A Puzzling One

[randiliana]

We have a yearling (17-18 months) heifer here. 2 weeks ago we brought her from our north pasture home because she was lame on the Left front leg. Figured it was an injury, there was no swelling. We brought her home simply because we wanted to keep an eye on her. She seemed to be doing better for a week or so. Then just the other day DH noticed her laying down, out in the middle of the pasture, and she had lost a LOT of weight. At that point we just thought it was lack of water, as in her not going often enough in the heat. So we went to bring her in where she wouldn't have to walk so far for water. When we got her up and moving we noticed she was no longer as lame on the Left front, but was now lame on the Left hind AND very lame on the Right front. The hind has no swelling, but the Right front is swollen from the knee to the fetlock.

We know it is not Footrot. She is eating well and drinking. So far we haven't gotten ahold of the vet. It isn't an emergency (or we'd call him at home), and his hours are just Tues and Thurs at the office during the summer. This is not a home raised animal, but we bought her from a friend of ours this spring.

What I'm wondering is if it isn't a case of Mycoplasma. My DH dealt with quite a bit of this in the feedlot when he worked there, but that is over 10 years ago. If it is likely that this is the problem, we would just as soon put her down as watch her suffer.

 

[milkmaid]

What I'm wondering is if it isn't a case of Mycoplasma. My DH dealt with quite a bit of this in the feedlot when he worked there, but that is over 10 years ago. If it is likely that this is the problem, we would just as soon put her down as watch her suffer.

That was my first thought. Might talk to Howdyjabo as I believe she's dealt with a lot of it too... and I'm under the impression some types of myco are treatable.

Is the heifer running a temp?

 

[randiliana]

I know that all the cases they dealt with in the feedlot ended up being put down. And, they tried everything under the sky to treat them. From drugs, to magnets. But there could be new drugs out there now that might work.

As far as a fever, we haven't temped her, but I really don't belive she is running one. She just doesn't act sick, other than she is lame. She is perky, her eyes look good and so on. She is hard to handle, and as lame as she is I really don't want to work her up.

 

[larryshoat]

You know, 10 years ago we were blaming a ton of stuff on mycoplasm too .It was in feedlot cattle most of which were bought at auction . I started when Draxxin came out giving those auction cattle a shot along with their modified live vaccine, followed by another round of vaccines 14 days later . This has virtually eliminated the problem . The vaccines that are available for mycoplasma in my observation have been worthless . So, I'm wondering if in the past we were really dealing with myco (since the vaccines didn't help) or if it was a combination of things that just overwhelmed the immune systen of the calf . What do all of you think?

Larry

 

[TheBullLady]

I don't know anything about mycoplasm.. I don't think it something we have in this part of the country, but is there a possibility it's founder?

 

[randiliana]

I don't know anything about mycoplasm.. I don't think it something we have in this part of the country, but is there a possibility it's founder?

No, it isn't founder. We have dealt with that before. She moves differently than a foundered animal would. And founder doesn't cause the leg to swell.

 

[MrGale]

Vetinarian is your best bet here..we could all be guessing for years and not get it, you mneed to physically evaluate the individual animal to really get a diagnosis. :cboy: