Downer Cow Syndrome
January Shakes ’Em, February Breaks ’Em and March Takes ’Em
A
downer cow is technically defined as a "non-ambulatory" cow. The
term, non-ambulatory, refers to a cow that cannot stand and walk from one
place to another under her own strength. Downer cow syndrome may be the
result of any number of offending causes.
We
learned in veterinary school almost all diseases fall under one of the
following categories: degenerative, autoimmune, metabolic, nutritional,
neoplastic (tumors), infectious, traumatic or toxic. Diseases from every
one of those categories can result in a downer cow. This has long been the
source of much frustration to the owner of the cow as well as to the
veterinarian.
Cows
become non-ambulatory in all months of the year; however, the majority of
the downers occur in late winter and early spring. This year may see even
more downer cows than in previous years. Typically a combination of age,
poor body frame score, stage of gestation or lactation, and a poor plane
of nutrition tend to send the cow into a downward spiral from which she
may not recover. I would like to briefly discuss some of these
contributing factors to the downer cow and how to address them.
Age
is not something you can really change. If a cow is 15 years old, she is
15 years old, and should have been sold a few years ago. Depending on who
you listen to, if you keep beef brood cows over ten years old in your
herd, you are simply rolling the dice. The effects of age obviously vary
from cow-to-cow and herd-to-herd. Just as you look at a 60-year-old person
and he may appear to be 70 or 50; the difficulty of the miles makes a big
difference. Keeping a younger herd will definitely stack the deck in your
favor.
Body
frame score is often a primary factor in the downer cow. Without going
into the spectrum of scores and what describes a 5, 6 or 7, body frame
scores can usually be divided into too thin, too fat and just right (in
Goldie Locks terminology). Cattle that are too thin going into the winter
are prime candidates to become downers, especially if combined with one or
more of the other factors. As cattle with poor body frame scores get into
late gestation, it becomes increasingly difficult for them to carry around
the extra weight of the calf growing inside their uterus. When body
condition deteriorates in a cow, it usually takes a deliberate effort to
correct the problem.
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