# Young Steer won't get up! Help!



## Zimobog (Aug 31, 2013)

I've got a young steer Holstein who hasn't gotten up today. It's like his legs won't work! He's eating what I bring him but I'm afraid the cold is keeping his legs from working. What can I do?


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## pfettig77 (Oct 14, 2014)

We had two Holstein steers that did the same thing. We found out it was white muscle disease from a lack of selenium. We had to give them selenium shots. Unfortunately we caught it too late. I'm no expert, but it sounds similar to what we experienced. Hope everything's ok.


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## AngusLover (Jan 12, 2014)

Does he have a temperature? 
Swollen knees?
Scours?
Eye's sunk in?


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## Zimobog (Aug 31, 2013)

This would be the second one I lost this year, too. At this point my fear is hypothermia as he was laying on the snow all day. He was moving around this morning a little sluggishly but after morning feeding he has basically grounded.


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## AngusLover (Jan 12, 2014)

DoubleR said:


> Does he have a temperature?
> Swollen knees?
> Scours?
> Eye's sunk in?



And how old is he?


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## Jlynnp (Sep 9, 2014)

I would definitely try the selenium.


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## Zimobog (Aug 31, 2013)

DoubleR said:


> Does he have a temperature?
> Swollen knees?
> Scours?
> Eye's sunk in?


Maybe a bit swollen knees, no scours for the last four months, eyes look normal.
At this point his temp seems low.
Nostrils look slightly inflamed.


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## AngusLover (Jan 12, 2014)

Zimobog said:


> Maybe a bit swollen knees, no scours for the last four months, eyes look normal.
> 
> At this point his temp seems low.
> 
> Nostrils look slightly inflamed.



If the front knees are swollen you could be dealing with Joint ill. However it does sound like your letting them get to cold. They MUST stay warm and draft free to survive.


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## Zimobog (Aug 31, 2013)

DoubleR said:


> And how old is he?


I believe he was born first week of October. I purchased him October 21 along with another bull calf. The other died November 11.


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## AngusLover (Jan 12, 2014)

Zimobog said:


> I believe he was born first week of October. I purchased him October 21 along with another bull calf. The other died November 11.



The I wouldn't suspect joint ill. To old for that.
I'd say white muscle disease also at that age and to cold.


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## Zimobog (Aug 31, 2013)

Thanks folks for the advice.
I guess my next question involves what comes next. I have him basically bound in a king size blanket and hauled him into a small shed. Have a small heater going for him. He's eating hay and gave him two bottles of water to help him stay hydrated. I'm considering the humane option and then the freezer. Would you guys wait for signs of improvement or take the next step?


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## MO_cows (Aug 14, 2010)

If he is still eating and drinking, acting like he still has will to live, I would try the selenium. There is a "BoSe" shot you can get from the vet that seems to really boost them, but I've never had to use it personally.

You gotta give them some bedding. They lay on cold ground, it steals their body heat from them. What kind of shelter do they have?


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## Zimobog (Aug 31, 2013)

MO_cows said:


> If he is still eating and drinking, acting like he still has will to live, I would try the selenium. There is a "BoSe" shot you can get from the vet that seems to really boost them, but I've never had to use it personally.
> 
> You gotta give them some bedding. They lay on cold ground, it steals their body heat from them. What kind of shelter do they have?


There is a three side lean-to and a shed inside the fence. Raised floor made of pallets with plywood over that. The lean to has a dirt floor. Both have hay for bedding. What's weird is last night he slept on the snow outside the structures, which both my cattle sometimes do but last night it seems to me adversely affected him.

The weather was between 12-29 degrees above zero. But cold enough for hypothermia if one was to lay directly on the snow. 

I still have him under blanket and heater in a smaller shed and he's eating away. He tried to get up but it's like his legs wouldn't unfold.


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

I had a calf do that. I had to drag him into the shelter. I was heavy pregnant. My son and I did it. I had him on a thick layer of bedding and mounded on his sides, covered with a big blanket , also a heat lamp. My guy i think got nocked down on the ice and could not get back up. He became chilled. Give him warm bottles of sugar water to give him energy and if you can get b12 that will help. some mu-se or bo-se will help a lot. With the deep chill he is at great risk for pneumonia. He may have it already. 10 cc penn g and 10 cc la 200 once a day form5 days was our course. He survived and is doing fine. Took a couple of days but he pulled threw.


