Calf with displaced shoulder, what to do?

[Feedingoutsteers]

I have a calf with a messed up front shoulder. He gets around on three legs, barely uses the front bad shoulder one.

What should I do?

Will it get better over time, he learn to compensate?

 

[coachg]

Had one last year as we were weaning and loading calves . Carried him to the locker plant the next morning and ground into hamburger. I wouldn't be optimistic about its recovery.

 

[wbvs58]

Some photos and video may help us. How do you know it is the shoulder? How old is the calf? You haven't given us much information.

Ken

 

[Warren Allison]

I have a calf with a messed up front shoulder. He gets around on three legs, barely uses the front bad shoulder one.

What should I do?

Will it get better over time, he learn to compensate?

You need to go back into your profile and add your location. You will get a lot more and a lot more accurate answers on here if you do.

 

[bhooper]

I had a week old calf with a dislocated shoulder and we carried it to the vet. Vet said ligaments were torn and short of surgery nothing could be done. I just separated the pair from the herd for 4 weeks and the calf started using the leg again. Now you can't tell it was ever injured. Yours may just need to be popped back in place though.

 

[M.Magis]

Not that it makes a difference here, but cattle can't have a dislocated shoulder. They don't have a ball and socket there like the rear. The bones of the front legs aren't attached to the rest of the skeleton, they're only attached by muscle. Anyone thats butchered a deer/cow/goat … may rememeber the front shoulders come off with a knife only.

 

[Travlr]

I have a calf with a messed up front shoulder. He gets around on three legs, barely uses the front bad shoulder one.

What should I do?

Will it get better over time, he learn to compensate?

I had one twist its shoulder blade 180 degrees and once that happened you could tell the blade was not in the right place. The heifer was in a lot of pain and I had no idea what to do so she went on her "long walk".

I've seen them before a couple of times and I've always wondered if the shoulder blade could be repositioned back to it's original place. In retrospect I wish I'd tried it. Even if it was still a cripple, I think the blade being back in place would alleviate the pain quite a bit. As said, the shoulder blade isn't a solid connection between bones and is only held by soft tissues.

 

[Logan52]

Last year I had a calf injured at or shortly after birth in its shoulder. Nothing wrong in its appearance, yet it walked on three legs its entire life. It weighed just over 600 lbs. at weaning and made a trip to the processor. The cuts were small, but falling off the bone tender and delicious.

 

[Feedingoutsteers]

Located in Ohio

3 weeks old, will gimp to water and bottle.

 

[Travlr]

Located in Ohio

3 weeks old, will gimp to water and bottle.

Yeah, the way that front leg is angled I suspect the shoulder blade is displaced. If one of the vets on here would chime in maybe they could tell you if you can manipulate it back into position...

 

[gcreekrch]

Put it out of its misery.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

Just wondering- did you have to pull that calf? Mal presentation?

 

[bhooper]

Located in Ohio

3 weeks old, will gimp to water and bottle.

Strained muscle or whatever the technical term may be, if you're sure it's only an injury to the shoulder and no broken bones I'd give it 5 or 6 weeks to try and heal on its own. That's what my vet recommended and my calf looked very similar to what I can see from your video. Mine is two months old now and walks without a limp.

 

[wbvs58]

Located in Ohio

3 weeks old, will gimp to water and bottle.

Just peering through the rails it looks more like a Fx humerus to me. It can surprise you how a young calf can heal as long as there is no damage to the radial nerve.
Place your left hand on the shoulder and grab the elbow with the right and move it around and feel for grinding of bone on bone.

Ken

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

Maybe the cow stepped on her.