Pelvic Skeletal Damage and the Downer Cow

Abstract

Skeletal damage in the pelvic region should always be a consideration when examining a downer cow. Diagnosis of skeletal damage is difficult, but lifting the cow is often helpful especially when performing rectal examination (1). Specimens from 11 cases are presented here to illustrate the variety of lesions which can occur so that examiners have a better idea of possible problems and their consequences. These cases are summarized as follows:
iliac shaft fracture, one with sacroiliac ankylosis - 2 cases
massive healed fracture of pelvic floor - 1 case
unilateral fracture of the femoral head - 3 cases
hip luxation with femoral chip fracture near the head - 4 cases
hip dysplasia-like lesion, unilateral - 1 case

Three of these cases recovered enough to became ambulatory, the other 8 were considered to be hopeless.