lame cow

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Anonymous

Good Morning All!

One of our cows turned up lame overnight 3 days ago. She was out in our far pasture so we didn't get a real close look at her. Just noticed she was faintly swollen on her right hind shin and really gimpy. Assuming it was likely foot rot, we hit her with Nuflor. She was still really bad yesterday so we brought her up to the barn and put her in the chute. We could find absolutely nothing wrong. No swelling or tenderness anywhere. We poked and prodded all over her leg but can't find anything. She's not off her feed, her temp and temperment are normal, but she can hardly walk. We gave her some Banamine last night, but that hasn't seemed to help either. Any thougths or ideas before I get on the horn to the vet? Thanks.
 
Carrie":10sh3i15 said:
Sorry! The above post was mine. Sometimes my computer signs me on automatically, sometimes not. Guess this is "one of those days" :D
Click to expand...

for footrot type problems, i generally give la 200.. was not aware nuflor treated footrot, but maybe it does.. la200 is much cheaper too.

good luck

jt
 
Hi JT

Nuflor is a broader spectrum antibiotic than LA200 and has been shown to have better tissue penetration. I hate the expense, but in the few cases of foot rot we've had to treat here, we started with LA200 then wound up using Nuflor. Guess we've got nastier cooties on our place!
 
I'd just give her more time before you haul her to the vet. She could have stepped on something and bruised her foot or maybe just twisted her let a little. Give her more time to heal up on her own. We have seen then correct themselves many times.
 
Carrie Maybe you have already done this,but if you have a place for her where the ground is a little softer for her to walk on, she will heal faster if it is a bruise or sprain etc. Good luck. Hope this helps.
 
OK guys, two rounds of Nuflor and a lot of Banamine later, she's still gimpy as all get out. Put her in the chute again last night, No swelling, heat or tenderness at the hip, hock or hoof. Not off her feed. Maybe she's faking me out - enjoying her own corral and being pan fed! Anyway, the vet's coming tomorrow. I'll let you know. This kind of thing just bugs the stuffing out of me - if only they could talk! :( :?: :?: :?:
 
A couple of months ago my bull had the same problem. We treated him with a massive dose of LA200, and no improvement. I hauled him to A & M, and when they put him on the table, found a huge gash in the bottom of his foot. No swelling anywhere, etc. Apparently he stepped on something sharp.. maybe in the tank.

He got penicillin and is in the 5th week of "yard rest", and is doing much better. Just a matter of his hoof growing out.
 
Ok guys, here it is per the vet:

Subluxation of the femoral head. She's now on total bedrest (ha-our smallest stall in the barn) and getting daily Banamine. We'll likely head to U of Ohio this week for Xrays and an ultrasound. Hopefully these will help decide if she is salvageble. Sure hope so. Don't want to break that kind of news to the kids. Once the vet pointed out what to look for in her hip joint (I was looking at her pins, not further back) it was fairly easy to see. Anyone else ever have this happen? The vet said this is not all that uncommon and often happens when a cow steps in a hole, or gets butted while she is turning. He said we ought to be glad this happened to a cow not one of the horses - they wouldn't be able to tolerate the pain. Sweet old Effie just looks at us and chews her cud. Sigh.
 
That is a very lucky cow to be residing at your place. I'm guessing she must be a valuable animal for you to invest so much time and money in her recovery and treatment, for if she was one my commercials she'd probably be either getting better on her own or put down.

Take care and best of luck with her.
 
I know Annie, we probably are a little over the top. She was an expensive purchase though and we've had some nice calves out of her but yeah, we are a bunch of softies here. Sometimes I think we ought to rename this place "Money Pit Angus" It would be a lot easier if we didn't have three girls that cry every time we have to send one down the road. Does anyone else have this problem? I thought time would help - not! If we had to run a commercial program we'd be broke and out of business in a week! I'm sure you big guys laugh at us, but I've really come to love our herd and it's been such a great thing for our family. We barely turn a profit and would certainly be in the hole if you factored in time spent, but I'd give up other stuff before I'd give up the cattle.
 
Hey Carrie,
We're not a big time operation up here...just big enough that we can't afford such lavish care on our stock. Poor beggars are expected to pay the bills around here, not rack them up. Really sucks to be them. All the same, I hate having to shoot a cow, calf or bull.

It's just one of those things that the consumers eating their steaks never imagine...watching an injured animal in pain; wishing you could afford to heal her but having to end it's suffering all the same.

I find it's worse with calves. This spring I had a first calver give birth to a real pretty little heifer calf...trouble was the poor wee thing had a twisted spine, couldn't stand upright. Of course, I was hoping that she was just kind of windswept from being born, and hauled her up to the house and bottled her for a few days. But I finally had to face the fact that she had a birth defect that she'd never overcome. Tough to put down a newborn thing, but what else to do?

Anyway, I'm sure not laughing at you. Nothing wrong in the least about being compassionate to animals. It's not as if the beggars have any choice themselves.

Take care.
 
Don't worry.. you're not the only "softie" on this board. It's very hard not to get attached, when we spend so much time with them. I have cattle because I love having them and it's an escape from my real job.

If she's a good cow and you have the time and resources, I say go for it! She may recover just fine, and then you'll be happy you gave her the chance.
 
CattleAnnie":27hqd1i4 said:
Hey Carrie,
We're not a big time operation up here...just big enough that we can't afford such lavish care on our stock. Poor beggars are expected to pay the bills around here, not rack them up. Really sucks to be them. All the same, I hate having to shoot a cow, calf or bull.

It's just one of those things that the consumers eating their steaks never imagine...watching an injured animal in pain; wishing you could afford to heal her but having to end it's suffering all the same.

I find it's worse with calves. This spring I had a first calver give birth to a real pretty little heifer calf...trouble was the poor wee thing had a twisted spine, couldn't stand upright. Of course, I was hoping that she was just kind of windswept from being born, and hauled her up to the house and bottled her for a few days. But I finally had to face the fact that she had a birth defect that she'd never overcome. Tough to put down a newborn thing, but what else to do?

Anyway, I'm sure not laughing at you. Nothing wrong in the least about being compassionate to animals. It's not as if the beggars have any choice themselves.

Take care.
Click to expand...

My dad always told me that two of the best ways to make money in cattle are stay out of the feed store and don't get to know the vet very well.

Craig-TX
 

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