sick steer

[dyates]

I've got a steer that was around 750#, now maybe 675#. I took him to the vet over a week ago when I noticed puss draining from his sheath. Vet said he had gotten a cocklebur up in there that caused an abscess. They flushed him and loaded him up with LA-200 and said he should be fine. Wrong answer. He showed no improvement after 48 hours, so I consulted another vet. He said the antibiotic would be a waste for an abscess (makes sense to me). I have been flushing his sheath daily with iodine solution and have given him 35 cc's of B complex for the last three days trying to push his appetite back up. He's still eating very poorly, wasting away, draining puss, and grinding his teeth as if he is in pain. Any suggestions other than a bullet would be appreciated. :help:

 

[bward]

Hmmmm. With no improvement and continued draining it makes me think that the abscess is higher up in the abdomen possibly occouring as a result of castration and that the easiest mode of drainage for the abscess is through the sheath. If that is the case he sounds like he is going septic. If I am wrong and the abscess is confined to the sheath, and it was my calf I would try a week of pennicillin plus the flushing you are doing now before I gave up on him.

 

[dyates]

He was banded at 90 days and is now 11 months.

 

[Howdyjabo]

If he was mine I would be hitting him with Baytril (heavy dose the first day).
Don't know if it will work- but
I have Seen Baytril fix alot of odd infections that La200 didn't touch.....

 

[CKC1586]

Does he leak urine? When he does urinate is it a normal stream then stop?

 

[dyates]

I don't think he leaks urine. When he does urinate, its a very small stream and seems to take forever.

 

[CKC1586]

My bet is that he has an abscess internally and is probably putting pressure on his bladder. I cannot remember what they call the term for a problem with the urethra ...Milkmaid, are you out there? Anyway probably gonna need an xray to figure it out.

Okay, I remembered what I was trying to think of...Patent Urachus. But then I re-read your post and he is 11 months, so I wouldn't think that would be it. Had a bull calf that Vet thought that was the problem, took him out to MSU and he was ultra sounded, it was an abscessed umbilicus (internal) not the patent urachus. They drained the abscess and left it open to drain.

 

[larryshoat]

Many times cattle will grind their teeth when they have a fever . I would take his temp . If over 102 I would use Nuflor and penicillin, I would also give Banamine . Continue with the flushing .

Larry