Contracted tendons/ Lax tendons/ Crooked Calf Leg

[blue albion]

I have a calf who was born with a mother that is old and does not have sufficient milk. I have been feeding her milk replacer. From day 1 she had a bit of a funny walk and didnt seem to stand normal, but was able to get up and walk around. She didnt follow the herd much, didn't walk around that far in the 15 acres of grass land. I had never seen this leg problem, or if I did I was prob ten or younger to recall what we did for it.

A useless expensive vet, around June 4th, actually looked at her and said she didn't move around much because of malnutrition. I did not know about this contracted tendons thing so I didnt thing nothing else of it. The fact is yes she was drinking milk replacer so not going to ever be as up to snuff as a calf drinking 24 hrs a day from a mother. Today being June 16, over the last few days her legs condition has gotten considerably worse. She no longer gets up on her own, when I get her up she only stands for 5-10 mins and sits again.

I was told some things to do was to give them Vitamin C. I assume Vitamin C is Vitamin C where ever you get it. So instead of going to some useless vet I assume walmart pills would be just the same and easier to get. Crush them up and put in her milk replacer. I was told to wrap her leg up. So I got that stretch stuff and wrapped it over her lower joint. Seems to help her stand longer eaiser but she still does not walk well or for a stand for long times. I read if you catch it earlier it gives a better chance to correct it. The vet screwed up badly in charging for a examination and not actually examining her.

Does anyone know of any things that can be done to help this condition?

 

[Hpacres440p]

I think before you put the blame solely on the vet, you might look back over the entire picture. What set-up did you have the calf in for the vet to examine? Loose in a pen? Chute available? At their clinic or your farm? Did you point out the area of concern?
if malnutrition was obvious enough to be blamed for the calf not getting up, that may have been the most important issue your vet was pointing out at the time. A crooked ankle doesn't matter if the animal is going to die of starvation first.
You've posted one or two pics of this calf, but nothing of the crooked foot. You admit that the cow had little milk-did the calf get colostrum?
Lots of management issues can cause problems that we expect a vet (or any medical person) to notice with no hint of the problem. At a clinic, they can control the situation. Farm calls are subject to available resources and the limitations therein.
The information you get for free is sometimes only worth as much as you pay for it. Lots of good recommendations were made on your other post.

 

[blue albion]

It is a matter of looking at the calf and seeing this. A vet is trained of these things and any good vet should be able by looking at it to see if they have a deformed leg. It was obvious from day one now that I know what is going on. I have never seen this before so was not obvious to me at that time. A vet goes to school and sees this crap all the time. The guy was not straight out of school either so he should have seen this right away within seconds. She walked funny from day 1. But she walked so what did I know.

I did not know the area of concern just that she for some reason did not move with the herd. Calf is as tame as can be, was examined outside on the farm. What is a chute? It did get up at first, just had a slightly harder time to get up and had a ginger strange walk that at the time I did not acknowledge know what was going on with that. I am not a vet and have never dealt with this. She has always been fed 6-7 qt of milk replacer a day, so I knew for dam sure she was not starving to death. colostrum is the first form of milk? I said she did not get either nothing or not enough from the cow. Her last calf died for no reason. I started feeding her the day she was born knowing something is not right with this cow and feedings. Control what situation? The calf is as tame your dog or cat that is living in your house what does that even mean controlling the situation? This was not a BLM rally.

I asked for ideas on how to fix this. You reply did not help. Just seemed to stick up for a vet who if had eyes would have seen this. Are you a vet?

 

[blue albion]

Put a splint on her? Been watching videos that is what to do. But they seem to be done more on the upper joint, not the lower joint. They cant possibly get up with these can they? Her very lowest joint will buckle over time and soon she will be standing on that joint. Soon she may get back up or just sit down.

Vitamin C helps? Human Vitamin C has to be the same as any cattle C? Where do you even buy cattle C? At a useless vet?

They say to stretch the tendon? How? Do I push down on it for a while to try to straighten it?

Surgery?

Please I would like replies on how to fix this or help the calf not useless replies that waste my time. This calf is a rare breed and a pet.

 

[blue albion]

this would be exactly the same thing I have going on. Does not show how to make the stints how to put them on or where to get them or how to make them

After video, so it does work for some at least

 

[Buck Randall]

Based on the picture you initially posted of the calf, malnutrition was definitely an issue at some point. Most calves with contracted tendons get better on their own, so your vet might not have thought it was a significant problem at that time, especially because the calf was getting up and walking around. You still haven't posted a picture of the affected leg or the calf attempting to walk on it, so nobody here can even know exactly what the problem is.

