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Nursing the Downer Cow Downer cows can be very frustrating and time consuming, sometimes with a futile outcome despite best efforts. Appropriate nursing is vital to maximise the chances of the cow getting up. The degree of success in getting these animals up depends greatly on the commitment of the farmer and staff to dedicate time to nursing her. It is also important to consider the welfare of the cow and weigh it against her chances of recovery. Downer cows suffer from muscle damage: pressure causes loss of blood supply to the muscles and can be likened to humans with bed sores. They are generally unable to eat or drink enough to meet their requirements and are likely to become hypothermic and further depressed, leading to secondary problems. You need to keep reassessing the down cow’s condition. A cow that is bright and eating and attempting to stand has a better outlook than a dull, depressed cow that isn’t eating. ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Treat the initiating cause. Get us involved if there’s no response to your treatment. The cow needs to be kept comfortable on a soft surface. Deep straw is better than a paddock, which is better than dirt and far better than concrete. They need shelter to protect them against the wind and rain. Shift them to a barn if possible or near a hedge, create shelter with bales, put a cover on them. Keep the cow propped up so she’s sitting rather than lying down. Make sure her back legs are folded under her as naturally as possible rather than stretched out under her or out to the side. Make sure the cow has access to water, a 20L bucket close to her is ideal. You can dig a hole to put the bucket in to prevent it from getting tipped over. Make sure the cow has access to energy dense feed such as silage or cake. Also make sure they have access to hay, which provides warmth as it’s digested. Supplement with Ketol and molasses. Roll the cow from one side to the other a few times a day to minimise muscle damage. Alternate which side she spends each night on. Consider rubbing and manipulating the limbs to restore circulation. Assist her to stand for periods each day e.g. with a sling or hip lifters. Hip lifters need to be used with care: Never leave a cow unattended while in hip lifters. If the cow is not taking her weight on the back legs do not leave her hanging. If she is taking her weight remove the hip lifters and let her stand on her own. Try lifting her a few times a day. Hip lifters can be hired from the clinic. New Forest Eye (Infectious Bovine Keratoconjunctivitis) This ocular condition is caused by the proliferation of the bacteria Moraxella bovis, a commensal organism in many cows’ eyes. The infection is predisposed to by damage to the conjunctiva by dust, flies and ultraviolet light which allows the bacteria to grow and damage the conjunctiva of the eye. Older cattle gain a degree of immunity depending on exposure; therefore it is primarily calves and animals under two years of age that are most susceptible. Clinical signs to look out for are a copious ocular discharge staining the face, a closed eye and a cloudy circular patch on the surface of the eye about 3-5 mm in diameter. If this is not treated early, ulceration and even rupture of the cornea can occur. Treatment is by intramuscular or subconjunctival oxytetracycline injection, and/or topical antibiotic eye ointment. Pour on fly repellent will also help limit the spread of the disease by flies which act as a mechanical vector. Displaced Abomasums Displaced abomasums are one of the big challenges to the dairy industry in modern times. Left untreated their outcome is inevitable either sooner (in the case of a right sided dilation and torsion) or later (in the case of a left displacement). Even when successfully treated, however, affected animals usually fail to reach yield potential, have an increased calving to conception interval than otherwise would have been the case and are culled more frequently than unaffected herd contemporaries. So what causes this condition and how is it best treated? The honest answer to the first of these questions is that nobody really knows for certain. The traditional theory of a lack of long fibre and poor rumen fill in a freshly calved cow with an inherently unstable abdomen because of the space recently vacated by the calf is only part of the story. Spill over of volatile fatty acids, the products of digestion, from the rumen into the abomasum cause atony of the muscular wall of this organ so it does not contract as it should. Further, if unfermented concentrates, and we feed more and more of them in the TMRs we prepare for our freshly calved cows, spill over from the rumen into the abomasum and continue to ferment the gas this produces will make the organ increasingly unstable. Despite, however, feeding rations with higher and higher energy densities to our freshly calved cows many of them remain in negative energy balance for some time after calving and this sub-clinical ketosis is also involved. Sub-clinical hypocalcaemia also has a role because, just as calcium is necessary to maintain skeletal muscle tone so the cow can stand, so it is also necessary to maintain muscle function in the gut. Intercurrent