We are delighted to let you know that Padmaganda and Madhava are maintaining very well after their extended stay at the Large Animal Hospital in Gainesville, Florida. They each stayed for over a month at the hospital. We never had the opportunity for such excellent veterinarian care when we were located in West Virginia. So, this is a new eye-opening, and exciting experience to offer the cows such a high level of care. It is also a new experience for the hospital doctors who are continually impressed with the behavior of their patients from ISCOWP. We are thankful to the veterinarian hospital and our vet Dr. Jill Barabas from Hoof and Horn Veterinarian Services.
The last video of Madhava showed him arriving home. At that time our vet did not allow him to mingle with the herd as his foot needed more time to heal. A few weeks later, our vet allowed him to join the herd. In the following video, you can see how although Madhava is old, he can act like a teenager when he feels like it. To be safe, we still check his foot.
Cow protection means not just protection from slaughter but protection from pain, discomfit, and debilitating illness. Of course, there will always be situations where cow protectors can not do anything but ease the pain and pray. Cow Protection also means equal protection for male and female bovines. In the cases of Madhava and Padma, due to their extended stay in the hospital, their care amounted to $7,300. You might say, “What about health insurance?” Well, the cow is considered a “food animal,” and therefore, there is no such insurance. Now, if the cows were horses, you would be able to attain insurance but with some limitations. Because Madhava and Padma had lifetime adopters, we had the funds to pay their medical bills. We are learning the lesson that with good medical help, many debilitating illnesses can be improved or eliminated for the cows’ happiness.
Nara the Ox
Nara is another ox that has had physical challenges in the last few months. We noticed Nara was limping, and we called our vet, who examined Nara and took x-rays. Unfortunately, it turned out that Nara injured himself and became stifled. A stifled cow or bull refers to a ligament injury surrounding the knee joint (the stifle joint), the first joint below the hips on the hind leg. Usually, older cows or bulls that suffer breeding injuries can become stifled.
We saw Nara jumping one of the young girls, and soon after that, we noticed him limping. Stifled bulls may never heal without treatment, pain management, and rest. Our vet recently took a course and researched more about his condition. She is now utilizing acupuncture treatments to prevent muscle atrophy, stimulate appetite, and give an overall feeling of positivity.
Our vet is very pleased with how Nara is healing. He is putting less pressure on his good leg and thus walking very well for this stage of recovery. In addition, the last acupuncture treatment was more successful than the previous treatments.