If it's just contracted tendons, splints for straightening the legs are commonly sold at farm supply stores, or you can make your own. Just be careful that you use enough padding to prevent them from cutting into the skin.

 

[blue albion]

so that gives him a reason not to bring it up to me at all? And I called this vet place, I was told there is nothing that can be done for the animal. Was that acceptable for them to say too?

I can take a pic tom. If you watch that first video, that is 100% the same thing that happens. Her legs shake, the lowest joint buckles, then shes standing on that lowest joint, then she says f this and sits down.

 

[blue albion]

Cut a plastic or pvc pipe in half the long way. Would you use a old shirt for padding?

 

[Nkline]

Seems a bit like white muscle disease, maybe give the calf a shot of bo-se. If the calf walks on it's hooves and not it's joints don't worry about braces.

 

[blue albion]

He does walk on his hooves for a little while then it caves in on him from his weight. Just exactly like that video above.

 

[Hpacres440p]

It is a matter of looking at the calf and seeing this. A vet is trained of these things and any good vet should be able by looking at it to see if they have a deformed leg. It was obvious from day one now that I know what is going on. I have never seen this before so was not obvious to me at that time. A vet goes to school and sees this crap all the time. The guy was not straight out of school either so he should have seen this right away within seconds. She walked funny from day 1. But she walked so what did I know.

I did not know the area of concern just that she for some reason did not move with the herd. Calf is as tame as can be, was examined outside on the farm. What is a chute? It did get up at first, just had a slightly harder time to get up and had a ginger strange walk that at the time I did not acknowledge know what was going on with that. I am not a vet and have never dealt with this. She has always been fed 6-7 qt of milk replacer a day, so I knew for dam sure she was not starving to death. colostrum is the first form of milk? I said she did not get either nothing or not enough from the cow. Her last calf died for no reason. I started feeding her the day she was born knowing something is not right with this cow and feedings. Control what situation? The calf is as tame your dog or cat that is living in your house what does that even mean controlling the situation? This was not a BLM rally.

I asked for ideas on how to fix this. You reply did not help. Just seemed to stick up for a vet who if had eyes would have seen this. Are you a vet?

Again, posting a picture of YOUR calf would help. I don't bottle feed calves, but it seems that the amount of milk replacer should change, or additional feed added as the calf gets older.
Control the situation-meaning if you don't have a chute, or a level area to examine, or the calf won't get up (has to stand and walk to see a joint issue)-I'm not saying all vets are great, but you also have said that your management style is very minimalistic. If an $85 farm call is too high, why didn't you take the calf in? Anytime I haul a cow TO the vet, my biggest bill is $20.
this calf may be rare, and if it is a pet, then theoretically should be worthy of a higher input than a standard "business only" calf.
selenium deficiency, joint ill, injury, starvation...lots of potential issues. You're asking this group to offer solutions based on your words only. That isn't fair to do either.

 

[blue albion]

I supposed I could actually put her in the back seat of a old car. Next time I would try that. She is calm enough to prob work.

 

[Hpacres440p]

I supposed I could actually put her in the back seat of a old car. Next time I would try that. She is calm enough to prob work.

Are you in the US? Most of the answers you get here will be based on available resources here. If not, where do you live?

 

[blue albion]

US Wisconsin. I do not have a trailer or anything like that to haul her in.

 

[Ky hills]

From what I can piece together from the other post and this one is that the calf was born around mid May to an old cow that was not milking well. Like Buck Randall mentioned earlier lack of adequate colostrum is a problem for calves. A change in milk can be problematic too. A lot of things going on with this calf that would make it sluggish and not to move around much.
Vets can and do make wrong calls on diagnosis, and some are more invested than others. That being said by the time a vet sees a particular animal it is sometimes too far behind the curve to make a difference. I think probably everybody has been there before. Vets are expensive and we try to do as much as we can on our own, but sometimes we get a situation in which a vet is needed and more often than not if treated n time their experience is beneficial. We are fortunate to have a real good vet, and will ask him advice at times as he is in another county and isn't always practical for him to come unless it's a serious calving issue, or prescheduled herd work. There is also a local vet clinic here in town.
As far as getting a calf to the vet, it is a common practice around here to just take it in a pickup or suv.
We have an older cow that calved back in late November. She evidently wasn't milking to good and as the winter set in her calf got to lagging behind and laying around a lot. We moved the pair to the field with heifers that way she could get some more feed and not get pushed out. The calf perked up and did better after a little while out there.

