Freak Accident

Remember the bridge that we just had repaired?  Looks like it is costing us more than we thought. 

 J went to check the cattle a few days ago and found a calf in the creek.  J thought it's foot was stuck between two rocks and it was laying down with it's head just out of the water.  He got it out and it was too cold to stand.  He came home and got me and we went back with warm electrolytes and towels.  When we got back it was drying off and warming up but still couldn't stand.  After tubing her with the fluids and drying her off more we left for lunch and came back a couple of hours later.   When she still couldn't stand I asked J what the possibility was that it had fallen off the bridge.  Well, it was laying pretty close to the bridge and it was a big enough calf that should have been still standing even if it's foot was stuck.

 My new diagnosis was traumatic spinal cord injury.

 Her left rear leg continues to cross over her right rear leg.  If she tried to walk she knuckles over on both legs then falls down.  Her front end works fine.

 If we get all her legs under her she can stand, just not walk.  I've had her on an anti inflammatory medicine for several days now and she has been sucking from the bottle well but not making very much progress.  We are probably not going to be able to keep working with a 175 pound calf that can't get up on it's own.

And it is a double shame because this was a beautiful first calf heifer she is out of.  I just bought a new bag of milk replacer so we will keep trying for now.