Joint Ill?

[SBMF 2015]

But as a side note: inadvertently got Banamine Transdermal in my mouth a couple weeks ago. Long story, epic fail, tastes horrible. Figured I'd be dead by morning or not have to take Aleve for at least 3 days. Clearly, the latter and no residual effects - that I know of.

Glad your okay. Banamine is very bitter. I've accidentally got some in my mouth cleaning out my IV syringe. YUCK!

Some steer jocks and bull riders I know swear it's the best thing for a hang over. Just have to mix it with orange juice or Mt Dew to mask the taste.
No Thank You!

 

[TCRanch]

TCRanch, I'm glad no residual effects. Curious how that happened and what not to do when applying.

I had to treat a calf for pneumonia in the pasture, so I filled a syringe with the transdermal instead of lugging the jug. Pound for pound, it was a fair fight, but I needed both hands to initially hold her (in addition to the vice grip between my thighs), so I held the syringe between my teeth, not even thinking about residual transdermal on the outside of the syringe. Stupid, and I've held syringes between my teeth and pulled the cap off with my teeth more times than I should probably admit - just never with the transdermal. Lesson learned.

 

[Katpau]

She received her second shot of Nuflor this morning. Her temperature was down to 102.3, so it seems she is making progress. I did not put any more Banamine on, since she doesn't have a fever. Unfortunately, I think her knees still look the same and she doesn't ever run or play. I just don't know if that is due to pain or just her personality.

 

[Silver]

I'm following this thread closely. I have been treating a calf for joint ill for several weeks. Well, I did good for two weeks then couldn't catch it again until I got lucky today. Gave her another round of Excede and a dose of Metacam. She gets around quite a bit, although her gait is stiff, appears quite healthy other than her knobby knees and stiff movement. She gets up as if there is no pain any longer. But I really don't have much hope for a total recovery. I guess time will tell.
@Katpau I hope yours heals up nicely for you.

 

[Katpau]

Silver,
I'm wondering how your calf is doing? I hope he is recovering. If you can't easily catch him, it seems like he's better off than mine. But I suppose mine is more familiar with me, in a smaller area, and has no idea she can even get away. She usually just lays there while I slip on a halter before asking her to get up. They have access to a small two acre pasture, but she usually just waits for the cow in the shade of the shed.

On the 15th I decided it would not hurt to give her one more dose of Banamine. It had been a week since the last dose. She had a normal temperature, but walked very stiff. I think she was sore on both front legs and maybe all four. The next morning she was moving a little more, but it was very clear she was limping on the right front. That seems weird because I think her left knee is more swollen. She is moving less humped over I think. Before, I thought she kind of moved with her head straight out and her back a little arched.

She got her third shot on the 16th. She now is clearly favoring the right front leg. Her temperature continues to be normal and she eats well. I'm not sure what to do from here on.

Here is a photo I took yesterday. To me, it looks like she kind of walks more on the toe of her right foot, avoiding the heel.

 

[Rydero]

Silver,
I'm wondering how your calf is doing? I hope he is recovering. If you can't easily catch him, it seems like he's better off than mine. But I suppose mine is more familiar with me, in a smaller area, and has no idea she can even get away. She usually just lays there while I slip on a halter before asking her to get up. They have access to a small two acre pasture, but she usually just waits for the cow in the shade of the shed.

On the 15th I decided it would not hurt to give her one more dose of Banamine. It had been a week since the last dose. She had a normal temperature, but walked very stiff. I think she was sore on both front legs and maybe all four. The next morning she was moving a little more, but it was very clear she was limping on the right front. That seems weird because I think her left knee is more swollen. She is moving less humped over I think. Before, I thought she kind of moved with her head straight out and her back a little arched.

She got her third shot on the 16th. She now is clearly favoring the right front leg. Her temperature continues to be normal and she eats well. I'm not sure what to do from here on.

Here is a photo I took yesterday. To me, it looks like she kind of walks more on the toe of her right foot, avoiding the heel.

View attachment 3897

Too bad she's not getting better but in my experience this is the more common outcome once it settles into a joint. I'd treat her a couple more times and then at a certain point stop. She'll probably never be 100% but the infection won't continue to spread to other joints etc. she'll probably get around a little better when she has the incentive of wanting to eat grass and keep up w her mother but they usually don't grow as well because they have a disincentive to graze normally. Overall joint ill sucks, we'd get one most years until I got better at catching navel ill and treating it. Can easily happen where one slips by undetected though.

 

[Katpau]

Thanks Rydero. I was thinking of treating at least once more. I'll talk to the Vet tomorrow and see if he concurs. I'm just happy she is now favoring one leg, rather than all over. I was worried this would go to the brain or her organs and kill her, but maybe I've stopped it spreading. She does not look or act sick, just lame.

