What to do if the calf cannot stand on its feet, causes and treatment

After the cow has calved, the newborn baby should get up on its own within 15 minutes. Such attempts are not always successful. Many novice farmers are often concerned about what to do if the calf does not immediately get to its feet. In adulthood, the situation may repeat itself. It is important to understand in time the causes of the problem and how to solve it.

Causes and predisposing factors

Identifying the reasons why the animal is lying motionless helps prescribe treatment.Pathology is indicated by the situation when the calf is unable to rise to its feet within an hour. According to statistics, approximately 7 such cases out of 100 result in death.

Unbalanced diet and poor care

An unbalanced diet of a pregnant cow affects the development of the calf while still in the womb. The animal requires special attention 3 months before giving birth.

The following can lead to unpleasant consequences when feeding:

1. Cold or sour milk.
2. Large hole at the nipple.
3. Sudden change of diet.
4. Using colostrum from an animal with mastitis.
5. Excessively abundant feeding.

Walking during bad weather and poor living conditions have a negative impact on the condition of calves.

White muscle disease

For normal development, the diet of animals is enriched with useful additives. Insufficient amounts of certain substances in the body are dangerous to health. Vitamin E deficiency, methionine and selenium deficiency lead to white muscle disease.

The following manifestations should alert you:

1. The calf breathes with difficulty and gets tired quickly.
2. The animal stops eating.
3. Liquid stool appears.

If the calf falls on its side and does not rise, it is better to call a doctor. Based on a urine test, the veterinarian will determine the dosage of medications and the duration of treatment. Vitamin E injections and sodium selenite are usually prescribed.

Tetany

Diseases of the nervous system often lead to the calf not getting up. A characteristic symptom of tetany is that after a fall the animal begins to kick its legs. Other signs:

1. Loss of activity.
2. Profuse salivation.
3. Convulsions begin.
4. Joints become swollen.
5. Displacement of the eyeballs indicates an advanced stage of the disease.

To relieve pain, sedatives are prescribed and diet is adjusted. Mineral supplements are introduced into the diet of calves.

Rickets

Falls in calves are also associated with rickets. The disease provokes a low level of vitamin D, phosphorus and calcium in the body. Pathology occurs at different ages. Unbalanced nutrition of pregnant cows contributes to the birth of sick offspring.

An accurate diagnosis can only be made by a veterinarian after appropriate tests. The grounds for inviting a doctor are:

1. Deformation of the forelimbs and shape of the animal's skull.
2. Hardening of the thoracic ribs.
3. Enlargement of joints.
4. Painful response to palpation of the lower back or pelvic bones.
5. Pica. The calf drinks slurry, gnaws walls, wool or soil.

Adding ash, chalk or bone meal to food, a course of vitamins and minerals will alleviate the animal’s condition. In some cases, ultraviolet irradiation sessions are also prescribed.

Nutritional dystrophy

Poor nutrition and starvation often lead to the fact that the calf ceases to stand on its feet. This condition is typical for nutritional dystrophy. With this disease in animals:

1. A fifth of the original weight is lost.
2. Muscle wasting occurs.
3. Hair falls out and skin sags.
4. The heart rate slows down, breathing weakens.

In order for the calf to start getting back on its feet, it is necessary to improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and add more nutrients to the animal’s diet.

Clinical signs

Sometimes after birth, a bull calf cannot rise to its feet for about 8 hours. The sucking reflex in such cubs is weak. The folds of the skin do not straighten out for a long time, there is almost no fat layer. In sick animals:

1. Pulse is difficult to determine.
2. Breathing is shallow.
3. Pale mucous membranes.
4. Reduced body temperature.
5. External stimuli cause almost no reaction.

Animals with signs of hypoxia also cannot rise and lie down. Body weight sometimes even exceeds the norm. But such calves have impaired heart rhythm and breathing. The head often swells, the skin and mucous membranes become bluish. There is a lot of mucus in the mouth and nasal passages.

Help in the first minutes

Hypoxia during birth is observed in almost all calves. Some are less susceptible to the phenomenon and can breathe air into their lungs on their own, while others require help.

After the animal is born, you must:

1. Lift the calf up. The vertical position makes it easier to clear the airways of mucus.
2. The chest is rubbed with a bunch of straw until it is completely dry.
3. An effective measure is tongue massage.
4. Cool water poured over the back of the head activates the blood circulation process.
5. Respirot emulsion is injected into the oral cavity or nose.

Typically, primary care measures have a positive effect. The calf begins to breathe and gets to its feet. For serious problems, call a veterinarian. Attempts to resuscitate the animal continue until a specialist arrives.

Treatment methods for the problem

In emergency cases, artificial respiration or chest compressions are used, and adrenaline or atropine is administered. Further treatments:

1. The young animals are transferred to a warm room. Infrared lamps are used for heating.
2. Provide administration of vitamin complexes using injections or inhalations.
3. Stimulants are used.
4. Glucose is administered.
5. Sometimes Hydrolysin injections are prescribed.

Farmers are also concerned about the question of why a grown calf, which is 1-2 months old, does not get back on its feet.Causes of limb failure:

For any symptoms, it is important to consult a doctor to rule out misdiagnosis and agree on treatment options.

Preventive actions

Preventive measures will help maintain the health of young animals. Both newborn and older calves are provided with normal conditions for keeping:

1. The barn is regularly ventilated.
2. Monitor the freshness of feed and the balance of the animals’ diet.
3. Remove obstacles that could cause the calf to fall.
4. They try to eliminate the occurrence of stressful situations.
5. Conduct veterinary examinations.

If you take care of the health of the livestock, you can prevent the occurrence of serious problems, and calves will get back on their feet immediately after birth. An attentive owner who creates all the conditions for the normal development of animals ensures the prosperity of the farm.