juvenile rheumatoid arthritis in cattle?

[10-e-c-dirtfarmer]

Can a 3 month old calf get something similar to juvenile rheumatoid arthritis? Both knees & both hocks are swollen, has a very hard time walking, just lays around most of the time. I have given antibodies just in case it has some sort of infection, had no effect one way are the other...

 

[branguscowgirl]

Navel ill, progressing to joint ill. Sounds like what you may have.

 

[Lucky_P]

Unlikely.
I'm presuming you gave antibiotics, not antibodies? Then the question becomes...which one(s)?

Enlarged joints in a calf that age would suggest joint ill from navel infection/fpt, bacterial endocarditis, or infection with Mycoplasma bovis.

 

[10-e-c-dirtfarmer]

Unlikely.
I'm presuming you gave antibiotics, not antibodies? Then the question becomes...which one(s)

Yep, antibiotics, I never was real bright.. Over the course of 4 or 5 weeks, I've use penicillin, oxytetracycline, nuflor.

Enlarged joints in a calf that age would suggest joint ill from navel infection/fpt, bacterial endocarditis, or infection with Mycoplasma bovis.

As far as I know the calf never had a navel infection, But it almost starved when the birth mother got mastitis in all 4 quarters at less than a week old, I grafted to a cow that had a breech calf, I first noticed a swollen hock at about 4 or 5 weeks... Mycoplasma bovis, bacterial endocarditis as far as I know never had a case of either, over 50 years, 50 to 60 calves a year.But after a Google search, I'm leaning toward one or the other.. I'll talk to Vet tomorrow AM, In the meantime, whats your opinion ?

 

[dun]

Frequently you don;t notice the inflammation of the navel and it progresses to joint ill. Only ever saw one that had it in multiple joints.

 

[10-e-c-dirtfarmer]

Frequently you don;t notice the inflammation of the navel and it progresses to joint ill. Only ever saw one that had it in multiple joints.

Over the years, I've only had 1 W/ a obvious navel infection, Probably gave it LA200, And this is first is the first calf w/ swollen joints.

 

[cowgirl8]

We had a calf this last season who was bitten on the tongue as it was being born by a black vulture. The next day the calf was all stiff. Took the calf to the vet and vet drained 8 joints. Although the joints appeared normal from then on, and even before the joints didnt look noticeably swollen, the calf never moved right. In a group of over 80 black calves, i could pick this calf out from a distance away just from the way he stood.

 

[Lucky_P]

A LOT of calves experience 'failure of passive transfer of maternal antibodies' (FPT) - whether due to not getting enough colostrum early enough, low-quality colostrum, or not adequately absorbing colostral antibodies. A host of factors may be involved - mastitis, plugged teats, big teats that the calf can't get hold of, dam refusing to let calf nurse, heifer with low IgA content, etc. Difficult or prolonged delivery or stressful conditions immediately after birth can result in calves that don't adequately absorb the antibodies in the colostrum that they do get.

A very high percentage of young calves that I see coming through the diagnostic lab - usually 2-8 wk olds, dead from scours, pneumonia, etc. - have pus & fibrin in multiple joints - and most have little or no evidence of navel infection/inflammation. So...neonatal bacteremia/septicemia with joint involvement can & does occur with pretty high frequency even when 'navel ill' is not necessarily evident. Most of these calves, if blood was available to test, would show low levels of circulating antibodies far below the protective level.