2 nights ago I just recieved my 8 year old angus after visiting a bull from another pasture. I believe she must of stepped in a hole, she has a limp on her left front leg. I can not any hoof defomities, leg swelling, ect. She is eating & drinking well. I can NOT handle her, she is WILD. I am NEW in working with cattle & do not have a chute. I was wondering how many days should I observe her till I call a vet? If it is a sprain, how long will it take to heal on it's own & is there anything I can give her in her feed (safe for a pregnant cow)? Thanks for any suggestions!
limping ?pregnant? cow
- Thread starter enanette
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enanette":344o5za9 said:
Give her a dozen or so aspririns once a day, that can help with any swelling or pain. Just dump them whole into her feed if you can give her a little grain on the side. You might be surprised how effective it is.
dun
enanette":rvyoe7w4 said:
No offense, but if you don't have a chute your vet is going to have a fun time working on her! :shock: :lol:
Just because there isn't any swelling doesn't mean she has to have a sprain... I treated a cow the other day for what I'm 99% sure was a hoof abcess in the right front. She was SO lame I actually walked up to her, lifted the hoof (while she stood relatively quietly) and checked for footrot, warts, or abcess - no sign of any problems. Talked to my vet; he said you can't always feel a soft spot indicating an abcess if it's deep inside the hoof, so I loaded her up with antibiotic and she's sound now. I've always been told the longer you wait to treat those kind of problems the longer they take to heal.
There's a fair number of problems a cow can have that you might not be able to see from a distance on a wild cow.
If you really can't get close enough to work her and/or look over that leg, I'd try dun's suggestion with the asprin and cross your fingers.
Thank you both for your quick replies!
It led me to research the GREAT suggestion & I discovered some information on:
http://www.usp.org/pdf/EN/veterinary/aspirin.pdf
Went to the store this evening, gave her the aspirin with some grain. Now it's "wait & see"........I phoned my vet & gave him a FYI. He has a chute! One of the main reasons why I chose him. Never have had to have him come out, & hope he never does!
Whew, this cattle care keeps you on your toes! Get to learn alot. Just started with cows, thought I would be "safe" with an older, established cow. Never considered trauma.
Thank you, once again for your concern & assistance!
It led me to research the GREAT suggestion & I discovered some information on:
http://www.usp.org/pdf/EN/veterinary/aspirin.pdf
Went to the store this evening, gave her the aspirin with some grain. Now it's "wait & see"........I phoned my vet & gave him a FYI. He has a chute! One of the main reasons why I chose him. Never have had to have him come out, & hope he never does!
Whew, this cattle care keeps you on your toes! Get to learn alot. Just started with cows, thought I would be "safe" with an older, established cow. Never considered trauma.
Thank you, once again for your concern & assistance!
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
enanette":oxfypu2d said:
Seen them develop a pinched nerve later in term.
Update on my "wild cow". She continues to receive her aspirin with her grain every evening. Her limp appears to be improving! Thank you for your assistance! When she first starts to walk, it's there, & it gets better as she moves. She has taken over as the "head cow" of my 2 other cows, her 1 yr old bull calf, & a 1 1/2 yr old Holstein heifer. The Holstein has been placed as "low man" on the totem pole. Wild cow will not let her in the barn stall at night, I am unsure what to do, any suggestion on how to socialize them to share a stall at night? She is my favorite, has a sweet personality & I can handle her (I raised her as a bucket calf). Presently, I put her in another stall to protect her from the cold at night & re-release her to the herd in the morning. I figure to just give it time, & hope they adjust. They all use to share the barn stall before the wild cow left to go & get pregnant.