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## Zimobog (Aug 31, 2013)

Consulted by phone with vet this morning. She had me take temp (under 100). Commented it sounded like nutrition. Said she sees a lot of calfs and young animals go down the second half of winter after thriving the first half. Attributes that to reserves being depleted in the first half (our winters are six months more or less). Said to gradually triple grain rations with all remaining stock and with him ASAP. Keep him hydrated and warm. Commented out local hay isn't good (brome or Timothy only) and consider feeding them on imported hay or pellet hay until grazing starts again. She also said monitor for fever as if he develops one consider him inedible. Otherwise eat him now while he has no fever.

He's still acting pretty chipper but not standing to eat. His appetite leads me to think she has something there about our local hay. It's pretty stemmy and pretty much just good fiber.

Wanted to update you folks who helped be thru last night. Thanks yall!


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

We had the same issue with hay last year. We gave shots of mu-se helped a ton and gave small flake of alfalfa to top the bad hay.


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## Lady89 (Feb 22, 2014)

Whatever you do you need to get him up, if you don&#8217;t get a downed cow up within 48 hours there is a faery high risk that liquid will start to leak into the lungs and they will die of pneumonia. You can delay the risk by rolling him from side to side 3 or 4 times a day so he does not have all his body weight on one side ( cant really tell you why this helps it has something to do with getting weight off the lungs)


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## Zimobog (Aug 31, 2013)

Lady89 said:


> Whatever you do you need to get him up, if you donât get a downed cow up within 48 hours there is a faery high risk that liquid will start to leak into the lungs and they will die of pneumonia. You can delay the risk by rolling him from side to side 3 or 4 times a day so he does not have all his body weight on one side ( cant really tell you why this helps it has something to do with getting weight off the lungs)


That's good advice, too. I've been doing as you suggest there.

quick update- he's still with us, eating and drinking normally. Twice a day I've been moving him to clear out all the hay from beneath him as well as his leavings etc. Wiping him down with handfuls of hay to make sure he's dry. 

He doesn't seem stressed at all, but that may just be bovine nature.

He tried to stand this morning and got his hind end a few feet off the floor but it just rolled him over. Made me want to cry.

If I can't keep this up I'm going to have to put down.


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## unregistered41671 (Dec 29, 2009)

If I were you, I would get a set of "Hip Huggers" and lift him for a while. You can also make a type of sling (not a rope) but a type of sling such as a strong sheet and lift him up and hold him there for a while. I have seen many do pretty well. 
http://www.shoof.co.nz/docs/11_Cow_lifters_Fact_Sheet_AUS.pdf
http://www.farmshow.com/a_article.php?aid=993


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## sv.maple (Feb 16, 2014)

I see your in alaska if you have a old ski-doo track they work great for slings. Put chains through ends n hook to bucket and pick up its wide enough so dont cut in when pickin up


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

It's time to get this guy up. If you can't do it he needs to be put down.


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## chester5731 (Jul 6, 2011)

I had one that wouldn't get up a few weeks ago. Turned out to be a broken femur and dislocated hip. We put a brace on the leg and have been hand feeding and watering since. He now gets up by himself but has no use of that leg. Still haven't figured out how it happened. He had been inside on clean straw so there was no ice or anything to get caught in. I don't know if another one could have kicked him hard enough to break it or not. He is about 175 pounds.


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## Zimobog (Aug 31, 2013)

Me and the wife are still hashing over sending him to the freezer. He had a bout of scours last week but that's fixed. The extra work is causing me to neglect other chores. Like I had skipped last week doing the hog pen clean up. So today it was three full 5 foot FLE buckets worth!

It's tough to decide, particularly because he seems so healthy aside from the not getting up thing...

Checked around for the BoSe and I gave to order it in.


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

I'm betting by now he is not going to get up if he isn't up already. I'm sorry to say but it's time to end this.


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## lakeportfarms (Apr 23, 2009)

This is a classic case of White Muscle Disease (selenium vitamin e deficiency)

It typically affects fast growing calves at 3-5 months of age, when the conditions are stressful such as cold temperatures. The low temperature is due to the muscles not firing and working properly. Hypothermia in cold weather is a common cause of death as is heart failure. You have to keep his temperature up above 100-101 degrees first and foremost. Second he must have a pretty good regimen of BoSe injectable shots. If he's still around, keep him propped up, keep him warm, and get nutrition in him like grain or milk replacer if he's not able to nurse. One of the best ways to get his temperature up is to take cloth bags filled with rice, heat them in the microwave for a few minutes, and lay them on top of him with blankets over the top of them to retain the heat.

