Hi, what's you'alls experience with navel I'll. I have a beef heifer calf that is now 16 days old. When she was a week old, I noticed her limping on her Right front leg and her navel felt squishy and the cord was damp and red at the top. The vet said to give her Exceed and Banimine , then the next day give her more Banimine, then give her Exceed every 7 days until it is gone. She didn't have a fever or act sick at all. And after she ran and tripped she was walking and running on 3 legs, for about 30 minutes then she started limping on that leg again. After the Exceed and 2 rounds of Banimine, she had a barely noticeable hitch to her gait. Which went away completely, I still gave her the 2nd round of Exeed. Then last night she was running, tripped and started limping on that leg again. Her navel looks fine. And I never was able to get any puss out of it. The vet said I caught it early. This is my first time dealing with it. Does this sound like navel I'll? Or a leg injury?
Navel ILL Heifer calf
- Thread starter Hereford2
- Start date
Help Support CattleToday:
I've only had navel ill once and the calf never had a limp but he was only a few days old when I noticed his massive navel & treated with Resflor Gold, every other day for a week. I don't see any obvious swelling on your calfs' leg - also makes me wonder if it's an injury, maybe got stepped on.
Attachments
Dear Hereford2, You should check the bite of that calf. It appears to have an underbite. If so, its calcium metabolism was disrupted prior to birth and likely still is being disrupted, which can cause joint pain. The same electrolyte pill, Calc. Phos. 30X (or Calc. Phos. 6X, but 30X works better) stimulates the cells to uptake the calcium they need and the underdeveloped facial bones grow to normal and the joint pain apparently goes away because affected animals stop limping. Grazing animals that have birth defects like underbite sometimes have problems with the umbilicus.
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
duplicate post
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
Your calf does not appear to have an underbite. Looks normal.
Did you vet SEE the calf or just went by what you described? "Generally" with naval ill, the joints are visibly swollen. It does sound like an injury.
Did you vet SEE the calf or just went by what you described? "Generally" with naval ill, the joints are visibly swollen. It does sound like an injury.
Hereford2
Well-known member
Yeah I looked at her mouth looks perfectly fine! Thank you for confirming it though! I just asked about the Calf Phos because I have seen multiple post's where JHoy says that calves have underbites where they say calves needed Cal Phos so I asked how much to give a calf, because I don't remember them ever giving the amount?? But they never replied back to me.... I've only personally seen 2 calves with messed up jaws out of all of the Calves I have fed, and they both straightened up by the time they were weaned with no interference from me.
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
Yes, I have been breeding cattle for 49 years, I have never had one. Not saying they don't happen.
Hereford2
Well-known member
No he didn't see the calf, he did an over the phone consultation, he was concerned about it being navel I'll, from my description, and he said if it was, I didn't want to wait and see what happened. She seems perfectly fine now! She runs and jumps around on it like a normal calf, her navel still looks fine and she never had a fever, that I'm aware of, I checked her daily. She's the friendliest little heifer. I'm hoping to keep her for a replacement heifer she's the first calf I have given shots to (that wasn't to sick to fight) that didn't fight me,.
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
Good job!! You are being a good "mom". And, you are using common sense!!
Hereford2
Well-known member
Thank you! I really enjoy bottle calves, I'm blessed to have a schedule where I can check sick calves 3 time's a day. I also work closely with my vets, and get his or her advice on how, when and where to treat calves. There are 2 vet's in the vet office I use, that both know a lot about cattle, and they will do over the phone or tell me when I should bring one in. A good vet is worth their weight in gold..
I get a lot of naval ill and have never been able to figure out why exactly. I calve in clean pasture. I've come to assume I have a nutritional deficiency in the cows - though they are on pasture with quality mineral. Anyway..... nothing I'm seeing here sounds like naval ill. a "squishy" naval is not naval ill. A swollen firm and warm naval is more generally naval ill. Also, a limp is not generally naval ill gone to joint ill. In joint ill they swell - as mentioned - and tend to buckle at the knees when they are standing. Anyway, that's my experience. I think you have/had a calf with a leg injury - but I'm suggesting that from hundreds of miles away with picture I can't see to well...
Hereford2
Well-known member
Thank you all for the reply's! I think she probably just injured it also. Last night I was talking to her and she started jumping around. There's a metal trough in her pen and she banged the Same knee into the trough and started limping Again...
