Lameness problem

[BAR_R]

We have a problem in the barn and hope someone can give good advice. Had the hoofs trimmed on a show bull. 2200 lbs and the local vet was the only one around with a table big enough. Bull was fine when he got off. (New to this area and never had this vet trim feet before and all other trimmers didn't have a table to do the job).
4 days later bull won't put weight on a front foot. Now its been 4 days after the problem started and its not much better. (He is now putting some weight on it, but still limps bad)(We have treated it topically, but since there is no swelling and nothing else to indicate an infection we haven't used an antibiotic). Any ideas or suggestions?

We have more than a month until we would show again.

 

[Colorado2008]

Did he do any special trimming on him? Like set him back on his heels or anything like that. How long were his toes? If this was the first time he has been trimmed or if his toes were really long it is likley that he is just sore. Have you checked for foot rot?

 

[BAR_R]

No special trimming. Just took a little off the toes as they were getting long. We wre trying to be carefull not to make him sore. Thre was no foot rot when he was on the table. We can't see any signs of swelling.

 

[show steer up]

Hi
Had this happen to one of our steers last year. The person took the hoof too short. He also used a sandpaper type grinding disk. I found out you need to use a metal disk, so the hoof does not get too hot and burn the animal. We put our steers hoof in a bucket of warm Epson salt, diluted as directed on the carton.
How I did this!
I had the bucket ready and walked the steer into the grooming chute. Had my kids hold the bucket and walked the steer and guided his foot into the bucket. When he was hurt it was easy, he loved to have is hoof soaked 3 times a day for 20 min. (each time) or until the water got cold. It took about 5-6 days and then he had enough. Another few weeks later he was walking normal.
I hope this helps, good luck.

 

[milkmaid]

Sometimes they'll get a stone bruise from walking on their newly trimmed feet, and it turns into an abcess. Not something you'd see outwardly; you'd have to put him back on the table to really find it. Boss had a couple cows while I was working at the dairy, that'd come up lame almost every time we trimmed them. Not the hoof trimmer's fault; they'd do it no matter who we used, but we just had to be aware and treat them promptly. Excenel took care of most of them.

 

[BAR_R]

I am not familiar with excenel. Is this an antibiotic? Its not in my medicine chest. Would I need to get it from the Vet?

 

[milkmaid]

I am not familiar with excenel. Is this an antibiotic? Its not in my medicine chest. Would I need to get it from the Vet?

Yep and yep. It's also sold as Naxcel, which is cheaper, but has to be reconstituted and stored in the 'fridge.

 

[braunvieh]

You may want to try Banamine, it is an anti-inflammatory. I just had a calf with a slight case of founder (the only symptom was soreness on both front feet.) After just one shot, she was doing much better. It is like ibuprofen for horses and cattle.

 

[BAR_R]

Ok, so we gave up and called the vet out on 8/31. Vet could not initally find anything either as the hoof was solid. Then we walked/limped the bull out into the chute and a small opening in the toe of the hoof broke open and a lot of discharge came out. Looks like the bull got a small puncture in the toe, it healed over and then got infected. So the vet gave the bull several boluses. (Sulfa I recall)

Bull is getting better and putting more weight on it. However I am still concerned on it healing over and the same problem reoccuring. Any advice to keep this from re-occuring?

 

[Jovid]

Ok, so we gave up and called the vet out on 8/31. Vet could not initally find anything either as the hoof was solid. Then we walked/limped the bull out into the chute and a small opening in the toe of the hoof broke open and a lot of discharge came out. Looks like the bull got a small puncture in the toe, it healed over and then got infected. So the vet gave the bull several boluses. (Sulfa I recall)

Bull is getting better and putting more weight on it. However I am still concerned on it healing over and the same problem reoccuring. Any advice to keep this from re-occuring?

May have been the result of the trimming. If they took him too short it could also have gotten infected.

Based on my experience as of shoeing horses in a previous life, if you ever trimmed one too deep there was always the possibility of infection showing up at a later time.

Just a thought

 

[BAR_R]

Quit screwing around with the boluses. They wont do a thing. If they do you will be lucky. You need to hit this fella with banamine to ease his pain and naxcel to get rid of the infection. After all a bull is 50% of your herd. If you want calves you have to get this bull well. If the treatment begins to exceed the cost of the bull then its bullet time. Yes I understand about show animals. I have a girl showing a heifer for me now who won reserve a couple weeks ago at the Kentucky State Fair.

Bolus did help enough to get him to move better. Asked for banamine but that vet wouldn't as he said it would interfere with healing the infection. Waited 3 more days. Bull was better but not doing better on the hoof (as you said we didn't want to screw around with this animal). Got a second vet opinion. This vet gave him banamine and nuflor for the pain and infection. Doing much better after that.

 

[SEC]

Why would you show a bull that needs his feet trimmed. If he was the right way you wouldn't need to do so?

 

[BAR_R]

Hooves are like finger nails, they grow expecially if an animal is on full feed. I was not correcting any problem that the bull would have structurly. (although you can do that with trimming).

Show animals, especially old ones, tend to need hooves trimmed due to the amounts of feed that they are fed and the generally limited exercise that is given. (They are in a pasture all day).

 

[SEC]

I fully understand why the feet grow. This is the misrepresentation part of showing that I don't understand. It becomes misleading to people that his feed are good, how would you know you might think they are growing due to the feed and maybe it's genetic. I would understand if you were trying to correct a problem or help them with they tended to walk shallow. Basically though they are what they are.

 

[BAR_R]

Ok, then explain why it is recommended that on a dairy the cows have their hooves trimmed yearly? Do dairy animals have that much of a genetic difference that make their hooves different than beef?

I've had judges comment specifically that an animal need hooves trimmed "an animal should never come in a ring with hooves not trimmed". The animal did not walk with any issues, not gait problem, nor anything else. Its hooves were just longer. I would ranther not have to do it, as there is always risk to the animal. However it does seem to be a part of showing.

 

[milkmaid]

Ok, then explain why it is recommended that on a dairy the cows have their hooves trimmed yearly? Do dairy animals have that much of a genetic difference that make their hooves different than beef?

They're on a really hot ration... some dairies feed up to 30lbs/hd/day of grain. A hot ration like that really causes hooves to grow. Also, their feet just don't get worn down on the concrete and straw pack, and they don't really have to move that far on a daily basis. All combined, it's just a good practice to have 75% of the herd trimmed yearly. Some cows just never need it, some need trimmed 2-3 times a year, but most do fine on once/year.

 

[BAR_R]

Ok, then explain why it is recommended that on a dairy the cows have their hooves trimmed yearly? Do dairy animals have that much of a genetic difference that make their hooves different than beef?

They're on a really hot ration... some dairies feed up to 30lbs/hd/day of grain. A hot ration like that really causes hooves to grow. Also, their feet just don't get worn down on the concrete and straw pack, and they don't really have to move that far on a daily basis. All combined, it's just a good practice to have 75% of the herd trimmed yearly. Some cows just never need it, some need trimmed 2-3 times a year, but most do fine on once/year.

Thanks, that is pretty close to the hot ration most show animals are fed. This would also go to why a show animal would need trimming while on a show ration for a longer period of time (animals that are in a show string for more than a year)

 

[TheBullLady]

I have to agree.. show animals are being fed WAY more than a normal pasture animal is being fed, in order to look their best, which is why you are showing them. Consequently, their feet get longer. Showing an animal without having their feet trimmed would be like showing one just out of the pasture. Seems like a good idea, but no one would do it.