week old calf buckling at front knees

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angus9259

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Week old calf. Looks like they do when they are born real big and need some time to stretch their knees except he had no issues at birth but seems to be getting worse now. Of course I always suspect joint ill but the knees don't seem swollen or hot and there's no sign of naval infection at all. Gonna treat for joint ill all the same I reckon just in case but any other thoughts? He had 2 cc of bose at birth.
 
Yeah - seems weak in both knees.

Odd thing is, he can run like a deer. just can't stand and seems like his knees want to buckle when he walks slow or stands, but don't figure on catching him without a bunch of gates!
 
Just read an article on steer planet where folks were arguing between contracted tendons and joint ill. The original poster never mentioned if the calf in that thread had the issue from birth (contracted tendons) or it developed over time (joint ill). It looks 100% like contracted tendons, but, as I mentioned, I really didn't notice it that much at birth and it seems to be growing over time so I'm leaning toward joint ill - even though there's no evidence in the naval.

My vet suggested some la 200 and vit b. so he just got those - but said it's hard to know for sure - but, as we all know, if you don't get joint ill early it's a tough battle back...
 
I had a heifer this year that seemed fine at birth, then got worse, then better again.. I've seen it happen a few times where right after birth they seem fine but the next day you notice it.. They usually get tired more quickly. I had one that had it pretty bad, he was a huge steer, and you'd see him get tired, and he wanted to keep playing or at least standing soooo badly, but just slowly, like leaky hydraulics, he'd start to go down, so he's shift to the other leg, and finally he'd just plop himself down where ever he was and rest for 10 minutes or so

an hour old


one of those "plop" moments


2 weeks old, seems better now
 
Well, 24 hours after a dose of la 200 and b vitamins, the calf is a new man. The vet was off yesterday so didn't get to specifically talk to him but need to find out what he thought he was treating because he was right. I still semi - suspect joint ill but the doc told me not to repeat the la 200 and just repeat the b vitamins. I'm tempted to repeat the la 200 tomorrow anyway (it was given sub q so lasts 48 hrs) just it case it was joint ill related.
 
He probably told you to hold off because if it is joint ill it is going to talk a very prolonged strong treatment plan to clear it up.
 

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