Lumps on bullock

L1985

Hey guys just looking for bit of advice. One of our bullocks on Sunday had a lump on his neck it was oozing puss so we lanced it a bit and got out as much as we could. Same on Monday and injected him with antibiotics. Doesn't seem anything else wrong with him he's eating chewing the cud etc.The lumps hard and theirs a lot of stuff on it.the cattle were out in the field so don't know if he got a bang or anything. Then this evening we noticed he has a second lump on the other side of his neck. We have been up to our eyes the last 2days with hay etc I think we will get the vet tomorrow evening but any ideas or just get the vet?

Kovu

Sounds like abscess's alright, they need to be thoroughly lanced and flushed out with iodine, I'd be getting the vet out to do them. It's a gunky job :pac: How hard is the second one? They need to be a sort of soft before they can be properly done, it's like trying to squash a spot before it comes to a head if they're rock hard and you're trying to lance it.
Was he injected in the neck at all in the last while? Or is he prone to eating in the hedges, blackthorn prods could be a cause either.

L1985

Yeah he was injected for copper a week and a half ago-opposite side to first lump thou but he's a lump on each side now and he's been in the yard since we saw it.its not v soft I'll be honest didn't get a chance to look at him yesterday as was at hay and saw the second one today. Well what we already got out was disgusting enough so I think it's one for the vet.we originally thought he got a prod of a thorn but the second one has us more worried now. He's chewing the cud away thou.

L1985

Hey kovu thanks for coming back to me it was the copper injection.dont know why he had a reaction to it thou we injection 20at the Same time vet came and lanced them anyway and I'm keepin an eye on the others.i think might use buckets in future!!

patsy_mccabe

L1985 wrote: »

Hey kovu thanks for coming back to me it was the copper injection.dont know why he had a reaction to it thou we injection 20at the Same time vet came and lanced them anyway and I'm keepin an eye on the others.i think might use buckets in future!!

Did you pull the skin to one side when you injected. That stops the hole on the skin from lining up with the injection in the muscle so helps stop infection.

I had a heifer with the same swelling as yours a few years back. I remember at the time she was giddy so she was the only one that I didn't pull the skin on. She was the only one too that got a big lump.

L1985

The original lump wasn't actually even on the same side as the injection site.thats why I thought they wernt related.he came out in a second lump then which was on the same side but a bit lower then where we usually inject (Obv couldn't be 100%sure as he's a bit skittish) now I wasn't here when the vet came but he just said to dad it was a reaction to the copper but I would have liked to have known why he had it. Most of our animals this year are low in copper so it's something we have to look at as well!

greysides

Copper is an irritant injection. Hence why it's best avoided in cows early in pregnancy. Some animals react more to it. Maybe there was some degree of infection also.

L1985

Ah that clears that up a bit for me-thanks greysides.

larrymiller

greysides wrote: »

Copper is an irritant injection. Hence why it's best avoided in cows early in pregnancy. Some animals react more to it. Maybe there was some degree of infection also.

Black leg the same?

greysides

larrymiller wrote: »

Black leg the same?

Yup. Nasty but necessary injection. Teagasc have recommended the copper advice for some time. I can't recall the vaccine manufacturers advice but it stands to reason it would be similar.

larrymiller

greysides wrote: »

Yup. Nasty but necessary injection. Teagasc have recommended the copper advice for some time. I can't recall the vaccine manufacturers advice but it stands to reason it would be similar.

What's recommended for the lumps after the black leg? Just time or more?

greysides

They should go away with time.

ganmo

greysides wrote: »

Copper is an irritant injection. Hence why it's best avoided in cows early in pregnancy. Some animals react more to it. Maybe there was some degree of infection also.

we inject ewes with copper late preg(to stop swayback in lambs)...never noticed any infection or adverse effects