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Author Topic: Calving advice..decent farm vet needed!  (Read 7471 times)

aess35

  • Joined Jan 2013
Calving advice..decent farm vet needed!
« on: April 01, 2013, 09:51:25 am »
I'm having major problems calving my cows, 2nd stage labour doesn't seem to be progressing and i'm losing calves unless I can get to them in time and some of the cows are also going down and staying down and I've lost a couple this way..the vet has no advice at all and I'm at a loss as to what to do..is it the weather or are they lacking something.  The vet was called last night to come out to a cow and said it wasn't worth it..WHAT?!? isn't that your job?!? I've recently moved from the Highlands where there are proper farm vets, it seems that in the central belt unless you have Shitzu or Bichon Frise you get secondary care.  :cow: :'(

Sbom

  • Joined Jul 2012
  • Staffordshire
Re: Calving advice..decent farm vet needed!
« Reply #1 on: April 01, 2013, 10:53:38 am »
That's dreadful! Change your vets ASAP. Ask around local farms and see who they recommend.

Hassle

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Lincolnshire
Re: Calving advice..decent farm vet needed!
« Reply #2 on: April 01, 2013, 11:46:48 am »
i agree change your vet .. and tell the the reason why you are changing ....

HappyHippy

  • Guest
Re: Calving advice..decent farm vet needed!
« Reply #3 on: April 01, 2013, 11:57:41 am »
Where are you central belt wise ?

There's Clyde Vets in Lanark who are fantastic and there's also the Avon Vets in Strathaven - both of these operate in Lanarkshire (North and South) and although they have small animal clinics, they are mainly farm vets.

But I agree - not what you want to hear from someone you're paying for a service  >:( Shocking  :rant:
HTH
Karen

fsmnutter

  • Joined Oct 2012
  • Fettercairn, Aberdeenshire
Re: Calving advice..decent farm vet needed!
« Reply #4 on: April 01, 2013, 01:36:14 pm »
I'm sooo sorry to hear you're having such a bad time with your cows and your vet.
As a mixed practice vet, I see all sizes of animals, but nobody should feel like they are second best or that the vet doesn't know or care what is happening. I certainly agree with the general sentiment to shop around to see if you can find a more helpful/caring vet.
Firstly, with second stage labour not progressing, and down cows, this sounds like a problem with low calcium. In the run up to calving, a lot of calcium is taken out of the cow, and the sudden demand for calcium to contract the muscles for calving, and for milk production means that the cows can be short.
One of the best ways to counteract this problem is to reduce the calcium in the diet in the run up to calving (the last few weeks), by giving rougher forage and keeping concentrates minimal, even adding in straw to the diet can help. This makes the cow start producing the hormones that release calcium from the bones and diet, so that she is ready to access as much calcium as possible when she needs it at calving. This will help you next year, as you can discuss (probably with your local agricultural/feed merchant rather than your vet who doesn't seem to know too much about cattle) the best regime for building up to calving.
This year, you are probably going to have to treat individuals and minimise the effects. Firstly, when the cows calve, you can give calcium at calving, it can be given into the vein if they are really weak or down, or under the skin to give a slower release. A local farmer should be able to help show you how to do this if the vet can't really help you.
An alternative is boluses, and a lot of farms will give a bolus over the throat which dissolves slowly in the rumen releasing steady amounts of calcium. If you are struggling with calvings that don't get going, it may help to give calcium before this happens.
It may be that the weather has affected the amount of nutrients in the grass and is causing cows that would normally manage to be unbalanced in terms of calcium and magnesium. Sometimes low magnesium in the blood can also cause cows to struggle, so if they are not responding well to calcium supplements, it may be worth having a bottle of magnesium on standby as well. This goes under the skin only, if put into the vein it can slow the heart enough to stop it if given too quickly, so safer to put under the skin.
Hopefully some of this will help, and make calving a bit smoother for you
All the best
Suzanne

aess35

  • Joined Jan 2013
Re: Calving advice..decent farm vet needed!
« Reply #5 on: April 01, 2013, 04:22:22 pm »
Thanks everybody..I've already asked about for a good vet but was told that they are all much the same around here which is quite sad but I'm moving to the Stirling area soon so hopefully I'll have more luck with a practice over there.

