well, i've had my herd of 17 for 3 weeks now and it's been stressful...a calf with an abcessed foot, cowboy had to come and rope him twice to get him to the vet and then to give him more meds, (working pen being built) now have 3-4 big cows limping around...i just don't think i could be so unlucky as to have them all stepping on something...2 had long toes that were trimmed and have been fine, but now it seems that others are getting gimpy...any thoughts? I am giving them 3 oz per head of aeromycin crumbles in their feed...per vet suggestion...if that doesn't work, i guess i'll have to haul the big gals in in a week or so...am i just jinxed or does someone have some insight...
what is foot rot and what are the s&&?
- Thread starter fishgirl4
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just the rear, and just one, i can't really see if their hooves are spread, but i don't think they are, there might be a little bit of swelling in the ankles compared to the other back legs. i am hoping that it is footrot, in that it is fairly "curable" if you catch it early, but then i just read that footrot is responsible for only twenty percent of lameness...i just hate to see them limping around, they look pitiful, and i have had many sleepness nights worried about my gals...i obviously want to be humane , and i don't know how long to go before hauling them to the vet, its not like taking a cat, i don't want to haul a 1/2 ton animal to the vet every week but i also dont' want this to progress...
i had a neighbor who had the same problem always one or more limping. i hauled half of them to the vet for foot rot. vet suggested loose minierals high in magnesium,because the pasture was deficient in minerals. you have to build up hoof walls, they get cracks and allow bacteria to get in. take lime and put around barn & loafing shed and around feeders, to kill bacteria. i used the crumbles for all of them to get rid of symptoms or give a shot to those that are limping. it worked on those cows. i bought them and haven't had problems since.
smallrancher
Well-known member
I would suggest a regimen of Naxcel and Banamine. Not sure on the dosage, it's been awhile.
I'm not a fan of Banamine, but with Excenel within 12 hours ynless the footrot is really really bad, they're back to normal. Sometimes I get to thinking that them laying around more because it hurts helps them to heal better then if the pain is taken away with Banaminesmallrancher":25xo1g1z said:
I think minerals will help them build up stronger hoof walls. When we first brought home our 1st calf heifers, we had lots of foot problems that first year. Always seemed to be treating w/antibiotics and banamine!! But since we keep good mineral out, well, the last time our vet was out to trim hooves, he was amazed how hard their feet were, and haven't had problems...knock on wood Of course, if you see any type of trash in the pasture, pick it up, just in case
I have some advice that would have helped, but since you don't have working facilities it would mean hauling them all to the vet or to the nearest working facilities.
The first priority now is to get those with lame feet treated ASAP and to finish your working facilities as the cost of hauling every minor thing to the vet would very soon pay for the working facilities.
The first priority now is to get those with lame feet treated ASAP and to finish your working facilities as the cost of hauling every minor thing to the vet would very soon pay for the working facilities.
dun":abc9fxap said:
I would only use Banamine if one won't get up from the pain. With that many limping, it's probably foot rot. The crumbles will have little effect IMO. The only thing that's worked for me is what Dun says here. Excenel or Nuflor sub Q in the neck. Make sure you go sub Q or you'll have to give another dose in 3 days which you can't afford to do w/o working facilities.
Foot problems-I tend to over react, but if I see one even "whispering" a limp, we treat. Our heifers had been over fed grain by the breeder when we brought them home, many had overgrown toes. Our vet has trimmed several to get them "back on their feet" properly, and that helped alot. Only when neccesary, but worth the trouble. One was especially sore once. He came out and really cut her back. Never found an abcess, thorn, stone or anything. But she cleared right up after that. didn't even give antibiotic-. IMO, it pays to see if anything is in there, besides foot rot.
sorry, what does IMO stand for? i am supposed to have my pen started on in a few days...one more question...the working chute is supposed to be only 26 inches wide? (plus 2 for exotics...my cows won't squeeze thru that...and i think it is too complicated for my guy to do the modified V chute...should i make it 30 inches? i can't afford to screw this up, and all the literature says 26 plus 2, my cows are angus/gert , some due to calve in january and just looking at their backside 28 inches ain't gonna work..lb
fishgirl4":39yfl4x7 said:
IMO - in my opinion
Go with 28", that will work for most cows worldwide. You'll be surprised how easily they'll move down the 28" wide alley. The whole purpose is to force them down the alley, if its too wide calves will continually try to turn around causing a big pain in the hiney.
fishgirl4":27zeyimt said:
Where are your water tanks? In the pens, or in a pasture? Do you allow them to run over? Do you keep the weeds mowed around them? Your avatar does not list your location but, even this time of year, foot rot can easily be caused in southern locations by overflowing water tanks that are surrounded by weeds. The wet ground allows bacteria to grow, and the weeds cause scratches/gouges between the toes thus allowing the bacteria to penetrate the hoof. What about your pastures, do they have junk in them? Have you washed off the feet of these animals to see if they have something lodged between their toes, or stuck in their foot? I would start with these things, and go from there.
baxter78":35soyoq9 said:
It suppresses the immune system, too.[/quote]
So do antibiotics, so do vaccines so you cant always have ya cake and eat it to. However, if you are doctoring with antibiotics and using dex or banamine the immune system is already suppressed anyways so there ya go.[/quote]
Whatever you think.
Dex is actually NOT a naturally occuring hormone... it's a synthetically produced corticosteriod, and if I remember the numbers correctly, it is 25 times stronger than anything the body produces naturally.
hopalong
Well-known member
baxter78":1331avzk said:
That is what you used to say when you were TTCLM et all
