Walking with major limp

[Anonymous]

My limo bull is walking very poorly. He puts very little pressure on his front left leg. I checked his hoof and there are no visible signs of damage and no swelling in the hoof area. I did however notice he was tender the furthur I moved up his leg? Any suggestions?

 

[Anonymous]

How old is He? What type of diet is He on?

I suspect founder.

This can be helped by limiting his diet in protein. I would have his hooves trimmed, then reevalute in 45-60 days after he has had the diet change. Some cow families do not do as well on hot feed rations and are prone to founder, rotation of the bones in the hoof causing sever/acute lameness, which after time can be healed in cattle, not so in horses but cattle are very resillient in this matter. I would also add a hoof suppliment (Biotin) to his new diet and some MSM, this will speed his hoop growth and reduce inflamation, also if you have the means to restrict his movement, small pen or stall for at least 45 days, this will help a lot. Show animals on hot rations will often founder, and many times it goes un-noticed as the animals are kept up and limitted to their movement, but when the hooves are trimed you will see a red line in the hoof wall, which indicates founder, or sever sole bruising. Good luck with your bull, hope it is nothing serious.

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[Anonymous]

> How old is He? What type of diet
> is He on?

> I suspect founder.

> This can be helped by limiting his
> diet in protein. I would have his
> hooves trimmed, then reevalute in
> 45-60 days after he has had the
> diet change. Some cow families do
> not do as well on hot feed rations
> and are prone to founder, rotation
> of the bones in the hoof causing
> sever/acute lameness, which after
> time can be healed in cattle, not
> so in horses but cattle are very
> resillient in this matter. I would
> also add a hoof suppliment
> (Biotin) to his new diet and some
> MSM, this will speed his hoop
> growth and reduce inflamation,
> also if you have the means to
> restrict his movement, small pen
> or stall for at least 45 days,
> this will help a lot. Show animals
> on hot rations will often founder,
> and many times it goes un-noticed
> as the animals are kept up and
> limitted to their movement, but
> when the hooves are trimed you
> will see a red line in the hoof
> wall, which indicates founder, or
> sever sole bruising. Good luck
> with your bull, hope it is nothing
> serious.

Thank you Michelle, He is only four years old and the only change in his diet is that we have put him out on pasture. We are planning on bringing him back in to limit his movement. Are there any medicines you know of to give a foundered cow or bull? Thanks

 

[Anonymous]

OK, I don't know what his weight is, but you can give him a loading dose of bute (phenalbutasone), 15 1 gram tablets ground to a fine pouder in sweet feed, then continue 2 grams per day for another 8-10 days, bute can cause gastric ulcers, so only keep him on it for a limmited time, and if he apears sound, discontinue and observe off meds for three or more days. What I have found worked well for me when I had a bull that had a leg and hoof injury was, confinement, high forage diet with supplement of 4 lbs sweet feed 10% protein (horse and mule), 1.5 grams bute (8 days) with MSM, Biotin Crumbles, ground flax seed, wheat germ oil, bull recovered in 50 days, trimmed feet and was like new, with a very glossy hair coat. Pain in the butt, but worked very well. Fed the ration 2x day (bute only 1X). Your bull probably just got warmed up on lush grass, or landed wrong after breeding and stressed a tendon or ligament, which will also be helped with the above mention diet. Let me know how it turns out.

Michelle

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