Well, I had minor heart failure today. Went out to fly spray the herd and noticed a steer with blood all over his (formerly white!) face. Seemed perfectly fine, couldn't even find a scrape. Then another calf had blood all over him, then a cow, and another, and another . . . Looked like a crime scene and I was frantically trying to find out which one was mortally wounded. Gasp - there she was with blood over her entire back, sides, hind legs and tail. Huge relief, it's only a tail wound but pretty mangled. Looks like she got it caught it barbed wire, honey locust tree, something sharp. And of course, every time she flicked her tail, blood splattered in a 3 ft. radius.
I cleaned it up, best I could in the pasture, and sprayed Veterycin, Blue Kote and sprinkled Wonder Dust on it (and was subsequently covered in blood myself). I didn't feel she needed antibiotics but should I bring her in and try to wrap it? Leave it alone except to spray/keep the flies off? Or is this something potentially serious and I should start her on antibiotics or penicillin?
Probably a minor event & part of owning cattle but surprisingly, this is my first blood bath involving the tail.
I cleaned it up, best I could in the pasture, and sprayed Veterycin, Blue Kote and sprinkled Wonder Dust on it (and was subsequently covered in blood myself). I didn't feel she needed antibiotics but should I bring her in and try to wrap it? Leave it alone except to spray/keep the flies off? Or is this something potentially serious and I should start her on antibiotics or penicillin?
Probably a minor event & part of owning cattle but surprisingly, this is my first blood bath involving the tail.
). I can easily just dump some cubes to keep her occupied and clip away in the pasture.