If he got a timely shot(s) of BoSe and hasn't died of hypothermia or heart failure, he may be down for a couple of weeks. There may be some permanent damage to the heart muscle, but in many cases they can make a full recovery too.


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## Zimobog (Aug 31, 2013)

I stopped by the slaughter house while nearby for work. They won't take him in unless he can walk in. Used to be they'd take them if they had no temperature but they changed their policy sometime.

Guy at the slaughterhouse said "White Muscle or spinal injury".


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

Have you given him BoSe yet?


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## KatieVT (Dec 22, 2014)

My sister had a young steer that had very similar symptoms. The vet thought it could be either tetanus or white muscle. He was treated with anti-toxin and BoSe. After almost a month down, he now is able to stand and walk!


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## AngusLover (Jan 12, 2014)

Due to Mad Cow Disease it's against the law to butcher ANY downer cows/calves. We had one a few years ago that had a pinched nerve from a HUGE hip locked calf. Calf hanging out stuck. Obviously the problems. No butcher would touch her.
If it's still alive I'd for sure give it a BoSe shot and see if that gets it up and going. Also Vitamine B. That will help give him energy. If your not yet I'd be giving him probiotics also. Help with energy and keep his gut balanced. Especially if he had a recent bout of scours.


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## Zimobog (Aug 31, 2013)

Well good news! We were able to get him outside and stood up today. He even walked around a bit after about 15 minutes of standing there with his legs shaking. He stood for about an hour and ate then started walking around the yard. So we let him back into his house and he laid back done.

We appreciate all the advice and help. The best I was able to do in the selenium department was to buy some feed dressing for horses and start adding that to his water and chow.

I will keep you guys and gals posted on his recovery. For now, we're keeping him in his own side of the yard and giving him feed and water by himself.

I know we're not out of the woods yet, but today has given us some indication there have been improvements in his condition. 

The weather in our part of Alaska is currently cooperating by obligingly being in the high +20f with no wind.


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## billinwv (Sep 27, 2013)

Glad you got him up. Looks like it has taken it out of him as he is thin. Can you get Animax or calf manna? Would help him a lot. Also some molasses in his water daily. A sweet protein lick block might be good also.


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## Zimobog (Aug 31, 2013)

I'm feeding him Calfmanna right now. 
I'm really hoping on this guy!


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## Zimobog (Aug 31, 2013)

Here's some photos of him tonight: eating Calfmanna and standing. He stood as long as it took to eat this half bucket.


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

Can you get a salt with added selenium and vitamin a?


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## Zimobog (Aug 31, 2013)

I'll look for it this week, myheaven thanks


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## Wanda (Dec 19, 2002)

Zimobog I presume there could be a dairy operating in the area since you have pure Holstein calves. If so could you check with them to see what medicine that they keep on hand. I would say that the amount of selenium in a mineral mix would not be enough to correct a severe deficeoncy.


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## G. Seddon (May 16, 2005)

Did he get the shot of Bo-Se?


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## Zimobog (Aug 31, 2013)

G. Seddon said:


> Did he get the shot of Bo-Se?


Can't find it. If anyone has any they will sell me, shoot me a PM please.


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## Farmer Jayne (Oct 21, 2013)

You have not addressed the issue of Selenium defeciency. That is what it sounds like. If it is, a shot or two of BoSe will fix him right up, it's like magic. Did the vet discount this? I have had this exact thing happen, heifer down, still eating, drinking, pooping, etc normally. Bright eyed. Get her up and legs don't work. Unless you want to butcher him, check it out. If you have looked into it, let us know.


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## G. Seddon (May 16, 2005)

Zimobog, Bo-Se is available from a vet. They may not sell you a dose unless they've seen the animal. But Bo-Se works very well and it sounds like your calf might need it.


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## Zimobog (Aug 31, 2013)

I think you guys are right about the shots. I'm digging around trying to find some. There are few large animal vets. 

The vet I talked to didn't discount the selenium question at all, in fact she commented on the low content in our local hay.

I need to find her number and call her back. Gotta find it when I get home tonight.


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

Mu-se has a much higher concentration, means less you need to inject. I keep Bo-se on hand for my goats and mu-se on hand for my cows. Mu-se is too potent for goats.


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

Also having a good working relationship with a vet is priceless. I have been working with mine for over 9 years. If I call and tell her I have an emergency she runs to me she knows I have done everything and I need her truck of tricks.


