We have a cow that has had a limp for over a week. If you pick up her foot, you can see a dark blue/purple spot (1/4 inch in diameter) that looks like a bruise in between her toes just above the hoof. We took her to the vet and he gave her a shot of LA 200 and told us to give it time. However, she hasn't improved. Does an abcess look like a bruise? We will be taking her to a different vet if she is not better in a couple of days.
Lame Cow
- Thread starter ffamom
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GMN
Well-known member
Do you have the cow on a TMR or high protein diet? I ask because sometimes too high of protein will cause them to flounder, limp, where the underside of their foot gets soft. The fix is to block the foot, I'd give her Dexamethazone, 10cc's, and see if that helps.
Gail
Gail
If the spot is on the hairline just above the hoof, it may be a wart. Is the bump raised, or is the hair on the bump missing or standing straight up in an unusual manner? If it's a wart, systemic antibiotics (ie, LA200 injection) will do nothing for it. The wart itself needs to be treated, and a topical application of LA200 (about 10ccs) daily may be in order.
She doesn't have hairy heel wart. I have dealt with that problem before at our ag chapters barn. Not fun.
The 2nd opinion vet's office has a chute that turns the animals on their side. When he turned her over, it was obvious that she had a great deal of swelling right above the hairline(really thick skinned part) on the back part of her front foot. He stuck a needle in there to see what would come out and lots yucky stuff did. From this point, he administer a pain meds so that he could lance the foot. After he washed and wrapped her foot, gave her 75 cc of LA 200, her foot seems better. Her neck on the other hand looks swollen and lumpy. Eating from the ground seems to be a challange for her.
So the bruise we saw had nothing to do with her foot pain.
The 2nd opinion vet's office has a chute that turns the animals on their side. When he turned her over, it was obvious that she had a great deal of swelling right above the hairline(really thick skinned part) on the back part of her front foot. He stuck a needle in there to see what would come out and lots yucky stuff did. From this point, he administer a pain meds so that he could lance the foot. After he washed and wrapped her foot, gave her 75 cc of LA 200, her foot seems better. Her neck on the other hand looks swollen and lumpy. Eating from the ground seems to be a challange for her.
So the bruise we saw had nothing to do with her foot pain.
Maybe footrot then.... but I usually see it on the rear hooves, not the fronts. I personally wouldn't have opened the skin; especially in a location that has contact with everything on the ground, but then I'm not a vet either.
