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[TLC Farms]

I called and he was at lunch so she is going to have him call back. Will see what happens.
It's hard to believe that in all the advances that medicine can make someone has not been able to come up with a brace or cast or something that you can use on a cow. Seems such a same that you would first think to put an animal down just because a broke leg.
Is it that difficult to find material that will hold a leg together and support the weight of a cow????
Of course she is a big, big cow......plus being heavy with calf.....just doesn't seem right to not be able to do more to help her.
And to top it off she is just a two year old heifer, this being her first calf. If she makes it through this the bull might not be able to get near her next time.
Anyways will keep posted what happens, keep your fingers crossed that maybe turn out good.
Thanks to everybody who responded.

[Faster horses]

How did she break her leg in the first place? I if it is in the back it would be her hock that you are calling a knee. A hock injury is doubly bad.

Gosh, we hope the very best for you. To echo everyone else that has posted, let us know how this turns out.

[TLC Farms]

from what we can figure......on Friday afternoon went to check cows and she was laying down.......after getting close to her she got up but seemed to have trouble doing so. She was walking some and looked to be limping a little. Looked at her foot thinking she might be getting touch of footrot. Her toes appeared to be spread apart and some slight swelling higher up on the thigh area....but not in the foot or leg itself. Figured on watching her to keep an eye on that leg.
Staurday morning went out to check her.....still laying down, but would stand when you got near her. Would not let you get real close but close enough you could visually see the foot. swelling in thigh area seemed to have gone down some but the leg and foot looked a little puffy. Gave her shot of Nuflor just in case it was a case of footrot. Kept checking that day stayed pretty well the same
Sunday morning went out and checked her. Again she was laying down, but this time she didn't get up when you walked up to her. She would pick her head up when she saw you but would then lay her head back down. Gave her a dose of twin penn and I believe we also gave her a shot of banamine for pain. That afternoon checked her she was standing up eating. Was limping really bad but thought that maybe feeling better since she was actually up.
Monday morning checked her back to laying down, leg was swollen from foot to thigh, would try to get back up and move. She would struggle to try and get up. Took three or four times for her to actually do it. When she went to walk she would barely put any pressure on that leg and when she did it was like the leg would try to fold up on her.
Had to go to work and was not able to get back to check her till that afternoon. She was laid in a ditch area in the middle of the field, no shade, and it was 94 outside. Didn't look like she had moved in awhile, nor had she had any water. We started try to cool her down, got her to take some water and kept her cooled off till that night. Leg was really swollen, and she was real anxious. Thought she might also been trying to go into labor at that point.
Tuesday morning had to get her onto a trailer and get her moved to some shade. Got her put in a smaller holding pen that has a shaded area and that's where she has been since.
The only thing we can come up with is that she must have pulled a muscle or sprained something trying to get up orginally. With her own weight and the weight of the calf apparently she got up wrong and snapped the leg.
Like I said before she is a really big cow.(we call her Big Momma).
Will definetly let ya'll know what happens.

[Faster horses]

I just hate that kind of stuff.

You feel so helpless.

[alabama]

It sounds like the farm was named right "TLC". If I were a cow I would want to live there.
She sounds like a nice cow. I hope when you check her next she is up nursing a 76 pound bull calf.

[TLC Farms]

That would be nice. And I think that she would feel alot better once the calf is out. Just hope that both of them make it.

[alabama]

If you can get then over to Auburn I am sure that they will make it. They have plenty of soft hearted young lady vet students that will give them plenty of TLC.
If you have never been to the vet clinic you will be amazised at what they can do. I learn somthing every time I go. They test all my bulls for a breding soundness exam (bse.)
The vet school comes out to my place late in the year to preg dheck and help me work all the cows. they bring 5 vet students and an instructur. This is great help and good to look at too and all I pay is the cost of the meds and a doller a mile travel. I am 35 miles away so that is $35 plus meds. Way too cheep and good for me as well as the students that have never worked cows in a home made working pin.
War Eagle.

[TLC Farms]

Well, I am still waiting on Dr Carson to call back. I hope that he does. Have never been there, but sounds like a pretty good deal. Have any idea what they would charge to help with this situation?????
It would probably be worth the mileage charge to have them come over and work our cows.....last time we worked them the vet we used have to give us a rough est of how far along the cows were. Of course when I say rough I mean really rough......cows that he said were 5 and 6 months along have calved where as the one that he said was 7 or 8 months (which of course is the cow with the bad leg) still has not calved, nor does she look like she is in any hurry to do so.
It breaks my heart to just see her lying there, but I tell u, let a dog come near and she is ready to go after them(she just can't get up to do it). Had a puppy come in the pen yesterday, if there is such a thing as the evil eye she was giving it to him. She was trying to get riled up, tried to head butt him and everything. Even though she is down she's still got quite a spirit.

[alabama]

You may have to call "old" Doc Bob Carson again. He gets busy from time to time and is somewhat forgetfull. Don't tell hin I said that. He has always called me back but sometimes not right away. doctor wolf could also help.
I don't think you have time to take her today but if you can get an apointment, you can take her first thing in the morning. If she is not dilated in the back end she is not ready to calve. With heifer you have a little more warning.

The cost I am sure will be more than the worth of the cow unless she is one of those high doller cows like a doner. A friend of mine took a pair over this spring and Doctor Wolf worked on them for two weeks or more. They worked on the bill and got down a good bit but it still cost him a coulpe of calves. The Doctor will most likley explane this when you talk with him.

They do make farm visite but unless you have "A LOT" the max travel they do is 50 miles. I know they went to Perry county last to test bulls on one farm for two days. I am just lucky to be close.

[Mike]

[alabama]

Hey mike: Is it hot at your place yet?
I came through a good rain this morning on Al-231 at the Tallapoosa river. I hope i get some of this at home. I have a little hay on the ground but it is in the pasture so let it rain.

[TLC Farms]

I guess at this point my biggest concern is what we need to do for her to keep her comfortable., and to save the calf.
I was told that the dexamethazone(spelling????) should start her to dialating if she was close, but doesn't seem to be doing much, although they did say it could take a couple of days.
She has a full bag on her and her back end is (swollen??????)I'm not sure what the exact term would be to use......extended????? to the point that she doesn't keep her tail straight when she is up. Of course with first time heifers I understand that they can spring heavy or show heavy and still be quite a ways off from delivery.
AT this point I just don't know what to do......I hate to see her suffer, but I also don't want to put her down if there is a chance.
stuck between a rock and a hard place
As far as being a special/expensive breed.....nope....she's got a little black angus/holstein/simm in her.......she's 1400....1500lbs or better. But she has a great disposition on her and a really nice look to her.