Clinical findings from 218 downer cow cases in dairy cows from Gippsland, Australia

Abstract

218 downer dairy cow cases under commercial farming operations in South Gippsland, Australia were investigated. The likely cause of the initial recumbency, evidence of secondary damage and the conditions under which they were cared for were recorded to analyse the relationships between primary cause, secondary damage, nursing care and outcome. 69 (32%) cows eventually recovered and of the 149 (68%) cows that did not recover it was judged by the researcher that 108 (72%) cows did not recover solely from the secondary damage that they sustained after becoming recumbent. ‘Clinically important’ secondary damage was recorded in 173 (79%) cows, which increased the risk of non-recovery by approximately three times (RR=3.33; 95% CI 2.36–4.68). 151 (69%) cows had been nursed ‘satisfactorily’ and 67 (31%) cows were nursed ‘unsatisfactorily’. The relative risk of developing clinically important secondary damage for cows nursed ‘unsatisfactorily’ was 1.23 (95% CI 1.09-1.38) and for non-recovery was approximately sevenfold greater (RR=7.21; 95% CI 2.74–18.98) when compared with those cows nursed ‘satisfactorily’. When veterinarians attend downer cows it is important that they carefully look for secondary damage and actively engage in the cow's nursing care rather than just focusing on the primary cause of the recumbency.