED A VET TO BE THERE NOW!!!!!SHE'S WENT THIS LONG BY NOW THE CALFWILL BE ROTTEN AND SHE IS GOING TO GET REAL SICK! A ROTTEN CALF FOR THIS LONG CAN KILL HER! PLUS SHE HAS TO BE GETTING TO THE POINT OF EXHAUSTION FROM DAYS OF LABORING

 

[vc]

Easy, he posted that the vet would be there tomorrow, yesterday at 10:03 pm so hopefully the vet has already been there today. He should have called the vet earlier and I bet next time he does, hindsite is always 20/20. I am sure there are times we have all wished we reacted faster or different to a situation.

 

[cjcranor1806]

The vet came out this morning. She still does have a calf inside of her, but the vet is not sure if it is still alive or fully developed. The vet said she went into premature labor but her cervix is closed. The vet gave her Dexamethasone to try to open her cervix, so hopefully she can pass the calf. Thanks again for all of your advise and help!

 

[coachmac]

all the luck sent your way! 

 

[farmboy]

Be ready to take it out the side

 

[rmbcows]

Any news?  Was hoping for an update on your cow.  ???

 

[OH Breeder]

The vet came out this morning. She still does have a calf inside of her, but the vet is not sure if it is still alive or fully developed. The vet said she went into premature labor but her cervix is closed. The vet gave her Dexamethasone to try to open her cervix, so hopefully she can pass the calf. Thanks again for all of your advise and help!

I would definitely not sit and wait. I had one that did not progress and the monster was stuck. The cow never did progress and as Zak posted we took it out the side. Dead. Is she close to her due date? If so do you have access to a vet you trust to section? There is something not right if her cervix is not progressing. It is a freak of nature but happens in both humans and animals. Sometimes they just failure to progress. If you manual dilate the cervix you run the risk of rupturing it. I guess we have so little in herd size we go over board on everyone. One loss is huge on our calving average. The Dex should do something with in 48 hours. Just dex no lutalyse?  I am not a vet nor do I profess to be one. Just have had some bad experiences with inexperience vets.

 

[aj]

Large animal vets. We need to start a cololition against the bastards. They are just not as high class or as good as the club calf breeders that grace this fine country. Lets sue city sue them baby. And another thing. When was the last time a veternarian stopped to help someone change a flat tire on mosquito pass at 13,000 feet. The answer is NEVER! Lets get rid of about half the large animal vets. Or maybe we could special train them to realize that there are retard club calf people(hobbie cattle people) with the IQ of a grapefruit that continually play cowboy on weekenends and have no real concern over their stock anyway. Did we give up after the Mexicans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no! Us as club calfers need to wine and cry and NOT man up about those damn large animal vets. Lets run their ass in the ground.

 

[aj]

I'm so worked up and sweaty I have a "wet back". Get it? WaaaHAAAAAAAAhahahahahaha ;D

 

[linnettejane]

personally i think aj is totally outta line here...but what else is new......just leavin' it here for someone else to make executive decisions about