bent knees

[mdw]

I would appreciate any wisdom from out there. I've attached one photo and will try to attach a video. This is a 9 day old calf. Was normal as far as I can tell until about 3 or 4 days ago. Suddenly it stands with its front knees bent. I promise you the calf does not have contracted flexor tendons. I find nothing suggestive of septic arthritis (normal rectal temperature, normal umbilicus, no joint effusion that I can find). There is no evidence of pain when I fully flex the knees. Can stand straight if you reposition the front legs. Can run around like a happy calf. Normal body weight. Does not act depressed I am at a loss. Anybody else seen this? Anybody have any experience with this? Many thanks.

 

[faster horses]

I'm wondering about navel ill. I have seen calves with navel ill do this. Have you taken the temperature of this calf? That will tell you if it is an infection like navel ill. I hate navel ill. If it is, the treatment that WORKS is something like 5 days of Penicillin 10cc and 5 days at 5cc. (just regular Pen). The bacteria from the navel goes to the joint where it is safe because of poor circulation in the joint. Before we got on a mineral program, we had navel ill and did not know how to successfully treat it. A veterinarian told us about this procedure and it works...but it is for 10 days and do not shorten the time.

I did a search and found this. It mentions mineral, do you have your cattle on a mineral program? If not, getting on one reduces these types of things. For us it eliminated navel ill,
pneumonia, diptheria, overeating, just everything.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

Contracted Tendons More Common Than You Think

Toxic, infectious or genetic causes of contracted tendons can be hard, or impossible, to treat.

www.dtnpf.com

 

[mdw]

Thanks. Naval is normal -- no signs of disease. Mothers have access to Purina Wind and Rain High Mag, but I cannot promise you that this cow is partaking.

 

[Dave]

Do you have Lupine in your pastures? Looks like what gets called crooked calf that comes as a result of the mother eating lupine while pregnant.

 

[mdw]

No lupine that I know of. But, I'll look it up to see what it looks like and go back and check. I do have some Wooly Pod Vetch (Lana). But, from what I have read, Wooly Pod Vetch intoxication is usually fatal to the cows. I've only let me cows on the pasture with the Vetch for about 10 days (spread out) since January.

 

[mdw]

Checked with my seed supplier who comes out to my house -- only lupine around here (south central Texas) is Bluebonnets, and the cows do not have access to them.

 

[puzzled in oregon]

Thanks. Naval is normal -- no signs of disease. Mothers have access to Purina Wind and Rain High Mag, but I cannot promise you that this cow is partaking.

Infections can enter through the naval, without the naval appearing infected, or other wound/break in the skin and settle in a joint(s). A vitamin e/selenium injection may not help, but it won't hurt.

 

[Buck Randall]

Is he growing especially fast? I've seen a couple of calves that developed contracted tendons after birth. I think their bones just grew faster than they could keep up with. They resolved with regular stretching.

 

[mdw]

He is a reasonable sized calf, not overly large and not growing especially fast. Thanks

 

[faster horses]

Infections can enter through the naval, without the naval appearing infected, or other wound/break in the skin and settle in a joint(s). A vitamin e/selenium injection may not help, but it won't hurt.

Absolutely! You would need to take the temp to be sure it isn't an infection.
That would be what we would do first.

You are thinking BOS-E, right? That's for white muscle disease; selenium deficiency, which mainly attacks newborn calves. The condition affects all muscles of the animal, including the heart. Affected cattle cannot stand or walk, have difficulty swallowing or breathing and may die.

This calf was okay til 9 days old.

 

[mdw]

Thanks. I took the rectal temp again an hour ago. It was 101.7 two days ago and again today.