Page 11 - MWC 2-24-2022s

Give Weak Calves A The Midwest Cattleman · February 24, 2022 · P11

Boost with a Big Squeeze

By Maureen Hanson
You’ve probably seen it more 20 minutes.
than once – a beautiful, per- 4. Remove the rope and as-
fectly formed and apparently sist the calf in standing.
healthy calf that just has no in- The MST simulates pres-
terest in engaging in life. sure in the birth canal during
These weak or “dummy” the second stage of labor, which
calves are indifferent to stimu- typically lasts 20-40 minutes.
lus, clumsy, lethargic and have It is best to perform the tech-
weak or no suckle reflex. Fre- nique within a day or two of
quently they are the result of birth.
a traumatic or Caesarian sec- Bovine veterinarian Cassie
tion birth. They are frustrating
to raise, may require multiple continued on page 26
tube feedings, and often don’t
survive.
As it turns out, there may
be a simple, low-cost, and ef-
fective way to help them, and
it doesn’t require a needle, a
tube, or a chute to administer.
The “Madigan Squeeze Tech-
nique” (MST) was developed by
Dr. John Madigan, a veterinary
professor and equine neonatal
health expert at the University
of California-Davis. Madigan
developed the technique as a
part of his research to assist
“dummy” foals with similar,
early life malaise.
Madigan’s theory is that
when animals travel through
the birth canal, it causes a
surge of hormones that shut
down sedative neurosteroids
that keep them calm in the
womb. Because both cattle and
horses are prey species, it is
important that they make a
quick switch to consciousness
so they could theoretically run
to safety within a few hours of
birth.
The squeeze through the
birth canal is thought to help
flip a biochemical “on switch”
that helps newborns transition
quickly from a sleep-like state
in the womb to active engage-
ment outside of it. If, for some
reason, this transition does
not occur, the animal remains
quiet, depressed, and detached.
The technique itself is per-
formed as follows:
1. Wrap a long, soft rope in
three concentric loops around
the calf’s chest.
2. Gently pull the rope to
create pressure around the
ribs. The calf should lie down
and will enter a sleep-like
state with eyes closed, slowed
breathing and lowered heart
rate.
3. Maintain this position for