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## Wanda (Dec 19, 2002)

We have to realise the OP is from Alaska and I would guess that the amount of livestock could be limited in there area. What we think of as common everyday items might not be stocked due to limited usage. Meds have a limited shelf life even if it is on the vets shelf. I am glad they are checking out there options and doing there best to help there livestock. We should all be thankful for the resources at our disposal!


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## Zimobog (Aug 31, 2013)

Alrighty! A guy gave me 3cc of Bo-Se and also another vitamin shot. I just gave them to the calf. What should I expect?


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## Wanda (Dec 19, 2002)

It will help but may not be enough. 3cc Is enough to dose a 100lb calf and yours is a lot larger than that. The calf should show improvement within 12 hours if the dose was enough. Good luck to you and the calf for your persistence!


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Wanda said:


> It will help but may not be enough. 3cc Is enough to dose a 100lb calf and yours is a lot larger than that. The calf should show improvement within 12 hours if the dose was enough. Good luck to you and the calf for your persistence!



Perhaps the vitamins contain additional selenium. Years ago, I bought several heifers in poor condition and my vet recommend I give a vitamin + selenium shot to each calf at birth. I have not used it before or since but it it my understanding that dairy barns use it often up here. 

Or, perhaps the neighbour just figure vitamins wouldn't hurt and you were just subjected and old gals ramblings.


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## Zimobog (Aug 31, 2013)

Hey folks encouraging happenings! Twice tonight my steer was able to just stand right up on his own with no help!

It took him some effort but he did it two times without me lifting either end up. This looks good to me. 

Tomorrow I'm going to walk him out to the yard if the wind stays down and it isn't too cold for some exercise.

He had a peeled off bit of skin on one of his legs. Might be from the frostbite or a scrape. Anyhow I shot that with some Bluekote. Looked kind of like a skinned knee or something.


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## Wanda (Dec 19, 2002)

That is great news. I think the selenium was enough to help but he is going to need more for a longer period. He will eat and feel much better now. You did a good job with the calf by not giving up and following good advice. Thank you for keeping us updated.


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## lakeportfarms (Apr 23, 2009)

Wanda is correct, but more Selenium right away is a no-no. Give him 7-10 days and then another 3cc's or so. It can also be very toxic when too much too fast is given.


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## Zimobog (Aug 31, 2013)

The good news is this calf is getting up every time we go out. He stands and takes his water and feed. 

The trouble is that I now see a secondary issue I am more familiar with: frostbite.

His nose sloughed off, he had two sores that have healed, and now has lost an half his right hind hoof. His ears are curled and hard. He gets off the ground like he has wooden legs.

I think he is going to lose a foot or something.


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

Oh boy! You have had a time with him. The loss of a hoof is pretty major. I cannot answer what to do next. I'm pulling for you.


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

It has been a month. Is it fair to him to keep this up?


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## aoconnor1 (Jun 19, 2014)

Oh my. Hard to watch this thread, that little guy has been through a lot.


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## MO_cows (Aug 14, 2010)

With the loss of the hoof, he needs professional help. A vet. The ears, no biggee, let them slough off, but feet are a whole different ball game. 

Apparently there is a good reason there aren't more Holsteins in Alaska. They just aren't that tough. Awhile back, someone in Wisconsin was posting about losing HolsteinX cows left and right during a hard winter. Finally figured out their hay was substandard, but still, her Highlanders survived.  So maybe this is where yaks or highland cattle or something more cold hardy is needed. The shelter and bedding the OP described sounded adequate, but obviously it wasn't.


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## Zimobog (Aug 31, 2013)

I called a vet today but have not heard back from her. Left a message reminding her we had spoke before.

To be clear, so far what he is missing his half of his right rear hoof. I'm afraid there will be more damage to his extremities beyond this the way he is walking around stiffly. I've done a little looking around and found some examples of cattle living just fine with no hoof, three legs, and the like. Of course anything beyond just the hoof would require surgical removal and heavy antibiotics. 

but I'm trying to get a vet to look at him and to write me a prescription for Bo-Se. Be nice to have some on hand for the next calves. I want her to try and gauge if his other feet have been similarity damaged and the like as Id be willing to feed out this guy if he was just missing one hoof until fall. More than that and it's time.

I have a large hole dug I was burning stumps in all winter. The fill is frozen hard as iron so I couldn't fill it in. When it thaws up soon I will make a decision. I don't want a carcass uncovered in a hole with bears walking around so I need to be able to cover the carcass.