The only other case I've seen was 10 years ago. That calf ended up with what I assumed was meningitis and had to be put down. I was afraid this would turn out the same way. With that earlier calf, the cow had chewed off the umbilical to the point it was bleeding. She was a 17 year old cow, and had raised 15 calves. The calf was kind of slow from the start, so I expect he had also been slow to rise. We got the bleeding stopped, banded the calf and put him out with the cow. A few days later I saw him laying off from the other calves and he did not rise when I went to check. We took him and the cow to the corrals and proceeded to treat with antibiotics, but he just got worse. He survived about two weeks. When he quit eating and started walking into things, we put him down.

 

[Silver]

Mine is usually up and around now, one knee is larger than the other still. Both legs have that slightly bowed look. She does not appear to be in pain, travels all over the place. I'm not sure what her future holds, but I'm a little bit more optimistic than I was. Would like to give her another round of Excede and Metacam, but that doesn't appear likely to happen now unless I catch her sound asleep or she takes a turn for the worse.

 

[Silver]

This is her. She doesn't like me getting too close, I think she's tired of needles.

 

[Katpau]

Here is mine

 

[Katpau]

Okay, that was suppose to be a short video. I guess I don't know how to post a video. I tried dragging and dropping.

 

[Silver]

Okay, that was suppose to be a short video. I guess I don't know how to post a video. I tried dragging and dropping.

Did you drag and drop in the "insert video" or the photo button?

 

[WFfarm]

We had one a couple summers ago that had it in the front leg and shoulder. Would hobble around on three legs. We treated for two weeks and it got better. Then he relapsed a few weeks later and spent another two weeks doctoring him. It took a couple months, but he finally did get better to where he was no longer lame and was weaned and sold with our other feeders. Stick with it, its a long journey, but they can pull thru it.

If I remember correctly, our vet had us give him high doses of penicillin daily.

 

[Katpau]

Did you drag and drop in the "insert video" or the photo button?

I didn't use any buttons, I just dragged and dropped. That works for photos, but apparently not for videos. Where is the insert video button?

 

[Silver]

I didn't use any buttons, I just dragged and dropped. That works for photos, but apparently not for videos. Where is the insert video button?

Click on the three little dots on the header, and to the right of the smiley is an icon of a movie camera with a + inside it. If you click on that you will have the option to choose a video to insert

 

[Katpau]

I found the insert video button under those three little dots. I tried inserting and it says "something went wrong, ...contact administrator". I have a Mac computer. Could that have having to do with it not accepting the video?

 

[Silver]

I found the insert video button under those three little dots. I tried inserting and it says "something went wrong, ...contact administrator". I have a Mac computer. Could that have having to do with it not accepting the video?

Oh, well, this just went way over my pay grade! lol. I honestly don't know. What I usually do is upload the video to youtube, then just copy the video link and paste it here in the reply.

 

[Silver]

@Katpau How's that calf doing now?

 

[Katpau]

Not great. She seems to lay in the same area all day long. She gets up and nurses when the cow comes back over, and she'll eat a little hay when I give it to the cow, but every time we come to check, there she is lying in the shade. She has some swelling on the inside of her left hock. She appears to favor that leg along with the right front. I am questioning wether the right shoulder is also involved. I'd like to get her out in the pasture with the other calves, but it's a distance to get her there and she is never over by that gate on her own. She pretty much stays within 100 feet of the same area all the time. We only go down once a day to where she is, so I suppose she may move around when we're not there. She is still gaining well, and I see her chewing her cud, so I assume she must get up and graze or eat hay at some time. I'm not really sure what to do, and don't have the heart to put her down as long as she doesn't act like she is suffering.

How is yours? I thought it looked good in the video.

 

[Silver]

Not great. She seems to lay in the same area all day long. She gets up and nurses when the cow comes back over, and she'll eat a little hay when I give it to the cow, but every time we come to check, there she is lying in the shade. She has some swelling on the inside of her left hock. She appears to favor that leg along with the right front. I am questioning wether the right shoulder is also involved. I'd like to get her out in the pasture with the other calves, but it's a distance to get her there and she is never over by that gate on her own. She pretty much stays within 100 feet of the same area all the time. We only go down once a day to where she is, so I suppose she may move around when we're not there. She is still gaining well, and I see her chewing her cud, so I assume she must get up and graze or eat hay at some time. I'm not really sure what to do, and don't have the heart to put her down as long as she doesn't act like she is suffering.

How is yours? I thought it looked good in the video.

I'm sorry to hear yours is still laying around. It's a tough one for sure. Seems like when it's in the knee it also affects the shoulder.
Mine seems to be getting better all the time, travels well enough, etc. but still has one knee joint with swelling but it doesn't appear to be sore. I'd like to giver her another round of Excede and some Metacam but can't get anywhere near her as she now associates me with needles lol.