Bull With Unusual Problem

[Tealduck]

Just when I thought I'd seen it all.......... I have a 10 month old bull that has infection in 2 of his tits. I noticed a couple drops of pus on his hind legs and found it was coming from his front right tit. I "milked" (for lack of a better word) it out and checked the other side out and it's the same deal with the front left tit only worse. In the left, the pus has solidified like in a severe case of mastitis.

My question is what exactly do I treat this? Systemic antibiotics, local treatment or both? Anybody got any suggestions? I would really appreciate some help.

Duck

 

[1848]

Just when I thought I'd seen it all.......... I have a 10 month old bull that has infection in 2 of his tits. I noticed a couple drops of pus on his hind legs and found it was coming from his front right tit. I "milked" (for lack of a better word) it out and checked the other side out and it's the same deal with the front left tit only worse. In the left, the pus has solidified like in a severe case of mastitis.

My question is what exactly do I treat this? Systemic antibiotics, local treatment or both? Anybody got any suggestions? I would really appreciate some help.

Duck

Allot of times an infection a bull may have gotten from something else will end up settling in the scrotal. Get him to a vet ASAP for some antibiotics or you could end up with a sterile bull due to epididymitis. Has he been breeding? Are all the cows vacinated against Bangs?

 

[1848]

Some young developing heifers can have drainage in the udder as the udder matures, but I havn't seen or herd of a bulls teats developing that way. Maybe someone else on the board will be able to answer your question, or has had this experience.

Don't mess with the teats anymore. Have him examined.

 

[Tealduck]

Thanks 1848, the bull is not with cows nor has he been breeding. Our cows are not vaccinated for Bangs but our herd is Bangs free. I'll give the vet a call in the morning. I was just really puzzled by this turn of events and wanted to see what others may have to say.

Duck

 

[Beefy]

i see what 1848 is talking about in heifers and attribute it to flies. in some instances the affected udders have turned out to be blind quarters when the heifer came into milk

have you had a good crop of flies this year?

 

[1848]

i see what 1848 is talking about in heifers and attribute it to flies. in some instances the affected udders have turned out to be blind quarters when the heifer came into milk

have you had a good crop of flies this year?

Yes, Beefy is right. Flies can cause some of the same issues too!

 

[KNERSIE]

I've had the same problem in a yearling heifer with six teats. The same mastitis type infection in one of the two extra teats. Could not get the mastitis syringe in so got an antibiotic (can't remember name, but none of the usual over the counter stuff) from vet. Had to inject evryday for a week. The inflamation didn't sread further, but the udder still felt like there was a round rock inside it for months. The same heifer calved two weeks ago and although there was excessive swelling in the area where the infection was in the extra teat there doesn't seem to be any permanent damage to the 4 working quarters.

 

[Tealduck]

We've had a horrendous problem with flies this year! We had said all summer that this is the worse we could ever remember the flies being and we tried everything. The cattle have just started to get a reprieve from the flies in the last couple of weeks since it had gotten a little cooler. Actually, the first thing I asked my husband when I found this problem, was this caused by the flies.

The vet isn't in right now so I'll have to call him this afternoon. Thanks for all the help.

Duck

 

[feelnrite]

We had a herford steer when I was young that had the same problem and the vet gave us a syringe like you use on cows for mastitis to inject up in the teats. They were swollen and had some puss in them. I remember this because I almost got my arm broken by that one.

 

[Tealduck]

Latest update, finally caught up with the vet. He actually laughed a little when I told him what was up and said he never heard of that happening but to treat it as mastitis. LA200, milk the quarters out and and infuse the teats with antibiotics. I don't think "milking bulls" was in my job description when I started raising cattle but hey, a girl gotta do what a girl goota do.

Thanks everyone for your help. By the way, vet said it was probably the flies!

Duck

 

[Gale Seddon]

This does NOT sound like fun, be careful, and hope everything goes okay.