How to Get a Cow With Nerve Damage to Her Hind Legs from a Long Birth or Hard Pull to Stand Up
Contact your local large animal veterinarian to assess whether the reason your cow is down is really from nerve paralysis and not something more serious., Once you have determined the cause that she is down from nerve paralysis, get her to stand...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Contact your local large animal veterinarian to assess whether the reason your cow is down is really from nerve paralysis and not something more serious.
The cow may be down not only from obturator/gluteal paralysis, but also from a fracture to the femur or a dislocated hip joint.
A fracture of the femur can be severe enough that if you get the cow to stand up without consulting the advice of a vet first, the bone may sever the femoral artery (a main artery that runs along the length on the outside of the hind leg) and she'll bleed to death in a matter of minutes.
Another reason that the cow may be down may be from having a case of milk fever, which can also quickly kill her if not treated immediately and appropriately. , It may sound cruel to force a cow to get up, but this may minimize or prevent what might otherwise be a more serious issue.
She will be tired after a difficult birth and may just want to lie there.
The following steps are very effect (FAR more effective than trying to do the nice sweet-talking thing) in getting most cows back up.
Before you do try to get her up, move her calf away from her so that she won't fall on him if she wobbles and staggers over.
Twist her tail.
Do this by taking the tail halfway down and twisting it into a loop hard enough so that you don't break the tail but can't twist it any more.
Hold it there until she gets up or you can't any more (for around 10 to 20 seconds).
Clap your hands, shout or stomp your feat very loudly to startle her.
A flighty cow will normally try to rise if you startle her if you make a sudden noise or movement.
A more gentle one won't even try.
Suffocating her.
This does sound very cruel, but it's an old trick that has worked in getting a stubborn cow back up.
All you do is place your hands firmly over her mouth and nostrils tight enough so that she can't breathe.
When she starts getting worried about getting short on air, she'll usually try to get up.
Only try this for 10 to 20 seconds.
If the cow won't get back up after 20 seconds, then remove your hands and let her breathe.
Shocking her with the cattle prod.
This is another really dirty trick, but touching the hairless area under the tail with a hotshot or cattle prod will startle almost any cow into attempting to get up. , You do not want to risk a leg fracture or hip-joint dislocation if she goes down again. , If you can do that, generally she'll be less helpless the next time she tries getting on her feet again.
The longer she stands, the better! It may take a couple of people to steady her and keep her from falling over on her numb side (one on her tail, the other on her head) She may try to swing or kick that one hind leg a bit because it feels funny, not because she's mad at you for getting her up.
It's just like when you get hit in the funny bone or when your arm or leg or foot gets numb and has "pins and needles" from abnormal pressure. ,, You certainly don't want her to fall on him by accident when you're not there.
When she tries to turn around (if she does), the leg that's unsteady may suddenly collapse under her and put her down again. , Often once a cow's up and around, the leg will soon be back to normal again and she'll be able to mother the calf herself without any further issues. , This means doing the following:
Move her hind legs into a more comfortable and natural position if she tried to get up and her hind legs are all askew.
Milk colostrum from her while she's lying down (yes, you can milk a cow while the cow is lying down) if she has a live calf.
You can feed him from a bottle or bring him to the udder to suckle.
Keep him lying down so he's level with the udder and can nurse properly.
You will have to guide his mouth to a teat.
Partition the calf away from the cow if she's in a barn stall, or make a temporary pen for him nearby if she's in a larger area.
Make sure you get him back to momma every few hours for him to nurse.
Hobble her hind legs (if you suspect she'll try to get up without you there to watch or assist) to prevent her from doing the splits when she does Try to fails.
Tying the legs together reduces the chances of her fracturing a leg, dislocating her hip or tearing her leg muscles.
Position the legs 16" apart and tie a strap or baler twine above the fetlock joints in nonslip knots so it won't tighten and cut off circulation.
Don't worry, the hobbles, if done right, won't hinder a cow to get up on her own.
Keep her warm, clean, sheltered, and well fed.
Change the straw put around her often so her rear and udder stays clean.
If she's outside and not in a stall and it's cold, wet and stormy out, make a windbreak of bales (can be any size and type) around her in a semi circle, and place a tarp over the bales to act as a shelter.
A tarp over her body will also help keep her warm in windy and/or wet weather.
Provide fresh hay and water for her, even if she's going to be down for a few hours. -
Step 2: Once you have determined the cause that she is down from nerve paralysis
, If she still cannot stand, find a way to hoist her up.
An overhead beam in the barn or a tractor loader helps in these situations.
You need to do this twice a day for 15 to 20 minutes each time Wide belting of some kind, like belting used in balers can be used as a sling.
Place it around her front end behind the elbows and around her back end at the flanks.
Your vet may supply hip lifters (a device that clamps on to the hipbones of the cow) to lift up her hind end that you can borrow. , She will get what are called "bedsores" from constant pressure and the muscles she's lying on will get sore and fatigued. , Periodically stand her up if she'll try.
A lot of folks can "tail her up" by hold on her tail to hold her steady for a bit before she goes down again.
The more you get her up, the better! , -
Step 3: get her to stand up.
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Step 4: Once (and if) she's up
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Step 5: grab her tail to keep her from falling.
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Step 6: Try to keep her on her feet for a few minutes.
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Step 7: If she goes down again
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Step 8: let her rest for a few minutes before trying to get her up again.
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Step 9: Make sure she can stand and walk on her own before you leave her and her calf alone.
