Swelling on calf's joints

[bundabergsangel]

I have two calves in the same paddock, who both have swelling around their knees and hocks. A heifer and a bull calf, the heifer has a very bad case, a lot of fluid. Hers is mostly underneath the knees, and at the front of the hocks. The bull's case isn't quite as bad, but still noticable.

Does anyone have any idea what this could be? They're about 1-2months old, Angus X calves.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Could be Naval Ill - starts out as a naval infection & gets into the blood stream, setting up house in the knees. If this is the case - very hard to clear up. You can "search" naval ill on this board & get other info. Can be very cripling, many have to be put down.

 

[bundabergsangel]

Could be Naval Ill - starts out as a naval infection & gets into the blood stream, setting up house in the knees. If this is the case - very hard to clear up. You can "search" naval ill on this board & get other info. Can be very cripling, many have to be put down.

I considered this, but the navel on both calves is completely normal and clean...and always have been. Isn't there usually swelling around the navel area?

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

No, not necessarily. I have had no real experience with it. Milkmaid was our best source of info on Naval Ill, and she has saved some calves. Looonnnngggg treatment.

 

[bundabergsangel]

What's the treatment include?

 

[dun]

The one we saved was massive doses of long acting pen every other day for something like a month or so.

 

[Lucky_P]

Joint ill/navel ill - most calves with it have full or partial failure of passive transfer of maternal antibodies - either they didn't get enough/any colostrum, poor quality colostrum, or may have had difficult delivery, etc., that raised cortisol levels, resulting in poor absorption. In any event, they ended up with not enough colostral antibodies in their system to fend 'em off.
Being born into nasty, muddy conditions sets the stage - the bacteria can enter through the umbilicus(navel) - and studies with foals have shown that bacteria can also enter through the soles of the hooves; I've got no reason to think that it couldn't also happen with calves. When we were in practice and were called out to deliver a calf, we routinely sprayed navel and hooves with iodine, in hopes of diminishing the likelihood of the calf (or foal) developing navel/joint ill.

Most of these infections are E.coli - it's the most common bacterial species in that newborn's environment in most cases - especially if the cows are calving in the same lot where they've been fed all winter and they're slogging through mud up to their udders to get to the hay feeders - and the little calves are following mom.

A broad-spectrum antibiotic is in order, and probably a lengthy treatment period. Consult your veterinarian.

 

[larryshoat]

Treat the navels and stop the joint problems . This is a problem that causes so much trouble and loss, but is so easy to prevent. The question is, why does it go undetected? The answer is because the visible symptoms come along so far after the initial infection. I go trough all calves on day 2 and day 6 in the barn. On day 2 all calves with a navel bigger than my thumb gets marked and treated. On day 6 calves are checked again for progress. In raising calves there are a couple of simple things that cause the majority of death and illness in calves and those things are so simple and cheap to treat.

Larry