dry conditions/cows

[GMN]

Can dry weather make cows limp?

Over the past few months I've had 6-7 cows just start limping out of the blue. I'm perplexed what it could be. I haven't drastically changed their feed, all but 1 was bred, so breeding injury is out, any ideas?

I gave Excenel and Dex to them all, in time they stop limping, but can't figure why one day they are fine, the next they show up limping.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

GMN

 

[samm]

did they quik thier toes maybe? with the ground so hard and dry
i know we have had this happen to us before

 

[Anonymous]

the lack of grass and all the heat due to the dry weather may just be making them weak...are they limping on certain legs?...or just looking a little tired and sluggish?

 

[stocky]

GMN, I have the same problem each summer in one of my pastures. I started putting out a fescue mineral with antibiotics in it and it stops the limping from happening. It might be something to try, but it took care of my problem

 

[rk]

I've seen footrot when it stays dry for an extended period, especially is soil is clay-type. Hoofprints in clay soil will become sharp when they dry out....around pond or water trough. This can cause injury to the hoof and allow bacteria in. Antibiotics to treat. A good mineral with zinc methionine will help make the hoof harder and healthier, thereby reducing injuries that can lead to infection.

 

[GMN]

the lack of grass and all the heat due to the dry weather may just be making them weak...are they limping on certain legs?...or just looking a little tired and sluggish?

They are definetely limping, usually the left back foot.

Thanks

GMN

 

[GMN]

I've seen footrot when it stays dry for an extended period, especially is soil is clay-type. Hoofprints in clay soil will become sharp when they dry out....around pond or water trough. This can cause injury to the hoof and allow bacteria in. Antibiotics to treat. A good mineral with zinc methionine will help make the hoof harder and healthier, thereby reducing injuries that can lead to infection.

These are dairy cows, can that antibiotic/mineral be used on lactating animals?

GMN

 

[dun]

I've seen footrot when it stays dry for an extended period, especially is soil is clay-type. Hoofprints in clay soil will become sharp when they dry out....around pond or water trough. This can cause injury to the hoof and allow bacteria in. Antibiotics to treat. A good mineral with zinc methionine will help make the hoof harder and healthier, thereby reducing injuries that can lead to infection.

These are dairy cows, can that antibiotic/mineral be used on lactating animals?

GMN

Have you checked them for hairy heel wart?

dun

 

[3MR]

Dont heel warts regress in dry weather? :?:

 

[GMN]

Have you checked them for hairy heel wart?

dun

I've looked at the feet when they have come in the barn, I don't se anything noticeable. The latest one I gave 20cc's Excenel and 1occ's dexamethazone, and she actually is doing alot better than she was. The other one I probably will re dose at least with Excenel, because she got better but not as good as I like to see. Could be that the ground is hard, sharp points on the dirt, but I've had them out on pasture, so I don't really know. If not better soon, guess I'll have to take to vet and get the underneathe examined.

Thanks for the replies.

GMN

 

[Roadapple]

I have 4 with same symptoms. 3 l.r. foot, 1 r.r, ft. Take a shorter step on that foot and walk more on toe. Vet treated 1 for heel erosion, got lots better, but still favors it a little. Treated 2 and did'nt treat 2 and the 2 I did'nt treat seem to get better quicker. Lose condition too.

 

[milkmaid]

GMN- keep in mind using Dex on bred cows probably isn't a good idea. Short breds it *might* be alright, but I'd be reluctant to use it in anything over second-trimester.

Do you have their hooves trimmed on a semi-regular basis? or are they overgrown? We had the hoof trimmer out last week to do 34 head, and I saw ulcers, abcesses, warts, etc, etc. No footrot - actually had one I'd suspected of a mild case of footrot but once the hoof was up and he started cutting the real problem became evident. Ulcer. Don't recall seeing any corns in this bunch. Whatever's wrong with these cows may or may not be treatable with antibiotics, and may or may not be something that's apparent just looking at them.

Anything happen with their feed about 2 months before symptoms appeared? sometimes it takes awhile for feed-related incidents to become apparent - as in the case of founder aka laminitis.

 

[rk]

I've seen footrot when it stays dry for an extended period, especially is soil is clay-type. Hoofprints in clay soil will become sharp when they dry out....around pond or water trough. This can cause injury to the hoof and allow bacteria in. Antibiotics to treat. A good mineral with zinc methionine will help make the hoof harder and healthier, thereby reducing injuries that can lead to infection.

These are dairy cows, can that antibiotic/mineral be used on lactating animals?

GMN

No problem with the zinc methionine, but check the withdrawals/clearances on the antibiotic.

 

[dun]

Dont heel warts regress in dry weather? :?:

That was alwasy my impression. But this year for some reason there seems to be a rash of them now. These cows aren;t standing in water or manure or any of the much that youwould usually associate with it either. One poor old girl has them on both hind feet. I don;t recall in the past having them in the summer, but it's gotten to be such an unremarkable occorunce any more that I rarely notice. The only reason I thought of it was because of having to treat a bunch of cows ysterday. These are dairy cows and although it's a very rare occurence in beef cows I have seen it in the past.

dun

 

[Beefy]

it sounds a lot like foot rot to me. we tend to have it more in dry weather. have used LA200 for it. has always worked so far.

 

[Beefy]

Dont heel warts regress in dry weather? :?:

That was alwasy my impression. But this year for some reason there seems to be a rash of them now. These cows aren;t standing in water or manure or any of the much that youwould usually associate with it either. One poor old girl has them on both hind feet. I don;t recall in the past having them in the summer, but it's gotten to be such an unremarkable occorunce any more that I rarely notice. The only reason I thought of it was because of having to treat a bunch of cows ysterday. These are dairy cows and although it's a very rare occurence in beef cows I have seen it in the past.

dun

if that is the same thing as "dew poisoning" it doesnt matter if it is wet or dry as long as theres dew at night or in the mornings.