disease, particularly metritis and mastitis, both of which are common in the freshly calved cow, also play a role and genetic factors are also involved (when did you last see a displaced abomasum affecting anything other than a black and white dairy cow?). ‘Treatment’ options are many and varied. They should always include a source of energy and calcium and on occasion medical treatment alone may successfully resolve the situation. More frequently, however, repositioning the abomasum either by rolling and toggling or surgery, is required. Toggling is generally quicker and easier than surgery and therefore cheaper, but not so reliable in achieving success and is not appropriate in every case (if there is not enough gas in the abomasum or in very fat cows for example). Each case must therefore be assessed on its own merits when deciding on treatment options. It should also be remembered that whatever method is used to reposition the abomasum, this is all that it achieves; it does not address the cause of the displacement and so success cannot be guaranteed (although is usually anticipated!). Lungworm Control It’s getting to that time again when we should be keeping a close eye on our cattle for signs of lungworm (husk). The build up of worms on pasture through spring and early summer means that now is the time to be wary. Diagnosis of lungworm can be confirmed by veterinary examination, faecal samples (brought into the lab and looked at for lungworm) or blood samples. Treatment is based upon worming the animals. It is advisable to use a levamisole based wormer, as this reduces the risk of an allergic reaction to dead worms which may lead to the animal’s death. It may be appropriate to treat less severely affected animals with an ivermectin based wormer. We have negotiated a discounted price so we can offer 2.5 litres Virbamec Pour-on for just £33.75 (excluding VAT) - just 68p/500kg animals. Lungworm larva are passed in the faeces. In optimal conditions, the larva can develop into the infective L3 stage in as little as five days. At this point, they leave the dung pat to reach the grass where they await a hungry cow!! Once ingested, Often, animals get worse before they get better. the larva penetrate the gut wall and enter the It is therefore recommended that badly infected cow’s blood stream. Here they develop further animals should be treated with antiand travel to the lungs. Final development of the inflammatories and covering antibiotics alongside larva to adults occurs within the lungs where they the wormer. can now reproduce, resulting in new larva to Dictyocaulus viviparus (lungworm) repeat the cycle. Vaccination of young animals is possible with a product called Huskvac. This should be carried out in the spring, Respiratory signs are seen in affected animals as the larva and six and two weeks prior to turnout. adults develop. Signs may vary from mild, with intermittent coughing, through to severe, where we see a raised respiratory If you are concerned about lungworm in your herd or would like rate and breathing with an outstretched neck. Severely affected to discuss this further, feel free to contact us at the surgery. calves may even die within one to two days. Charity Bike Ride: Salisbury to Shepton Mallet During August and September, the forty-two XLVet member practices are aiming to cycle between practices in a relay fashion, raising money for the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution, a charity supporting members of the farming community facing hardship or distress, and Farm Africa, an international charity providing training and support to poor, rural communities. On Sunday 23 August, it was Endell’s turn to carry the baton, from Endless Street to Shepton Mallet! In the week prior to the ride, there was little preparation but plenty of panic! By the time we set off from the practice on Sunday, there were five eager cyclists who had managed to beg or borrow (but not steal!) a bike - Steve, Jo, Will, Louise and James - and Ron and Lily in the EVG van (cyclist support vehicle). Cycling through Wilton and along the Wylye Valley was peaceful and picturesque. We stopped for a few photos along the way and all was uneventful until a quite explosive puncture!! The puncture was fixed and we were back on the road within minutes, before coming to a halt at the Dove Inn at Corton. At the pub, we were met by Kristina who was on call for the day (fortunate to avoid the ride!), so we stayed for a while. It was soon time to hit the road, so on we went. A small navigational error led us into Warminster, which has a lot of hills when you’re on your bike! However, we struggled on and got to our next target - Longleat Safari Park. Ron and Lily stretched their legs whilst the rest of us just hung around! Now we know why the Mendips are called the Mendip Hills! With grim determination, we pedalled our way to Shepton Veterinary group where we were given plenty of refreshments, having cycled 44 miles! The bikes were then loaded into our support vehicle and petrol power brought us home. All in all, it was a hard but enjoyable ride. If you would like to donate to our charities, please speak to one of us. All donations will be gratefully received. For more details of the XLVet bike ride, please visit: www.xlvets.co.uk