Calf with weak front legs

Madden171 · 10-12-2013 7:36pm #1

Hi
I have a week old calf which was taken my section, his front leg are quite weak as he walks with his front legs turned in and only walks a bit then has to lie down, do you think this is due by the traumatic birth and is there any thing I can do
Thanks.

jersey101 · 10-12-2013 7:41pm

Madden171 wrote: »

Hi
I have a week old calf which was taken my section, his front leg are quite weak as he walks with his front legs turned in and only walks a bit then has to lie down, do you think this is due by the traumatic birth and is there any thing I can do
Thanks.

does he have a tempeture?

Zr105 · 10-12-2013 7:42pm

Think i remember dad saying that 1 of the vets here used to say get a calf like that out on the concrete, straw bedding was to easy on the knees, concrete was sore and forced them to try...

But id say it would depend how weak your talking...

Bizzum · 10-12-2013 8:14pm

Saw it plenty of times with big CH calves. Knuckling over.
There are links to Selenium deficiency I seem to remember.
Physical manipulation of the joint a few times a day will help, and I'd expect him to be getting better every day.
I only saw one calf that didn't come right, generally a few days sorted them out.
He needs to be kept up and drinking, you don't want the added complication of a weak calf as well.
There is a high Selenium paste that can be got too, it may help.

Edit: Having reread your post OP, I misread it the first time, is it the calf is Knuckling over on the feet or the whole legs at issue? Was the calf like this from day one? Is there any swelling of the joints?

fredweena · 10-12-2013 8:31pm

Should come right with time. I wouldn't put him on concrete, if he's a bit behind it won't help and could cause more problems.

Madden171 · 10-12-2013 9:24pm

He was jacked at first before being sectioned so he may of pulled muscles in his legs have him out in a field with cow, so I'm hoping he improves soon

jersey101 · 10-12-2013 9:33pm

Madden171 wrote: »

He was jacked at first before being sectioned so he may of pulled muscles in his legs have him out in a field with cow, so I'm hoping he improves soon

ye you may give him something to heal his muscles. Their strained

Midlandsman80 · 10-12-2013 9:39pm

Not long ago somone had a pic Up here of a calf proped Up on an oil drum to help him suck as he was bad of front legs, as far as i can remember he turned out a cracker so all not lost...

Richk2012 · 10-12-2013 9:44pm

What would you give him to heal his muscles

?????

Maybe Epsom salts but I wouldn't imagine it be required..

If he was sectioned chances are he is a big brute .
And just to heavy to hold himself up for long .
Often had big blue calves that are only getting properly mobile and moving properly at 2 weeks.
Leave him as is and make sure he is getting under the cow properly.
Don't put him on concrete either .

jersey101 · 10-12-2013 9:50pm

Richk2012 wrote: »

What would you give him to heal his muscles ?????

Maybe Epsom salts but I wouldn't imagine it be required..

If he was sectioned chances are he is a big brute .
And just to heavy to hold himself up for long .
Often had big blue calves that are only getting properly mobile and moving properly at 2 weeks.
Leave him as is and make sure he is getting under the cow properly.
Don't put him on concrete either .

had a heifer calf in september that i pulled the muscles in its back legs from being jacked backwards. Gave her croynoxin. Got her going

Richk2012 · 10-12-2013 10:03pm

jersey101 wrote: »

had a heifer calf in september that i pulled the muscles in its back legs from being jacked backwards. Gave her croynoxin. Got her going

Never heard of that stuff ..
Painkiller ?????

Just going by what were told here though the calf was delivered by section so I wouldn't imagine there was enough pulling to be done to damage his legs .
Its not like he was caught at the hips and pulled and stretched hard.

tismesoitis · 10-12-2013 10:06pm

Had one like this only last week 2 shots of a multi vit from the vet sorted it!

jersey101 · 10-12-2013 10:08pm

Richk2012 wrote: »

Never heard of that stuff ..
Painkiller ?????

Just going by what were told here though the calf was delivered by section so I wouldn't imagine there was enough pulling to be done to damage his legs .
Its not like he was caught at the hips and pulled and stretched hard.

couldnt tell ye, had it from when we had a cow with pneamonia. Vet told us to use it

J.O. Farmer · 10-12-2013 10:21pm

jersey101 wrote: »

had a heifer calf in september that i pulled the muscles in its back legs from being jacked backwards. Gave her croynoxin. Got her going

It's an anti inflammatory (flunixin). It's sometimes used in combination with an antibiotic oxytetracycline to treat infections (hexasol is oxytet-flunixin)

jersey101 · 10-12-2013 10:23pm

J.O. Farmer wrote: »

It's an anti inflammatory (flunixin). It's sometimes used in combination with an antibiotic oxytetracycline to treat infections (hexasol is oxytet-flunixin)

there ye go ha know nothing about medican. Will pick it up in a few years hopefully

Bizzum · 10-12-2013 10:30pm

Anyone other than me worried it may be joint ill?

