Well, I screwed up again it seems. I banded a 500 lb calf with what the vet said was "too small" of a band. I used the old green cheerio looking band but the calves are bigger than I normally band at. Now the problem is, his sack is black and appears swollen more than normal. It appears black and irritated looking on top of the band as well. The "steer" is moving ok and acts fine but the sack area looks terrible. With this said, I failed to give a tetanus shot and I put the band on about 10 days ago. What should I do now? The vet said to give him more time with the band but I didn't ask about the tetanus shot. Should I give him a tetanus toxoid shot now? Antibiotics? Please help me cuz this is a mistake I won't make again.
Banding Issues
- Thread starter Sparky11
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larryshoat
Well-known member
Sparky11":3kcx78dd said:
I can't imagine you got a small green band on a 500lb calf but it sounds like you did. Obviously it's not big enough and tight enough to do the job. You need to get something on him to tighten the bands up, a big band or more green bands . When you accomplish this split the bottom of the bag so it can drain. I would use a high dose of pen along with dexamethasone. At this point you need Tetanus Antitoxin not Toxoid.
Larry
cross_7
Well-known member
i'd cut him.
give tetanus antitoxin and shoot him with antibotics
edit just read what larry said.
do like he said
but i'd cut him
give tetanus antitoxin and shoot him with antibotics
edit just read what larry said.
do like he said
but i'd cut him
Thanks for the info. He got a Tetanus Antitoxin and the swelling seems to be going down. The vet looked at him already and said just wait and see how things go. He thinks he'll be ok. Next year I'm buying a Callicrate bander. Anybody have any experience with these?
larryshoat
Well-known member
Sparky11 said:
Amo
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When I precondition sometimes a band breaks/falls off from branding time. Ive put the cheerio type on maybe not quite a 500#er but close. Never have had a problem.
Agreed with other suggestions, mainly....castrate him. Remove the diseased tissue and start him on antibiotics.
If that can't be done, second choice would be the reapply a couple of bigger bands.
But either way, I'd put the calf on antibiotics because it sounds like there is still blood flow to the tissue and the infection probably has spread, to some degree, above the the banded area.
While he might, eventually, shed the offending tissue and heal on his own it will certainly affect his well being and rate of gain if it isn't addressed.
If that can't be done, second choice would be the reapply a couple of bigger bands.
But either way, I'd put the calf on antibiotics because it sounds like there is still blood flow to the tissue and the infection probably has spread, to some degree, above the the banded area.
While he might, eventually, shed the offending tissue and heal on his own it will certainly affect his well being and rate of gain if it isn't addressed.
Well, it's now November 07 and time for an update. I took him back to the vet for the second time because things weren't looking any better to me. The vet used a callicrate bander and rebanded him up higher. Things are looking much better now and hopefully will be proceeding as normal from here on out. Thanks for the responses.
Runaway Deere
Well-known member
calicrate bander and the rodenator are the two best things that an okie like me have ever used in my life, very satisfied with these products
Calicrate Bander works great, we buy bulls and band em then flip em. I swear you could band anything you want with that callicrate, we have not tried it on horns yet though
Calicrate Bander works great, we buy bulls and band em then flip em. I swear you could band anything you want with that callicrate, we have not tried it on horns yet though