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Step 10: Keep an eye on her until you are certain that she's figured out how to manage by herself.
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Step 11: Make her comfortable.
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Step 12: Your vet may prescribe anti-inflammatory medications
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Step 13: Vitamin E
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Step 14: Selenium and steroids for her to assist nerve healing and reduce swelling.
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Step 15: Check on her often and keep trying to get her up.
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Step 16: Turn her over a couple times a day so she's not always laying on one side all the time.
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Step 17: Most cows will get up after a few hours or a few days
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Step 18: especially if you are persistent in helping them get up.
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Step 19: If she has been down for a while when you do find her
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Step 20: the outcome may not be as good
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Step 21: and she may need to be humanely euthanized.
Detailed Guide
The cow may be down not only from obturator/gluteal paralysis, but also from a fracture to the femur or a dislocated hip joint.
A fracture of the femur can be severe enough that if you get the cow to stand up without consulting the advice of a vet first, the bone may sever the femoral artery (a main artery that runs along the length on the outside of the hind leg) and she'll bleed to death in a matter of minutes.
Another reason that the cow may be down may be from having a case of milk fever, which can also quickly kill her if not treated immediately and appropriately. , It may sound cruel to force a cow to get up, but this may minimize or prevent what might otherwise be a more serious issue.
She will be tired after a difficult birth and may just want to lie there.
The following steps are very effect (FAR more effective than trying to do the nice sweet-talking thing) in getting most cows back up.
Before you do try to get her up, move her calf away from her so that she won't fall on him if she wobbles and staggers over.
Twist her tail.
Do this by taking the tail halfway down and twisting it into a loop hard enough so that you don't break the tail but can't twist it any more.
Hold it there until she gets up or you can't any more (for around 10 to 20 seconds).
Clap your hands, shout or stomp your feat very loudly to startle her.
A flighty cow will normally try to rise if you startle her if you make a sudden noise or movement.
A more gentle one won't even try.
Suffocating her.
This does sound very cruel, but it's an old trick that has worked in getting a stubborn cow back up.
All you do is place your hands firmly over her mouth and nostrils tight enough so that she can't breathe.
When she starts getting worried about getting short on air, she'll usually try to get up.
Only try this for 10 to 20 seconds.
If the cow won't get back up after 20 seconds, then remove your hands and let her breathe.
Shocking her with the cattle prod.
This is another really dirty trick, but touching the hairless area under the tail with a hotshot or cattle prod will startle almost any cow into attempting to get up. , You do not want to risk a leg fracture or hip-joint dislocation if she goes down again. , If you can do that, generally she'll be less helpless the next time she tries getting on her feet again.
The longer she stands, the better! It may take a couple of people to steady her and keep her from falling over on her numb side (one on her tail, the other on her head) She may try to swing or kick that one hind leg a bit because it feels funny, not because she's mad at you for getting her up.
It's just like when you get hit in the funny bone or when your arm or leg or foot gets numb and has "pins and needles" from abnormal pressure. ,, You certainly don't want her to fall on him by accident when you're not there.
When she tries to turn around (if she does), the leg that's unsteady may suddenly collapse under her and put her down again. , Often once a cow's up and around, the leg will soon be back to normal again and she'll be able to mother the calf herself without any further issues. , This means doing the following:
Move her hind legs into a more comfortable and natural position if she tried to get up and her hind legs are all askew.
Milk colostrum from her while she's lying down (yes, you can milk a cow while the cow is lying down) if she has a live calf.
You can feed him from a bottle or bring him to the udder to suckle.
Keep him lying down so he's level with the udder and can nurse properly.
You will have to guide his mouth to a teat.
Partition the calf away from the cow if she's in a barn stall, or make a temporary pen for him nearby if she's in a larger area.
Make sure you get him back to momma every few hours for him to nurse.
Hobble her hind legs (if you suspect she'll try to get up without you there to watch or assist) to prevent her from doing the splits when she does Try to fails.
Tying the legs together reduces the chances of her fracturing a leg, dislocating her hip or tearing her leg muscles.
Position the legs 16" apart and tie a strap or baler twine above the fetlock joints in nonslip knots so it won't tighten and cut off circulation.
Don't worry, the hobbles, if done right, won't hinder a cow to get up on her own.
Keep her warm, clean, sheltered, and well fed.
Change the straw put around her often so her rear and udder stays clean.
If she's outside and not in a stall and it's cold, wet and stormy out, make a windbreak of bales (can be any size and type) around her in a semi circle, and place a tarp over the bales to act as a shelter.
A tarp over her body will also help keep her warm in windy and/or wet weather.
Provide fresh hay and water for her, even if she's going to be down for a few hours.
, If she still cannot stand, find a way to hoist her up.
An overhead beam in the barn or a tractor loader helps in these situations.
You need to do this twice a day for 15 to 20 minutes each time Wide belting of some kind, like belting used in balers can be used as a sling.
Place it around her front end behind the elbows and around her back end at the flanks.
Your vet may supply hip lifters (a device that clamps on to the hipbones of the cow) to lift up her hind end that you can borrow. , She will get what are called "bedsores" from constant pressure and the muscles she's lying on will get sore and fatigued. , Periodically stand her up if she'll try.
A lot of folks can "tail her up" by hold on her tail to hold her steady for a bit before she goes down again.
The more you get her up, the better! ,
About the Author
Theresa Sullivan
A passionate writer with expertise in DIY projects topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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