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Down Calf

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brooksbeefarm:
About a month ago i found a 500 lb. calf (a pet) next to the hay rack and couldn't get up ???, called the vet. he came took blood samples and gave it some shots and told me to put her inside the barn. He called the next day said everything checked out good? i told him the other calfs in with her didn't like her and was jealous of her and butted her around, she would follow me around and let me pet her like a dog ;D., the vet said he thinks they butted and rode her around and caused a spin injury.I've put hip hugers on her to raise her up with the tractor, but she slips out (hips to narrow) put a tarp under her tied to a pipe like a swing  tied to a cherry picker to raise her up on her feet and she turned it over struggling to get out. Been giving her water and milk replacer twice aday with a bottle, along with grain and hay and i turn her over twice aday with a rope. At this point i'm thinking that i might as well shoot her that she will never get up, thought about butchering her, but the vet. shot her full of steroids and antibiotics.Any ideas before i put her down?? Jack

Perry:
No ideas Jack, but I am very sorry to hear this. You can take comfort knowing you did all you could. :sad:

LazyBkpr:
How long ago were the shots?  You mentioned a month.. how long before the steroids, antibiotics etc are considered gone?


    When trying to lift her, does she USE her back legs to try to struggle free?  if she has the ability to use them when in a panic situation, it means she is not paralyzed, just HURT, and time will get her back on her feet..  If the rear legs remain limp whens she struggles, there is no hope...      The hard part is balancing your time and effort with the return...   Cattle prices are UP right now, but you can only go so far.
   Scott

brooksbeefarm:
Both the steroids and antibiotics were give right at a month ago, her back legs are stiff, but she can move them and try to get up, and i find her in different places in the stall everytime i go to feed her so she does crawl? I tried hitting her with the hot shot once and she tried to get up but didn't have enough strength in her back legs. I hate to see an animal suff, and the other reason is, the vet said if i can get her back on her feet she would bring $1,200.00 at the yards. :o Jack

LazyBkpr:
Yeah, I made a deal for a couple heifer calves a few years ago, and the guy is whining about the deal this year because they are worth so much..
     A lot depended on the severity of the injury.. we had a horse that had a bad front leg.. it was in a horse trailer when the driver crashed.. that horse never did recover right, it always limped, but that horse could PULL a load of hay up into the barn..  It also liked to pull us kids around on an inner tube in the winter.
   
   Best advice i can give you Jack, is stand by as long as you can. One day you will have had enough. If she isnt moving before then, thats the day the struggling ends.  Thats how we always did it with hurt animals..  Give them the best chance we could, and then move on.

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