And if it is tomorrow could be too late to be calling a vet?

J.O. Farmer · 10-12-2013 10:34pm

If I understand correctly the calf has been like that since birth. Joint ill would be an infection picked up by the navel after birth wouldn't it.

jersey101 · 10-12-2013 10:34pm

Bizzum wrote: »

Anyone other than me worried it may be joint ill?

And if it is tomorrow could be too late to be calling a vet?

ah i wouldnt say its too late. I had a calf this week with joint ill, he had it for a week before i noticed it. Got vetrimoxin off vet on saturday and calf is on top of the moon tonight. Couldn't catch the fcuker in the pen

Bizzum · 10-12-2013 10:39pm

jersey101 wrote: »

ah i wouldnt say its too late. I had a calf this week with joint ill, he had it for a week before i noticed it. Got vetrimoxin off vet on saturday and calf is on top of the moon tonight. Couldn't catch the fcuker in the pen

Keep treating him. I've seen calves look cured and then relapse.

jersey101 · 10-12-2013 10:41pm

Bizzum wrote: »

Keep treating him. I've seen calves look cured and then relapse.

ye i was thinking that alright, vet said 5 days will do but will keep on till saturday id say

Bizzum · 10-12-2013 10:46pm

jersey101 wrote: »

ye i was thinking that alright, vet said 5 days will do but will keep on till saturday id say

I realise I was a little ott saying tomorrow could be too late for OPs calf, you're right there but I'd sooner be treating an ailment early rather than let it get a grip.

redzerologhlen · 10-12-2013 10:47pm

Bizzum wrote: »

Keep treating him. I've seen calves look cured and then relapse.

+1, a neighbour laughed at me earlier in the year when he had his first case of it and I said you'll have a job to bring him out of it. He ended up getting 100 quid for him at six months old. He looked to be cured after the first round of treatment but relapsed and got a lot worse. It's a fecker of a thing.

jersey101 · 10-12-2013 10:50pm

redzerologhlen wrote: »

+1, a neighbour laughed at me earlier in the year when he had his first case of it and I said you'll have a job to bring him out of it. He ended up getting 100 quid for him at six months old. He looked to be cured after the first round of treatment but relapsed and got a lot worse. It's a fecker of a thing.

how long should i keep him on it. Ill be selling this calf as soon as he's cured dont want anyone to loose an animal over something i didnt do right when i had it

J.O. Farmer · 10-12-2013 10:51pm

jersey101 wrote: »

ye i was thinking that alright, vet said 5 days will do but will keep on till saturday id say

It's safer to finish the course of antibiotics. The first dose or 2 will kill off the weakest part of the infection and the animal will seem better. If you stop the antibiotics then the most resistant bacteria in the infection will remain and multiply resulting in a harder infection to kill.
I know you are keeping up the treatment I'm just explaining the reason why it needs to be done.

jersey101 · 10-12-2013 10:54pm

J.O. Farmer wrote: »

It's safer to finish the course of antibiotics. The first dose or 2 will kill off the weakest part of the infection and the animal will seem better. If you stop the antibiotics then the most resistant bacteria in the infection will remain and multiply resulting in a harder infection to kill.
I know you are keeping up the treatment I'm just explaining the reason why it needs to be done.

grand job, 7 days enough so?

J.O. Farmer · 10-12-2013 10:54pm

jersey101 wrote: »

how long should i keep him on it. Ill be selling this calf as soon as he's cured dont want anyone to loose an animal over something i didnt do right when i had it

5 days should be enough. Generally I would say at least 3 days for any antibiotic unless it's a long acting formulation.

Bodacious · 10-12-2013 11:49pm

J.O. Farmer wrote: »

It's safer to finish the course of antibiotics. The first dose or 2 will kill off the weakest part of the infection and the animal will seem better. If you stop the antibiotics then the most resistant bacteria in the infection will remain and multiply resulting in a harder infection to kill.
I know you are keeping up the treatment I'm just explaining the reason why it needs to be done.

+1

great way of explaining it, fair play

Calf with weak front legs

Comments