Page 340 - The Welfare of Cattle

the doWner CoW 317

the IMPOrtaNCe OF StaNDarD OPeratING PrOCeDUreS,
aPPrOPrIate traINING, aND LaBOr MaNaGeMeNt

Livestock operations that aim to prevent and provide high-quality nursing care to downer ani-
mals, should equip personnel with the knowledge and tools to properly identify animals at risk, to
effectively assess and treat, and to humanely euthanize downers when needed. Nonetheless, downer
cattle management is a topic often overlooked by management on dairy operations. A recent study
revealed that written guidelines for handling nonambulatory cattle can be found in less than a quar-
ter of all operations (Adams et al., 2015a). When operations in the same study were categorized by
heard size, more dairies with 500 cows or more reported having written guidelines than dairies with
fewer than 500 cows. Not having written standard operating procedures results in downers being
managed inconsistently, according to the caretaker assigned to the sick pen that day. This, in turn,
jeopardizes the chances of recovery and puts animals at risk of unnecessary suffering when treat-
ment or euthanasia decisions are delayed.
Written guidelines or standard operating procedures, should be available, and communicated
regularly to all caretakers. Written guidelines should be used to train all new employees and to
create a culture that values animal welfare and human safety. To more effectively manage downers,
written guidelines should include best practices such as timely assessment of pain, alertness, hydra-
tion, and any serious condition that would warrant euthanasia, humanely transporting, properly
bedding the pen, providing good-quality water and feed and regularly repositioning the downer
every 6 hours. Additionally, there should be guidelines for assessing secondary damage in cows
recumbent for more than 12 hours.
Researchers have reported that repeated treatments offered to downer animals, such as flotation
therapy, while helpful in many instances, can induce stress and increase costs (Stojkov et al., 2016).
Guidelines for repeating treatments or for offering different treatments should be established by
management and communicated with caretakers ahead of time. Treatment offered to the downer
animal, whether to address the primary cause or the medical sequelae of prolonged recumbency
should be based on a physical exam and assessment of the animal’s condition. Written guidelines
for considering euthanasia when further treatment is not justified or when the downer’s condition
worsens should be discussed with all personnel, and should stress best practices congruent with the
safety of the person performing the euthanasia as well as the humane treatment of the animal to be
euthanized.
As previously discussed, training employees on how to perform a basic physical exam is a criti-
cal need. Although some primary causes of downers require additional diagnostic procedures or
laboratory testing, a basic physical exam should aid in diagnosing some relatively common causes
of downer cattle, such as milk fever, uterine or mammary gland infections, and some musculoskel-
etal or calving injuries. Assessing the downer when first identified, and after treatments will allow
for more effective management, more prompt decision making, and less risk of welfare issues.
Additionally, being able to identify severe injuries and signs of significant pain should expedite the
decision to euthanize. Physical exam of downer animals could be difficult depending on the loca-
tion of the animal, and any training received by the caretakers should emphasize human and animal
safety. With the help of the herd veterinarian, caretakers should learn how to do physical exams con-
sistently and following the same steps. Consistency in the process can help avoid missing important
clues, such as changes in rumen motility, mentation, degree of dehydration, and elevated pulse and
respiratory rate, both of which could be signs of pain. When examining a dairy cow, it is critical
to assess the reproductive tract and the mammary gland, as they are often associated with disease
in producing animals. Employees performing the physical examination should carefully assess the
musculoskeletal system and inform a supervisor or herd veterinarian if they find any abnormalities
as they may warrant euthanizing the cow.