Emergency first aid for cattle

Serious livestock accidents and illness can, and do, happen. So what should producers do in emergency situations to secure the best possible outcome for the animal? Olivia Cooper finds out.

Nobody wants to have to administer emergency first aid 鈥� whether to human or animal. But knowing what to do can turn the situation from one of panic to one of control, significantly increasing the chances of success.

Vet Becca Cavill, ruminant veterinary adviser with Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, gave these top tips at a recent Women in Dairy event, sponsored by CalfMatters.

What is a true emergency?

All emergencies require veterinary intervention but Ms Cavill said there were some actions what would help the animal until the vet arrived.

She said: 鈥淎 cut milk vein or uterine artery can rapidly be fatal. Try to find the source of the bleeding and, using a big ball of cotton wool or similar, put pressure on the source of bleeding, stuff the hole, or clip it shut using artery forceps or bulldog clips.鈥�

Ms Cavill said grass staggers, also known as hypomagnesaemia, was most common at grass after heavy rain in spring or autumn.

鈥淐ows are often lying down but can appear shaky and may display erratic or angry behaviour so be careful.鈥�

She advised keeping magnesium on-farm to inject subcutaneously. She added that calcium could also be injected into a vein.

Other emergencies include acute acidosis. Ms Cavill advised being on the alert for collapsed cows which look depressed and/or have rolled back eyes.

She said: 鈥淒eath can occur within 24-48 hours. You will need a vet to administer intravenous fluids and potentially perform a rumen transplant, removing the rumen contents and replacing them with those from a healthy cow to repopulate the normal gut flora.

Life threatening but not imminent emergencies

Redwater / tick-borne diseases
Ms Cavill said these diseases were often not identified until animals were very poorly due to lost blood.
What to do: May need a blood transfusion. Control ticks to reduce the risk of disease.

Severe milk fever
Cows suffering with severe milk fever can spiral very quickly. Ms Cavill advised looking for downer/weak cows, those which are trembling and have a rapid heartbeat.
What to do: Blood test to check whether it is milk fever or toxic mastitis, which has similar symptoms. Pull every quarter of the udder to check if the milk has changed. Check cow temperature and for signs of dehydration. Treat with calcium and phosphorus.
Toxic mastitis
Ms Cavill said this could be identified by looking for udder pain/swelling and milk changes. 鈥淭he cow will present as acutely sick, dull, and may be lying down with a raised or sub-normal temperature.鈥�
What to do: Give anti-inflammatories and fluids in-stomach or intravenously. Speak to your vet about possible antimicrobials.
Toxic metritis
Ms Cavil said to be on the lookout for smelly, watery, dark browny-red vaginal discharge.
What to do: Give fluids in-stomach or intravenously. Speak to your vet about possible antimicrobials.
Severe bloat
Ms Cavill explained an accumulation of gas in the rumen shows as a distended abdomen and may push on the lungs, causing respiratory distress.
What to do: Try inserting a stomach tube to alleviate gas accumulation, or as a last resort insert a milk fever needle into the cow鈥檚 side to release the gas as an interim measure before the vet arrives.
Gastrointestinal blockage
To diagnose, Ms Cavill said to look and listen for a right displaced abomasum. 鈥淚t often twists the stomach and causes dehydration and cardiovascular compromise.鈥�
What to do: Requires immediate surgery.
Uterine prolapse
This occurs after calving and sometimes in conjunction with milk fever.
What to do: Get extra people in to help while waiting for the vet. If standing, restrain the animal appropriately. Put clean towels under the prolapse to keep clean / prevent it pulling further. If lying, work with the vet to move cow onto her front with hind legs out behind her to make it easier to reinsert the prolapse. Treat with an epidural, anti-inflammatories and vet-prescribed antibiotics.

Serious, but not life-threatening welfare issues

Downer cow
Treat the cause but check with vet if not responding.
Malpresented calf, twins or a dead calf
It can be easy to lose track of time when assisting calving, set a timer on your phone and call the vet; may require C-section or fetotomy.
Leg fracture
Calves can often be treated with a cast, cows usually have to be euthanised.
Dislocated hip
Can be relocated but often unsuccessful. If untreated, as with a leg fracture, it is possible to get a slaughter certificate and request slaughterman and vet to be on-site concurrently.
Bleeding horn
Caused by a trauma, often after dehorning. Apply pressure to site of bleeding and cauterise.
Dehydration
Often due to calf scours or toxic mastitis. Signs include lethargy, sunken and dull eyes, 鈥榯ented鈥� skin when pinched. Treat with oral or intravenous fluids and electrolytes.
Wounds
Apply pressure to stop bleeding, ideally clean with saline, not concentrated iodine or hibiscrub, and bandage until vet arrives.
Lead poisoning
Can occur from batteries / lead paint / old troughs. Look for neurological signs and blindness.
A rumenotomy may be needed to remove the item or chelation therapy.
Tyre wire disease
Can be hard to diagnose. Look for a 10-to-4 diagonal bloat when standing behind the cow.
An operation will be needed to remove the wire.

How to inject

Ms Cavill reminded farmers to always use a clean needle and syringe.

She said: 鈥淔or intravenous injections, avoid the milk vein and use the jugular vein if possible.

鈥淚f the cow鈥檚 lying down, turn and tie the head to the back leg to expose the vein. Always insert the needle with the sharp side first, bevel facing up/out. Do not use too acute an angle as it can puncture the artery. This will produce pulsing, bright red blood not dark, steady blood as from a vein.

鈥淔or intramuscular injections, opt for the fleshy part of the hindquarter, well to the side away from the sciatic nerve near the spine. In calves, use the muscle at the base of the neck.

鈥淔or subcutaneous injections, go behind or in front of the shoulder.鈥�

How to administer oral fluids

Ms Cavill said a complete pump drenching kit was useful but not essential.

鈥淔eed the tube through the mouth down the throat into the rumen. If you cannot see it travelling down the left side of the neck then it may have entered the lungs instead. Listen for breathing sounds / gurgling noise from the rumen through the tube to double check before attaching the pump or funnel.鈥