renerice
Member
Our neighbors gave us a bull calf last week with contracted tendons. (they didn't want to deal with it and said we could have him for free if we wanted him) It is in the joint just above his hoof on both front legs. He could barely stand the first day (we got him when he was three hours old), but by day two he was getting around just fine (and still is), but he can only walk on the joint, not on his hooves. We had the vet out to look at him on day #3. He gave him a shot of LA-200, and told us the best thing to do is work on physical therapy four times a day. (the calf also had pneumonia, so he got a shot for that as well). We are keeping him in a small pen with a shelter and very soft footing. I have read all the information I could find on this board, and other places, and almost everything I read says that they almost always come out of it on their own within 6 weeks.
Now here's my question. He is now 7 days old, and even after we've been stretching his legs four times-a-day all week, he has hardly improved at all. He still walks on the joint. The only improvement is that he occasionally will put his legs way out in front and stand on his toes for a couple seconds, and with each step he actually starts out on the hoof wall, and then rolls onto the joint. (before he didn't even walk on the hoof wall) Is it normal to see such little improvement after this long? Since he isn't much better than he was on day #2, should we consider splinting his legs? Or is this normal and I should stop worrying about it? I know that if done wrong, splinting can do more harm than good, and I have never put a splint on before, so I'd be worried I would do it wrong. I guess I'm just worried that if I continue letting his legs correct on their own, they never will. Am I just over-reacting? Here are a few pictures...
This is how he stands...
This is as far as he can straighten his hooves.
Now here's my question. He is now 7 days old, and even after we've been stretching his legs four times-a-day all week, he has hardly improved at all. He still walks on the joint. The only improvement is that he occasionally will put his legs way out in front and stand on his toes for a couple seconds, and with each step he actually starts out on the hoof wall, and then rolls onto the joint. (before he didn't even walk on the hoof wall) Is it normal to see such little improvement after this long? Since he isn't much better than he was on day #2, should we consider splinting his legs? Or is this normal and I should stop worrying about it? I know that if done wrong, splinting can do more harm than good, and I have never put a splint on before, so I'd be worried I would do it wrong. I guess I'm just worried that if I continue letting his legs correct on their own, they never will. Am I just over-reacting? Here are a few pictures...
This is how he stands...
This is as far as he can straighten his hooves.