If a cow stops eating, call your vet the same day. A cow that is off feed is usually a sick cow, and the cause matters more than any trick to get her eating. While you wait, offer clean water, good-quality grass hay and her normal feed, keep her calm and comfortable, and do not force-feed, drench or give medicines on your own.
Why a cow stops eating
Loss of appetite is one of the earliest signs of illness in cattle. Common causes include:
- Digestive upsets, such as rumen acidosis after a sudden grain increase, bloat, or an impaction
- Infections and fever, including pneumonia, mastitis or a retained placenta after calving
- Metabolic problems around calving, such as milk fever (low calcium) and ketosis
- Foreign objects in the stomach (hardware disease), mouth or tooth problems, or something stuck in the throat
- Heat stress, dehydration or poor-quality, moldy feed
- Toxic plants or contaminated feed
Call the vet right away if
- The cow is down and cannot get up
- Her left side is swollen or she is bloated
- She has a fever (normal is roughly 100.4 to 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit), is breathing hard, or has labored breathing
- She has not passed manure, or she has bloody or severe diarrhea
- She recently calved and is not eating, or she is a high-producing dairy cow
- She has not eaten for 24 hours, even if she looks otherwise normal
What you can safely do while waiting
- Offer fresh, clean water. Dehydration makes everything worse. Keep water easy to reach and check that it is not frozen, dirty or too hot.
- Offer good-quality hay. Soft, leafy grass hay is often the most tempting. Remove old or moldy feed and offer fresh hay in small amounts.
- Give her normal ration only. Do not suddenly add grain, molasses or other rich foods to tempt her. A sudden change can make a rumen problem worse.
- Separate her in a clean, shaded and quiet pen if you think she might be contagious, but keep her where other cattle can still see her so she is not stressed.
- Take her temperature and note her breathing rate, manure and how much she is drinking. This helps your vet.
What not to do
- Do not tube, drench or pour fluids into a cow’s mouth unless a vet has shown you how. Fluids can enter the lungs and cause fatal pneumonia.
- Do not give human sugar, salt or milk to adult cattle as a treatment. They can upset the rumen and do not fix the underlying problem.
- Do not give electrolytes, saline or any medicine without veterinary guidance. Intravenous and high-strength fluids such as hypertonic saline are for vets to use.
- Do not wait and see for more than a few hours if the cow looks very ill.
Helping her recover
Once your vet has found the cause and started treatment, appetite usually returns gradually. Offer small amounts of fresh hay often, add her regular feed back slowly, and keep her stress low. Your vet may recommend an appetite stimulant, probiotic or rumen starter. Ask what to feed, how much and for how long.
For related reading, see why is my cow not eating or drinking, can cows eat only hay and best feed for a nursing cow.
Bottom Line
A cow that won’t eat needs a vet, not a home remedy. Provide water, fresh hay and quiet while you wait, and avoid drenching or giving medicine unless your vet tells you to.
This article is general information and not veterinary advice. Always consult a licensed veterinarian about a sick animal.
