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

Posted by TX656 on October 21, 2010 at 21:44:13 from (76.0.81.217):

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.

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