limping cow

[kenojoe]

I noticed one of my cows limping the other day. Got up close to her and heard what sounded like a clicking noise when she walks. She was that way for a day or two and then it went away. Does anybody have an idea of what it might be. I am going to try to get'em all up to the barn so I can try to get her in the head gate and check her feet. They are all in the back field in the good grass and are'nt real intersted in coming up to the barn but I'll try to get'em up. What is the best way to keep a foot clean if I find a nail or something and get it out and cleaned up. Right now my part of Kentucky is a mudhole. My neighbor says after he gets it cleaned he puts on peroxide and wraps the hoof in duck tape. He says after a few days the tape wears off and thats usually enough to get it healed up. How do you guys keep the foot clean. Thanks for any help.

 

[milkmaid]

A brief word of advice as far as wrapping...I've seen vet wrap used with good results (and have used it myself), but it must come off within a week!

I had my cow treated and her hoof wrapped with vet wrap this summer. I thought the vet wrap would wear off by itself, but it didn't, and by the time I caught my 'ol nurse cow (three weeks later) and cut the wrap off, it had cut a good inch deep into the skin above the hoof, leaving a nasty infection. I treated her with LA 200 and she did heal up (and is sound now), but for a week or so she could barely hobble around. If she had been standing in manure/water/muck on a regular basis instead of being on pasture the ending to that story may not have been quite as good.

 

[Dee]

It could be something as serious as a bad hip if she is an older cow or took a fall on rock or cement, or it could have just been her two toes clicking when she walked. The vet wrap is tough stuff you usually have to take it off. If they were on cement it may wear off. For a nail in the foot I just pull it out, clean it with iodine, scrub a bit, give an LA 200 shot and they are usually fine. Had an old cow last year that would limp then the next time would be walking just fine, she will be going to town this year, there is no doubt she has a bad hip now.