Page 337 - The Welfare of Cattle

314 the WeLfare of CattLe

Strategies for the prevention and management of downer cows can be classified into broad cat-
egories and should include: nutritional management, herd health, cow comfort, calving procedures,
facilities, training, and good husbandry (Doonan et al., 2003; Stull et al., 2007). Stull and colleagues
(2007) suggest a list of management procedures for the prevention of and treatment of nonambula-
tory cattle which includes: well-formulated diets that decrease the risk of metabolic disorders asso-
ciated with prolonged recumbency and that maintain body condition at healthy levels in both young
and adult cattle, veterinary care, treatment of downers as emergencies, high-quality nursing care,
preventive care aimed at diseases commonly known as primary causes of downer cattle, clean, dry,
and comfortable housing, and calving management practices that promote easier calvings and limit
opportunities for injury and infections.
As the dairy industry moves toward larger herds with more hired labor, the implementation of
adequate standard operating procedures and the training of all dairy employees are of paramount
importance if we are to encourage optimal management of individual animals at risk of becoming
nonambulatory.

MaNaGeMeNt tO INCreaSeS ChaNGeS OF reCOVerY
aND reDUCe SeCONDarY DaMaGe

Downer cows should be treated as medical emergencies and their management should have
two primary objectives: to correct the primary cause of recumbency and to minimize the chances
of secondary recumbency. Achieving these two objectives should result in greater animal welfare,
improved prognosis for returning to a healthy and productive status, and fewer losses for dairy
producers.
The first step in managing a nonambulatory animal is to perform a basic physical examination.
Several dairy personnel should be trained on the basic steps of a physical exam, as depending on
just one employee or outside contractor could mean that a downer animal has to wait to be properly
assessed if the designated individual is not on the farm when the animal becomes nonambulatory. The
herd veterinarian or university extension personnel could serve as resources for training employees
on how to conduct a physical examination. Additionally, bilingual (English and Spanish) training pro-
grams are available online (Roman-Muniz and Van Metre, 2011) and could be useful for this purpose.
Besides any physical findings that can narrow down the primary cause of recumbency, the physical
examination should aid in assessing pain severity, prognosis, treatment feasibility, and costs. (Stull
et al., 2007). Physical exam findings together with the cow’s history should help to make a decision
that will result in less suffering for the affected cow and decreased cost for the livestock operation.
While assessing the downer, dairy personnel should evaluate her ability to stand, and decide
if further treatment is the best option to preserve her welfare. Researchers have proposed several
conditions to choose treatment over euthanasia. Cows that are alert, show no signs of distress, main-
tain a sternal position, have a normal mentation, are eating and drinking, attempt to stand, and are
afflicted with metabolic disorders, infectious diseases, minor musculoskeletal injuries, or dystocia
should be treated (Smith et al., 2015; Stojkov et al., 2016). On the other hand, animals experiencing
severe uncontrollable pain with a poor prognosis for correcting the primary cause of recumbency
should be immediately euthanized. Stojkov and colleagues (2016) propose not treating any animal
who is not alert, in lateral recumbency, with fractures, compromised joints, or any major musculo-
skeletal injuries. Additionally, body condition should be considered as very thin cows (body condi-
tion score less than 2.5 on a dairy cattle scale) have lesser chances of recovering (Green et al., 2008).
Poulton and colleagues (2016a) advise to euthanize cattle with secondary hip displacement as they
commonly relapse after replacement and have a grave prognosis.
Besides identifying the primary cause of recumbency and being able to decide if euthanasia or
medical treatment is the best course of action, a physical examination performed promptly after the