 

[J Hoy]

I have given a homeopathic cell salt called Calc. Phos. 30X or Calc. Phos. 6X tablets to deer fawns with contracted tendons like your calf has with great success. There are several brands of homeopathic cell salts, but I use Hyland's. Whatever brand you can find at a local pharmacy or health food store should work the same as Hyland's. A white-tailed deer fawn that had both front legs contracted very much like your calf's right leg was given a tablet of Calc. Phos. 30X morning and night and in three days both legs were completely normal. I know that sounds insane, but that is what happened and . The homeopathic cell salts are actually electrolytes that help the cells uptake the minerals, especially calcium that the youngster gets in its food, but sometimes does not go into the cells that need it. If you go to a health food store, you should be able to find Calc. Phos. 30X in a 500 tablet bottle. Just put a tablet in its milk after you warm the milk or put the tablet directly in the calf's mouth under his tongue. If you want to read all about the cell salts and see before and after photos, my website is (www.judyhoy.com). Click on (Explaining the use of homeopathic cell salts) right under the photo of the fox pup at the top of the page. There are photos showing the deer fawn before and after it was given the cell salts. I also tell what other health issues giving the electrolyte cell salt tablets help with in the article above the photos. As a wildlife rehabber, I received fawns with underbite, contracted tendons, broken bones and digestive issues. If I gave the Calc. Phos. 6X or 30X to fawns with contracted tendons, crooked legs or underbite, the bones/tendons grew quickly to be normal so the fawn could run and walk normally. If the animal in care had a broken bone, if I gave Calc. Phos. 6X the bone healed in 2/3 the normal healing time. If I gave Calc. Phos. 30X, the bone healed in exactly half the normal healing time. That works on humans with broken bones also and homeopathic cell salts are actually made for humans, but work great on other critters. There is a lot more about how rehabbers use homeopathic cell salts in the article on the website. I do not get anything from homeopathic cell salt companies for telling people about how the cell salts worked on wild and domestic animals I received for care. I just want to help the suffering animal.
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[Silver]

If all it is is contracted tendons that's not uncommon. Seems like we have some every year. Benign neglect seems to be the secret.

 

[GoWyo]

Really hard to help here when the OP refuses to post a pic or video of this calf that will allow us to actually see what is going on with it.

 

[blue albion]

pics from today

 

[blue albion]

I have given a homeopathic cell salt called Calc. Phos. 30X or Calc. Phos. 6X tablets to deer fawns with contracted tendons like your calf has with great success. There are several brands of homeopathic cell salts, but I use Hyland's. Whatever brand you can find at a local pharmacy or health food store should work the same as Hyland's. A white-tailed deer fawn that had both front legs contracted very much like your calf's right leg was given a tablet of Calc. Phos. 30X morning and night and in three days both legs were completely normal. I know that sounds insane, but that is what happened and . The homeopathic cell salts are actually electrolytes that help the cells uptake the minerals, especially calcium that the youngster gets in its food, but sometimes does not go into the cells that need it. If you go to a health food store, you should be able to find Calc. Phos. 30X in a 500 tablet bottle. Just put a tablet in its milk after you warm the milk or put the tablet directly in the calf's mouth under his tongue. If you want to read all about the cell salts and see before and after photos, my website is (www.judyhoy.com). Click on (Explaining the use of homeopathic cell salts) right under the photo of the fox pup at the top of the page. There are photos showing the deer fawn before and after it was given the cell salts. I also tell what other health issues giving the electrolyte cell salt tablets help with in the article above the photos. As a wildlife rehabber, I received fawns with underbite, contracted tendons, broken bones and digestive issues. If I gave the Calc. Phos. 6X or 30X to fawns with contracted tendons, crooked legs or underbite, the bones/tendons grew quickly to be normal so the fawn could run and walk normally. If the animal in care had a broken bone, if I gave Calc. Phos. 6X the bone healed in 2/3 the normal healing time. If I gave Calc. Phos. 30X, the bone healed in exactly half the normal healing time. That works on humans with broken bones also and homeopathic cell salts are actually made for humans, but work great on other critters. There is a lot more about how rehabbers use homeopathic cell salts in the article on the website. I do not get anything from homeopathic cell salt companies for telling people about how the cell salts worked on wild and domestic animals I received for care. I just want to help the suffering animal.
[h2][/h2]

Besides ebay, takes to long to get, I cant find this anywhere. Another name for this would be calcium phosphate cell salt tablets right?