Warts

lavacarancher · Dec 4, 2013

I have a bull calf about five months old who has developed what looks like warts around its mouth and eyes. Not real bad but very noticeable. This concerns me because I've never seen this in any of my cattle - ever. Is this an indication of something serious, is it communicable, is there a cure, how fast do I need to get the calf to the vet?

Thanks

dun · Dec 4, 2013

Warts are fairly common, there are a number of things you can do. Leave them alone, they'll clear up on their own, crush a couple of them with pliers, pull some of and feed them to him, pull some off and wrap them in a rag from neighbors cousins sister and bury them under the porch in a Prince Albert can. All are pretty much as effective as the other.

lavacarancher · Dec 4, 2013

Thanks, Dun. As always your insight is welcome and appreciated.

greybeard · Dec 4, 2013

Yes, they are communicable--they're caused by the highly contagious bovine papillomavirus, and no, the Prince Albert can won't work. You have to use a Rooster snuff jar.

Warts usually shrink and drop off after a few months. The spontaneous recovery has probably been the basis for the alleged effectiveness of many regimes of treatment-including several kinds of oil, toothpaste of various brands, wart pinching, or twisting off close to the base. Any of these appear to be successful if the warts regress spontaneously.

Key word being "appear" to be successful.

https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/VY/VY-58.html

Bigfoot · Dec 4, 2013

I know the common concensus now is to leave them alone. I still twist them off with pliers. I've never bought into putting them down their throat with a bolus gun.

Limomike · Dec 4, 2013

As long at they bleed somehow, then they will clear up, whether its from squeezing them with pliars, or the animal rubbing or scraping them till they bleed.