Bull injury

[Dap]

One of my bulls has injured his shoulder. He walks on level ground ok, with just a very slight limp, but when he has to go up or down a hill he limps pretty bad. What are the odds of recovery here? It seems like stifle injuries usually never get right on a bull, but I've never experienced a shoulder problem.

It's been a bad week. One cow was struck by lightening, and the next day I find this problem. I guess I'm lucky it was one cow and not a bunch of cows.

 

[bigbull338]

pull the bull an put him in a small pasture or holding pen.give him a 90 day rest.an see if he heals up.but if its a pulled stiffle.he wont heal completely from it.an he could pull it again.if it dont heal.he gets a free ride to the sale barn.

 

[msscamp]

One of my bulls has injured his shoulder. He walks on level ground ok, with just a very slight limp, but when he has to go up or down a hill he limps pretty bad. What are the odds of recovery here? It seems like stifle injuries usually never get right on a bull, but I've never experienced a shoulder problem.

I don't know what the odds of recovery are, but I do know that you can help those odds by penning this bull, reducing the wear and tear on his shoulder, and giving him some time to heal. Are you sure it's a shoulder injury? Is it possible that perhaps he has something caught in his foot and it's just looking like a shoulder injury? Have you checked for heat/swelling in his shoulder and/or foot? That would suggest inflammation, and an anti-inflammatory could go a long ways towards reducing the inflammation and helping him heal up. You might want to have a conversation with your vet about this bull - that could increase the odds of recovery by quite a bit. Good luck with him.

 

[Caustic Burno]

pull the bull an put him in a small pasture or holding pen.give him a 90 day rest.an see if he heals up.but if its a pulled stiffle.he wont heal completely from it.an he could pull it again.if it dont heal.he gets a free ride to the sale barn.

This is good advice, also watch slaughter bull prices if he quits limping after you pulled him and you don't want to gamble haul him. Either way you want him without a limp as they will knock you for anything they can at the salebarn. Slaughter bulls are 60 to 65 cents a pound last couple weeks, thats good folding money for an old bull.

 

[Freddie]

we got 85 about 2 weeks ago

 

[hillrancher]

The 7th of this month saw a 2472lb bull sell for 92.25c per lb. This week several for 86c per lb. Bulls and weigh cattle are at a all time high now.
You already have the best advice that I could give you . Most of the time they will be ok after a few week alone and not disturbed.

 

[mnmtranching]

I think there's a good chance of him healing in time, put in a small area by himself. I also believe he is a candidate for the trip to town. I make it a point to heal animals that have some sort of injury or problem of any kind then selling for kill, they don't go back for breeding stock.

 

[DOC HARRIS]

One of my bulls has injured his shoulder. He walks on level ground ok, with just a very slight limp, but when he has to go up or down a hill he limps pretty bad. What are the odds of recovery here? It seems like stifle injuries usually never get right on a bull, but I've never experienced a shoulder problem.

It's been a bad week. One cow was struck by lightening, and the next day I find this problem. I guess I'm lucky it was one cow and not a bunch of cows.

Dap-

I just now read this post. It is always a shame when an animal get struck by lightning, or is killed in some other way. The fact that you noticed your bull's problem the NEXT day after the cow was hit makes me wonder if perhaps the bull was close enough at the instant of the strike that it affected him in some way! The body muscles respond with a very heavy contraction when lightning hits, even reasonably close. If you can get close enough to palpate him (touch him on specific muscle points) without his elevating you to the barn roof, place your hands FLAT on him and press slightly on the suspected areas of involvement and observe his reactions. You may be able to isolate the primary area of pain, and thereby ascertain if he has damaged it, or if it is the result of a heavily contracted muscle group = lightning strike near to him.

DOC HARRIS

 

[Dap]

Doc,

You're the second person to raise the possibility that the injury was related to the lightning. I thought it was just a bad coincidence, but judging by the way the bull is recovering you may be right. I pulled him from the cows as soon as I saw the injury. I inspected the foot and it was not a foot problem. I expected the shoulder to be a long term issue, but less than 3 weeks later he appears to be 100%. He's now digging holes (with the "bad" leg) and trying to challenge the bulls on the other side of the fence.

I'll put him in with the other bulls soon. If he survives the fight then I'll feel pretty good about his chances of being ready to breed next spring. I should probably keep him separate a while longer, but I'd much rather find out now if he has a lingering problem, rather than when he dismounts from the next cow he breeds.