To fsmnutter..thanks for that you have given me more information for free in one message than the vet did in one previous visit and 2 phone calls!!, we tried calcium and mag with one of the cows but maybe we were too late with it, I'll digest what you've written and get onto it.  many thanks!!  :relief:

aess35

  • Joined Jan 2013
Re: Calving advice..decent farm vet needed!
« Reply #6 on: April 04, 2013, 11:29:41 pm »
And the vet rears their ugly head again, took my toddlers pet rabbit in a few weeks ago and it was in for 3 hours then died..it had hydration and heat(no bloods) and just got the the bill... £200!!!!! This relationship is coming to an end. I'm still in shock.  :o

HappyHippy

  • Guest
Re: Calving advice..decent farm vet needed!
« Reply #7 on: April 05, 2013, 06:22:17 pm »
 :o :o :o That is shocking !
Poor bunny and poor pocket  :(

sabrina

  • Joined Nov 2008
Re: Calving advice..decent farm vet needed!
« Reply #8 on: April 05, 2013, 07:35:17 pm »
I have always believe in 2 things when it comes to my ponies and animals. 1  I must have a vet I can trust  2  I must have a blacksmith that I can trust. You pay your vet for a service, if they are not up to the job they should not be taking on your business. Not to turn out to an animal in need is indeed terrible and they should be held accountable. As part of my stud training I work with a vet who was not only wonderful at his job but would have been horrified if it had been suggested that it was not worth his while coming out.his motto was, its not over until the animal is dead.

scarlettoara

  • Joined Feb 2013
Re: Calving advice..decent farm vet needed!
« Reply #9 on: April 06, 2013, 05:41:20 pm »
it sounds like a town vet that you have.
when we chose our we just looked through adverts in yellow pages to see what they offered. we wanted pets, ponies and farm animals and have been mainly happy, though it is a distance to travel for the pets. even our vets are farmers sons or have a farm at home so understand it all.
id change pronto.
good luck.

aess35

  • Joined Jan 2013
Re: Calving advice..decent farm vet needed!
« Reply #10 on: April 07, 2013, 08:40:01 pm »
They actually have a farm department and advertise themselves an equine practice..I'll have to have it out with them about the rabbit bill..half of it is for exams and a critical care nurse. I was never called and told what the cost may be I trusted them to have a limit at which point they would consult me, if it had lived what the hell would the bill be.  My point is that if they say they will do anything possible to save the life of an animal then it is clearly only for small animals which is the side of the practice that they can charge an extortionate amount for the treatment the cow was not worth it to them.  All I can say is anyone in Fife stay away from Inglis Vets!!!  >:(

F.CUTHBERT

  • Joined Aug 2011
Re: Calving advice..decent farm vet needed!
« Reply #11 on: April 07, 2013, 10:58:55 pm »
I am with the Provost vet group and am quite happy with them. They cover a good lump of fife but not sure how far south they go. I have also heard good things about the Eden Vet Practice in Cupar but both these might be slightly out of your area

aess35

  • Joined Jan 2013
Re: Calving advice..decent farm vet needed!
« Reply #12 on: April 07, 2013, 11:14:48 pm »
I am with the Provost vet group and am quite happy with them. They cover a good lump of fife but not sure how far south they go. I have also heard good things about the Eden Vet Practice in Cupar but both these might be slightly out of your area

I was with Eden up til 2 months ago but I changed as they're quite far away and I never go in that direction for anything..someone with a horse actually recommended Inglis that's why I went there but since my bad time another farmer has said he used to be with them and had problems too.  Problem is is I'm just not that rural where I am..I've had people say I live in the sticks, they've no idea what in the sticks really is!

colliewoman

  • Joined Jul 2011
  • Pilton
  • Caution! May spontaneously talk rabbits!
Re: Calving advice..decent farm vet needed!
« Reply #13 on: April 08, 2013, 09:39:57 pm »
And the vet rears their ugly head again, took my toddlers pet rabbit in a few weeks ago and it was in for 3 hours then died..it had hydration and heat(no bloods) and just got the the bill... £200!!!!! This relationship is coming to an end. I'm still in shock.  :o




Don't know about large animals in relation to this, but  treatment for gut stasis/illius slowdown (generally what would need a drip and heat) your bill was about average.
Rabbits are tricky things to treat. Trust me on this, they are one of the dearest creatures around when they do get sick :bunny:

We'll turn the dust to soil,
Turn the rust of hate back into passion.
It's not water into wine
But it's here, and it's happening.
Massive,
but passive.


Bring the peace back

aess35

  • Joined Jan 2013
Re: Calving advice..decent farm vet needed!
« Reply #14 on: April 08, 2013, 11:11:48 pm »
And the vet rears their ugly head again, took my toddlers pet rabbit in a few weeks ago and it was in for 3 hours then died..it had hydration and heat(no bloods) and just got the the bill... £200!!!!! This relationship is coming to an end. I'm still in shock.  :o

I thought about£100 would be about right, got the itemised bill and £100 was exam's and critical care nurse!!! The rest was an admission charge for a day and £50 max for drugs..just seems a bit extreme for a rabbit that when I took in they said there wasn't much they could do.  :thinking:


Don't know about large animals in relation to this, but  treatment for gut stasis/illius slowdown (generally what would need a drip and heat) your bill was about average.
Rabbits are tricky things to treat. Trust me on this, they are one of the dearest creatures around when they do get sick :bunny:

 

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