Double Front Lameness

[angus9259]

Got a 7 month old bull calf. Perfectly fine then can't seem to walk on his front feet. Knees seem a bit swollen, but that might just be me looking for what's wrong with him. He's not limping on one particular front foot, but BOTH seem to be giving him pain. He doesn't want to stand for long, but if you make him walk (which I did up to the chute), he seems to manage and can even break a run. Once you leave him be, he wants to lay down. He does get up to eat, but prefers to eat on his front knees than stand on his front feet. When he does walk, he likes to set his front feet wide instead of directly underneath him. Feet aren't swollen and no visible sign on defect. Gave him some Oxytet when he was in the chute in case it was a foot rot issue I couldn't see. There's always the possibility that he just got hurt doing bull stuff with the other bulls.

Any other thoughts?

 

[milkmaid]

Mycoplasma or laminitis are the first things that come to mind. Is he on grain? what is his temperature?

 

[angus9259]

No grain, no fever, no signs of respiratory issues. No signs of anything really except that he doesn't want walk on his front feet and the appearance that his knees are mildly swollen.

 

[angus9259]

Mycoplasma or laminitis are the first things that come to mind. Is he on grain? what is his temperature?

Do you suppose he's "stifled"? Note Lucky P's comment to your thread below about the "characteristic walk".

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=66316

 

[angus9259]

Never mind. He's "walking" now on his front knees so it's evidently his front feet that are the issue not the knees nor his rear legs/joints.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Never mind. He's "walking" now on his front knees so it's evidently his front feet that are the issue not the knees nor his rear legs/joints.

I could be wrong, but it sounds to me like Laminitis.

Katherine

 

[angus9259]

Never mind. He's "walking" now on his front knees so it's evidently his front feet that are the issue not the knees nor his rear legs/joints.

I could be wrong, but it sounds to me like Laminitis.

Katherine

Maybe. Don't see any lesions and he's just on grass pasture - no grain. I thought laminitis was typically feed related??

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Never mind. He's "walking" now on his front knees so it's evidently his front feet that are the issue not the knees nor his rear legs/joints.

I could be wrong, but it sounds to me like Laminitis.

Katherine

I thought laminitis was typically feed related??

An "episode" of too much 'hot' or rich feed, an episode of a high fever or even ingestion of a toxin can cause a bout of laminitis.

Lets just say he got into something he shouldn't have eaten (a toxic substance or a 'hot' rich food), ate a bit too much of it a few times, is no longer eating it, but is now exhibiting the after-effects of having done it. Or had a brief 'spell' with a fever that wasn't noticed, but now the fever is gone.

After effects. Sort of like when a calf scours the mess can end up smeared all over their butts, the scours go away but a short itme later the hair starts falling out in the area where the scour mess was on their butss, the skin was scalded by the acid in the poop. (I realize this doesn't always happen after scours, but used as an example of what I mean by after effects) Kinda like a time lapse thein.

Katherine

 

[angus9259]

Open to the idea. He's been on the same pasture since weaning in March but anything's possible. His rear ankle's are "popping" - like they do when they have hairy heel wart - except he doesn't have hairy heel wart that I can see. Rear feet dont seem to bother him when he's eating on his front knees though.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Open to the idea. He's been on the same pasture since weaning in March but anything's possible. His rear ankle's are "popping" - like they do when they have hairy heel wart - except he doesn't have hairy heel wart that I can see. Rear feet dont seem to bother him when he's eating on his front knees though.

Like I said earlier, I could be wrong. But laminitis stands out in my mind. Either way it is very puzzling and disconcerting.

If he's not making attempts to 'get back on his feet' I'd be inclined to involve the vet.

Hopefully this will get figured out and resolved. Let us know what happens.

Katherine

 

[milkmaid]

I'd have your vet have a look at him, sounds like something too complicated to come up with a reasonable guess over the internet. Once they start walking on a joint - ie fetlock, knee, etc - you risk joint damage and/or joint infections. Either way, you need to figure out what's wrong and get him back to walking on his hooves like God intended cows to do, or the prognosis is very poor for the calf.

 

[angus9259]

Vet said spinal injury. Gave Banamine and Dex. Needs to re-learn how to use is legs properly - walks like a drunk. Probably got injured during a bull scrum at some point. Time will tell. He can eat and drink and seems fine - except he walks like a drunk.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Vet said spinal injury. Gave Banamine and Dex. Needs to re-learn how to use is legs properly - walks like a drunk. Probably got injured during a bull scrum at some point. Time will tell. He can eat and drink and seems fine - except he walks like a drunk.

Sounds like a more definitive diagnosis. I'm guessing that walking like a drunk is better than walking on his knees. I hope he continues to progress forward.

Thanks for the update.

Katherine