I've been giving him antibiotic injections and treating the area with Bluekote. I think the antibiotics would make him inedible for now.

What is really making this tough for me is how hard he has tried and how stoic cattle are. He has endured this and has the will to live. He loves food and drink and just leans against you when you're in the barn with him. He hasn't made so much as a peep since I brought him home, whereas my other two bawl their heads off if they so much as bump their heads on a fence. Of course, I'd be down to one if this one goes as the other one died suddenly the first part of winter.

I have been looking around here to trade the heifer with someone who wants a dairy cow and has a Highland heifer to trade. 

As yall say- there must be a reason you don't see a lot of Holstiens here.


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## DJ in WA (Jan 28, 2005)

Lack of Holsteins might have less to do with the cold than the lack of, or high cost of feed. Cheaper to ship milk up there than all the feed to make it.

Where are you in Alaska, and how cold has it been?

I spent 3 years in Fairbanks, my son is now in Anchorage, and I've worked in southeast Alaska. Wide variation in climates. Anywhere near the ocean is warmer than Wisconsin. Warmer in Anchorage now than much of the lower 48.

The frostbite is due as much to being down as the cold. While down, lack of circulation and lose more body heat to the ground.

Sometimes being nice is the hardest thing on an animal. If it were me, I'd end it and haul the carcass off to the bears. Don't have to have it laying by the house.


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## Zimobog (Aug 31, 2013)

Vet called back. She's coming out on monday. She's dismissed my frostbite theory as the cause of the hoof thing and has speculated he was injured by being stepped on causing the hoof problem and the laying on the ground problem. At least for now. 

She's going to help me with making up my mind on the "final option". And she's bringing her prescription pad to prescribe all manner of useful stuff to help me build up a medicine cabinet for all my critters. So it certainly won't be a wasted trip.

I live just north of Wasilla. It's been a pretty odd winter; most of it warm. All this started during a four day -20 spell.


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## Zimobog (Aug 31, 2013)

Ok so now the vet has been here. She stood firm on her diagnosis of injury to the hoof possibly by slipping or being stepped on by the heifer. This then caused him to get lay on the ice, and getting hypothermia. 

She was impressed by his ability to get up on his own- which he did on "command" ie when we walked into the shelter.

He has lice. Bad. So he got a shot for that, as did my heifer.

She is going to order in some Bo-Se and other assorted vitamins for me but practically gave me the remaining Ivermectin shots to continue weekly on the lot of them for the next two months. I felt like I should really push for the Bo-Se because I felt like that had a major turn-around affect on him when we were nursing him back.

Her final recommendation was to feed him out until fall. Then send him to the freezer.

To confirm a suspicion, I did find out there are TWO large animal vets in the Mat-Su Valley. That's two vets in an area around the size of West Virginia. Both are highly regarded.

Thanks again to all for your help (I mean that). I will keep you all posted here on this thread.

And more good news- my sow is preggers!


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## Wanda (Dec 19, 2002)

Thank you for the detailed follow up. I am glad that the vet took time to talk and listen. Good luck with the calf .


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## Lady89 (Feb 22, 2014)

There is only in the last month 2 large animal vets in the county where I live and I am in the hart of cattle land. There seems to be a country wide shortage of big animal vets


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

Lady89 said:


> There is only in the last month 2 large animal vets in the county where I live and I am in the hart of cattle land. There seems to be a country wide shortage of big animal vets


Not much money in large animals medicine, now fluffy and fuzzy lap animals people will pay out the wazoo for.


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## wannabfishin (Jan 31, 2014)

myheaven said:


> Not much money in large animals medicine, now fluffy and fuzzy lap animals people will pay out the wazoo for.


exactly, some of these people will pay more for an operation on a 8 year old lab then I'd pay for a healthy 2 year old angus heifer.


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## Zimobog (Aug 31, 2013)

Y'all have hit the nail there. When searching for this large animal vet (a god-send), I called several "vets" who consistently told me they no longer handled animals beyond cats and dogs. *gag*

I'm glad I found these 2 gals who spend their lives zipping around AK to help us all. They are both heavily involved in livestock production themselves. I guess we are just a different breed of folk. I'm ok with that. That said, I know what field of biological study I will "nudge" my animal-inclined children toward.

This vet charged me $150 to see 6 hogs, 2 cows, and 4 goats. Free syringes, drugs, and advice in three occasions. Alaskans, try that on FiFi's vet.

These ladies are my heroes. And so are you guys on the forum who helped me out. Look me up if you ever come my way. I mean it.


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