Swollen joints on young calf

[greggy]

Family has a calf that is drinking from mum.....but that was founfpd afterwards....

Calf apparently has swollen joints, what should I tell them to look for, mum and calf kept in a smaller area now to make calf gets to nurse.

I have not seen calf, and that is all I know at this point.

 

[TCRanch]

Check the navel. Navel ill quite often segues into joint ill if not treated quickly - and aggressively. I treated mine with and initial round of Resflor Gold then subsequent rounds of LA300 & Banamine plus Vitamin B Complex (per my vet, possibly because that's what I had on hand).

 

[regolith]

joint ill needs treated fast and aggressively as said... and that is usually what it is, particularly if more than one leg is involved. There may not be anything obvious going on at the navel.

Both the cases I've seen in my herd I initially thought had injured (broken) their leg. They hadn't, but better not to rule out the possibility that it's an injury.

 

[CG1]

As the others have said yes, if its joint ill it will be a fast mover. I would assume that since you posted this if it hasn't been dealt with and it is joint ill that calf isn't doing very well. By the time the swelling comes it will hit fast.

Just to mention as navel ill is mentioned above. I have had calves have joint ill with no navel issues. Its not as common but it does happen. A gushy mushy swollen joint is likely joint ill. The best way I have found to treat this is the vet draining the joints and then treating with the strongest antibiotic they have for weeks. (I have never had a calf with joint ill survive that I didn't bring into the barn to save. the only ones I left in the field with their dam died)

 

[WFfarm]

We had one will navel ill that went into the front shoulder. Found him at 5 days old and we didn't notice the navel, but the vet made the right diagnosis when she examined him. We did almost two weeks of daily injections of penicillin. He hobbled around on three legs for weeks. He got getter to where he was running around the pasture with the other calves, then relapsed a few weeks later. Another 2 weeks of daily injections. He finally healed up and lost the limp after a few months. It was a long road for him to recover.

 

[greggy]

Well, prob is navel ill, but the calf is either gonna have to make it or not, as it has followed mother and gone off to an area they cannot get too, but it has been following mum and drinking up till last seen.

They finding many aspects difficult these days.