regolith
Well-known member
So this cow of mine...
About three weeks ago I saw her lifting her front right foot when standing, limping a little. So I had a look. It turned out to be a small abscess (possibly a thorn penetration) on the inside of her heel and the heel was a little under-run. So I trimmed it out and let her go... dried her off a few days later if I remember rightly, and put her in the dry cow herd.
A week ago I see her hobbling along favouring her back left leg. So next time the herd is at the dairy shed I cut her out again, had a look at that foot.
And found nothing. In case she'd magically transported the pain from front-right to back left, I lifted the foot I'd looked at previously and found a job well done - no pain, no under-run sole.
So maybe she got injured because she was a new cow in the herd (though I didn't see any fighting) and it's leg not foot? In that case, should get better with rest.
But a week later, she's still favouring that leg - no worse, no better. Had another look at the foot, certain I must have missed something. And... there's nothing. No swelling, no heat, no broken skin between the claws, poked it all over and not a flinch or indication of pain, nothing visible on the cleaned sole. Nothing I can detect wrong with her leg either.
So I guess I either pay for a vet to come and examine her and see if his eyes are better than mine, or leave her and hope she gets better.
Last cow I saw like this was diagnosed with arthritis. This one's only four.
About three weeks ago I saw her lifting her front right foot when standing, limping a little. So I had a look. It turned out to be a small abscess (possibly a thorn penetration) on the inside of her heel and the heel was a little under-run. So I trimmed it out and let her go... dried her off a few days later if I remember rightly, and put her in the dry cow herd.
A week ago I see her hobbling along favouring her back left leg. So next time the herd is at the dairy shed I cut her out again, had a look at that foot.
And found nothing. In case she'd magically transported the pain from front-right to back left, I lifted the foot I'd looked at previously and found a job well done - no pain, no under-run sole.
So maybe she got injured because she was a new cow in the herd (though I didn't see any fighting) and it's leg not foot? In that case, should get better with rest.
But a week later, she's still favouring that leg - no worse, no better. Had another look at the foot, certain I must have missed something. And... there's nothing. No swelling, no heat, no broken skin between the claws, poked it all over and not a flinch or indication of pain, nothing visible on the cleaned sole. Nothing I can detect wrong with her leg either.
So I guess I either pay for a vet to come and examine her and see if his eyes are better than mine, or leave her and hope she gets better.
Last cow I saw like this was diagnosed with arthritis. This one's only four.