lost a 5 mo old heifer, another sick, no vet available

[hanko1]

Our vet came on Wednesday to de-horn a few young heifers, and to also castrate two bull calfs. We found the younger of the two heifers walking on only three legs the next day and bellowing. She was obviously in great pain, but we couldn't raise a vet. We thought she had been stepped on or maybe fell on the leg while still sedated. The next day, she was dead. There is another young heifer with the same symptoms but not as severe today. She will put weight on the leg, but not much. We think that it is the leg where the vet either injected the anesthesia or an antibiotic? We have given her pennicillin and pain reliever. Any ideas?

 

[hanko1]

We haven't vaccinated our cattle against blackleg, and I have only now learned about it since researching what could be wrong. We have only been raising cattle for four years, with no problems....small farm....12 (now eleven) head of Blonde d' Acquitaine. We will be talking to a vet about Blackleg, but they are in short supply (large animal vets in New Hampshire).

 

[Capt Call]

See if the back legs of the dead calf feels crunchy like a bag of potatoe chips if so, black leg it is. Now when look in the mirror in the morning shaving you can see the person at fault. A dollar a calf to vaccinate sure is cheap.

 

[KNERSIE]

I say black leg. Do you vaccinate your cattle for it?

what are the symptoms before they go down and die?

The reason for asking is that I have never heard that they are limping, I know they have a fever, etc, but can't say I have ever seen symptoms, just the dead animal.

 

[CowCop]

~

Hank

Where in NH are you ?

Have you called Dr Chuck Shaw in Walpole NH ?
603 756 4731

Green Mountain Bovine Clinic
Chesterfield NH
603 256 8400

 

[Beefy]

it definitely sounds like blackleg to me. most of the time you just find them dead but i have seen them before--they just kind of lay around unless you make them move and then they are tenderfooted on the afflicted leg and stiff. symptoms alot like footrot. sure hope you dont have an epidemic on your hands!

 

[GMN]

We had one calf that died from blackleg when we first started out. As a preventative the rest of the calfs in the pen were given penicillen, might be a thought for you.

GMN

 

[msscamp]

We had one calf that died from blackleg when we first started out. As a preventative the rest of the calfs in the pen were given penicillen, might be a thought for you.

GMN

I'm confused, why would penicillin be a preventative against blackleg?

 

[Beefy]

once in a blue moon a blackleg can be saved with multiple shots of penicillin but its rare. its rare to even find a live blackleg case.

skeptical about penicillin helping prevent it but who knows.

 

[milkmaid]

We had one calf that died from blackleg when we first started out. As a preventative the rest of the calfs in the pen were given penicillen, might be a thought for you.

GMN

I'm confused, why would penicillin be a preventative against blackleg?

Blackleg is one of the clostridiums... treatable with penn. Giving penicillin wouldn't be a "preventative" in the same sense that vaccines are a preventative, but it might halt the disease if the calf is already infected.

 

[3rdgeneration farmer]

I dont even have to read the rest, if you havent blacklegged your cattle, do so at this time. Your loss will be in the thousands if this is blackleg and the shots are very cheap. So dangerous to the calf of that age. We really lost calves to that once.

 

[msscamp]

Thank you Beefy, and Milkmaid - learn something new everyday, and I appreciate it!

 

[TheBullLady]

We had a case of blackleg six or seven years ago, lost two calves. Very unusual to find one with symptoms, usually you find them dead. It is VERY quick.. I don't think you'd have more than a few hours after seeing them with "symptoms" before you'd find them dead.

If you've had new excavation of some type on the place (ie: new stock tank built) you can "stir" it up.