Horns and dehorning question

[milkmaid]

I've got a heifer here that was dehorned about two months ago and she had a fairy good set of horns on her. I think she was about 15 months of age and they were sawed off with a thin wire. (First time I'd seen that done - pretty slick and didn't take more than a couple seconds.) Folks that did her for me cauterized the area afterwards to stop the bleeding.

When I looked over what was left afterwards, I noticed there was maybe a half inch or less left that they weren't able to get. No big deal to me; I just figured it would grow back a little bit but never enough to be a problem.

Anyway, I haltered this heifer tonight and while I had her caught, I ran a hand over what was left of both horns. One of them flaked off in my hand - it looked and seemed like everything that was left just fell off when I touched it. Like a circular disk about a 1/4 to a 1/2 inch thick. Wouldn't bother me except that it left an open cavity as fresh-looking as when a calf first gets dehorned. No bleeding that I could see and didn't seem to bother this heifer any, but I don't like having a open hole like that. I've been told about some nasty sinus infections and the like - my neighbor won't dehorn his calves if there's a chance of rain in the next few days after dehorning. Our weather doesn't show a chance of rain or snow, just cold temperatures (around 0 to -10F right now). Anything special I should do? stuff that hole with cotton in the morning, or just leave it be?

I usually go with "benign neglect" in most cases, but where it's been so long since she was dehorned, and there's still an open cavity it kind of bothers me... any thoughts?

One more reason to add to the long list of why 1) I like dehorning paste at less than one week of age, and 2) I don't like dehorning older animals.

 

[dun]

If you spread a thin layer of cotton over the whole and glue it in place with soime sort of antibiotic salve or bluecote, something like that, it should heal. Im just surprised that the cap came off and left a hole in the first place.

dun

 

[Beef11]

i personally would just leave it be myself. My biggest worry would be bugs and with the warm temperatures in our area all the bugs have be Frozen. I haven't seen your calf but from the description you should be alright.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I've got a heifer here that was dehorned about two months ago and she had a fairy good set of horns on her. I think she was about 15 months of age and they were sawed off with a thin wire. (First time I'd seen that done - pretty slick and didn't take more than a couple seconds.) Folks that did her for me cauterized the area afterwards to stop the bleeding.

When I looked over what was left afterwards, I noticed there was maybe a half inch or less left that they weren't able to get. No big deal to me; I just figured it would grow back a little bit but never enough to be a problem.

Anyway, I haltered this heifer tonight and while I had her caught, I ran a hand over what was left of both horns. One of them flaked off in my hand - it looked and seemed like everything that was left just fell off when I touched it. Like a circular disk about a 1/4 to a 1/2 inch thick. Wouldn't bother me except that it left an open cavity as fresh-looking as when a calf first gets dehorned. No bleeding that I could see and didn't seem to bother this heifer any, but I don't like having a open hole like that. I've been told about some nasty sinus infections and the like - my neighbor won't dehorn his calves if there's a chance of rain in the next few days after dehorning. Our weather doesn't show a chance of rain or snow, just cold temperatures (around 0 to -10F right now). Anything special I should do? stuff that hole with cotton in the morning, or just leave it be?

I usually go with "benign neglect" in most cases, but where it's been so long since she was dehorned, and there's still an open cavity it kind of bothers me... any thoughts?

One more reason to add to the long list of why 1) I like dehorning paste at less than one week of age, and 2) I don't like dehorning older animals.

Before I learned to dehorn at conception used to spray dehorn cavities with iodine solution. http://www.durvet.com/I/190_I1.jpg

 

[bigbull338]

what your seeing is the dryed out horn hole.since your worried bout cold setting up.id use wound dressing on it twice a day.but thats just me.scott

 

[milkmaid]

Im just surprised that the cap came off and left a hole in the first place.

I was pretty surprised too when it just flaked off like that. :shock: I'd just assumed what was left of the horn would be there permanently.

I did chores this morning well before the sun came up, so I didn't get to look at her earlier but I'll do that now. Depending on what it looks like today I'll decide whether to leave it be or do something to it.

A thought - anyone suppose that cauterizing the horn area with a hot iron might be the reason for this? I've seen quite a few animals have their horns chopped off, but all that was ever done was pull the veins, stuff the area with cotton, and let 'em go. I've seen those kind occasionally grow back, but this calf's horns don't look like they'll ever come back.

Before I learned to dehorn at conception

:lol: Now that's the way I'd prefer my calves. One less thing to deal with.

 

[Bama]

You got me stumped about it flaking off. Did perhaps they start cutting, then calf moved and they started cutting at another point? I've cut em off with everthing from a hand saw to the wiresaw your talking about, I aint never had one flake off. I have saw some for lack of a better term rot off. If infection set in that could have been the case but I'm sure you would have noticed it. Keep us posted as to what you find.

 

[bigbull338]

aometimes dehorning with wire an corterizing with the iron wont leave a hole.ive got friends that cut horns off with piano wire.an you cant tell when they was dehorned.looks like theyve been dehorned a good while.but its only been a day or so.scott

 

[milkmaid]

Well, I watched this calf being dehorned, and they put a halter on and pulled her head to the side so she couldn't move. They went straight through with the wire. She's pretty docile anyway. I've seen some calves really bellow when they had horns that size chopped off, but this calf just stood there like nothing had happened. Not a peep, no reaction...she's different, that's for sure.

I took a good look at her this afternoon, and in the daylight the hole isn't quite as big as I was afraid it was. Or maybe it's just sealed over some since last night. There's still a definite hole there, I'd say large enough for a pencil eraser, but I'm going to go with just benign neglect - but I'll be keeping a really close eye on her. So far she acts perfectly fine, although when you look just right you can still see steam rising from that area.

I'll see if I can get a picture in the morning. Would have gotten one this afternoon, but my folks took the digital camera somewhere and by the time they brought it back for me it was too dark for photos.

 

[milkmaid]

Here's the picture...

 

[tapeworm]

Looks like a good job to me young lady..i wouldnt worry about it since fly seasons over

 

[Bobg]

I wouldn't worry about it, it looks fine. The guy I used to work for bought a lot of calves that needed dehorning, they were cheaper. We anywhere from 200 to 500 each year. Some had horns large enough that there was a hole left. Some would even blow steam out when it was cold. We never had any problems with em though.

Bobg

 

[frenchie]

Put a dab of pine tar on it if you like.