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Cases where a cow does not eat well after calving are much more common than their owners would like. The reasons may vary, but lack of appetite immediately after the birth of a calf most often means a postpartum complication.
Why does a cow eat poorly after calving?
The reasons for refusing to feed are the same in all cases: infectious inflammation or problems with the gastrointestinal tract. But most often the cow does not eat after calving due to various postpartum complications:
- maternity paresis (postpartum hypocalcemia);
- eating the placenta;
- endometritis;
- postpartum sepsis;
- vestibulovaginitis;
- birth canal injuries;
- udder diseases.
It is not uncommon for cows to stop eating after calving due to ketosis or postpartum hemoglobinuria.
Milk fever
This phenomenon is called postpartum hypocalcemia because the cause of the disease is considered to be a decrease in blood sugar and calcium levels. This drop is caused by an increase in insulin secreted by the pancreas.
Among the symptoms of paresis, there is no refusal of food as such.But in some cases, not only the cow’s hind legs are paralyzed, but also the tongue and pharynx, and tympany also develops. In such cases, she is not able to eat.
Other signs of paresis include:
- anxiety;
- muscle trembling;
- staggering when trying to stand up;
- low body temperature;
- hoarse, rare breathing;
- curvature of the neck;
- desire to lie down.
As first aid for hypocalcemia, the cow's sacrum and lower back are rubbed with burlap and wrapped warmly. The animal requires intravenous infusions of calcium, so you need to call a veterinarian as soon as possible.
Sometimes a cow does not eat well after calving simply because she cannot get up and there is no food available
Eating the placenta
This is unusual for ruminants, but sometimes a cow eats the afterbirth after calving. Unsuitable food can cause intoxication and tympany. If the owner did not keep track and the animal ate the afterbirth, he is prescribed laxatives to cleanse the stomach.
Endometritis
This is an inflammation of the uterine mucosa, but because of it, general intoxication of the body develops, and the cow stops eating. Causes of endometritis are complications during calving. Violations in the feeding and maintenance of cows predispose to the latter.
Symptoms of endometritis are corresponding discharge from the vulva. After inflammation develops and causes intoxication, signs of sepsis appear:
- rumen atony;
- exhaustion;
- diarrhea;
- poor appetite;
- frequent pulse and breathing.
Treatment consists of washing the uterus with disinfectant solutions and using antibiotics intramuscularly or intravenously.
Postpartum sepsis
A consequence of coccal forms of microorganisms entering the blood. After calving, the animal’s general immunity often decreases, and the protective barriers of the genital organs weaken. Predisposing factors:
- tissue damage to the reproductive system during calving;
- uterine prolapse;
- pathological or difficult childbirth;
- delay of placenta
Sepsis can be of three types. The most common pyaemia in cows is sepsis with metastases.
Common features of all 3 types:
- oppression;
- constipation or diarrhea;
- the animal does not eat well;
- cardiac arrhythmia;
- weak pulse;
- shallow rapid breathing.
With pyaemia, fluctuations in body temperature are observed.
When treating, first of all, the primary lesion is surgically treated and antimicrobial drugs are applied to it. Broad-spectrum antibiotics are used.
Vestibulovaginitis
Inflammation of the mucous membrane of the vaginal vestibule. The trigger most often is also damage to the organ during calving and pathological microflora that gets into open wounds. Therapy is most often local, using disinfectants.
Birth canal injuries
They can be spontaneous and violent. The first occur in the upper part of the uterus due to too much tension in the walls. The second is the result of human intervention during severe calving. Usually they occur when organs are damaged by an obstetric instrument, a rope, or too much traction. Through damage, pathogenic microorganisms enter the bloodstream, causing sepsis.
During heavy calving, not only the organs of the reproductive system can be injured, but also other parts of the body.
Udder diseases
Mastitis and udder swelling also cause the cow to eat poorly after calving. Because of the pain.Mastitis can be traumatic or infectious. Accordingly, treatment also differs. In case of traumatic injuries, the affected lobe and nipple are gently massaged, and milk is often and little by little given. For infectious diseases, you cannot do without antibiotics.
Swelling after calving is quite common and often goes away without treatment within 8-14 days. If the swelling persists, the cow is limited in drinking. You can gently massage the udder using moisturizing ointments or creams.
Ketosis
It can occur not only after calving, but also at any time if the cow eats too much protein feed. Poor appetite in ketosis is explained by poisoning and hypotension of the proventriculus in mild forms of the disease. When severe, the animal cannot eat at all. Atony of the rumen, disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract, and high acidity of urine are observed.
To make a diagnosis and further treatment of ketosis, you must consult a doctor. Medicines used include glucose, hormonal drugs, and sodium propionate.
Postpartum hemoglobinuria
The disease predominates in high-yielding cows. Develops during the first 3 weeks after calving.
The causes of its occurrence have not been sufficiently studied. Presumably this is feeding high-protein feeds with a lack of phosphorus and lack of exercise.
The initial stage of the disease is characterized by:
- poor appetite;
- oppression;
- hypotension of the forestomach;
- fever;
- gastrointestinal disorder;
- decrease in milk yield.
Later the urine turns a dark cherry color. It contains a lot of protein and hemoglobin. Ketone and urobilin bodies are present.
Since cows after calving with a lack of exercise are mainly susceptible to hemoglobinuria, when making a diagnosis they rely on these signs:
- stall period;
- the first weeks after calving.
For treatment, first of all, the diet is reviewed and balanced according to the ratio of calcium and phosphorus. Sodium bicarbonate is given orally, 80-100 g per day, twice a day.
The course of treatment usually takes 3-4 days. After this, the cow returns to normal.
It’s also not worth bringing a cow to a skeletal condition so that she does not develop hemoglobinuria after calving.
What to do if a cow does not eat after calving
First of all, you need to establish an accurate diagnosis. With postpartum paresis, the process develops very quickly, and treatment should begin at the first signs of the disease. The same applies to hemoglobinuria.
Of course, you should not delay the treatment of other problems. But they develop more slowly, and there is little time to call a veterinarian.
In case of any complications after calving, it is optimal to give the cow a course of a broad-spectrum antibiotic: penicillin and tetracycline groups. The wounds were almost certainly infected. The uterus and vagina must be irrigated with disinfectant solutions.
Preventive actions
Prevention mainly consists of a balanced diet before calving. A cow should not be too fat, but being underweight is bad for her health. In the second half of pregnancy, the animal should walk a lot, moving calmly around the paddock. Walking is often difficult to provide in winter conditions, but trained abdominal muscles make the calving process easier. If birth injuries are suspected, a course of antibiotics is administered.
Conclusion
It is not always the fault of the owners that a cow eats poorly after calving. Sometimes difficult births occur because the calf is very large. There is also a premature onset of calving, when the uterus unexpectedly comes from walking with the newborn. But providing animals with a nutritious diet and good living conditions is the responsibility of the owner.
