Lame calves

ALANC81

Lads we have two calves that we dehorned last week and let out a couple of days later. Now I don't know if the dehorning has anything to do with it but both calves are a bit disorientated and both are lame on there front left legs. Has anyone seen anything like this before? What could be wrong? We're getting them in first thing in the morning to have a better look it was to dark to get them in tonight.

Kovu

Were they done in the crush? Wonder would they have struggled in it and hurt themselves off the side.
Highly doubt the dehorning has anything to do with it.

ALANC81

No they didn't get hurt in the crush they have been running and buck leaping around for the past few days. I dunno I'm puzzled because they both have the same symptoms and on the same day. I'd say it will be a vet job in the morning but was wondering did anyone come across it before.

Grueller

Is the knee swollen? Hardly joint ill. Have you checkes for a swollen navel?

ALANC81

There knees are not swollen but it still could be joint ill. We haven't checked there naval's yet as we won't get a hand on them till the morning. The bit that has me puzzled is there both disorientated.

Grueller

ALANC81 wrote: »

There knees are not swollen but it still could be joint ill. We haven't checked there naval's yet as we won't get a hand on them till the morning. The bit that has me puzzled is there both disorientated.

Best of luck with them.

Brown Podzol

Had a few cases of B1 deficiency over the years , usually after changing diet. A description below.

THIAMINE (VITAMIN B1) DEFICIENCY IN CALVES
Vitamin B1 deficiency is a relatively common nervous disease in young cattle, sheep and goats resulting in various degrees of brain damage. It usually occurs in individual animals but can occur in outbreaks. The disease is difficult to prevent but early diagnosis and treatment is often successful.
Calves at 4-9 months of age are mostly affected but occasionally the disease is diagnosed in adult cattle.
Signs In the early stages calves will show poor appetite, staggery gaits, often separate from other calves. They walk with their heads erect, - ‘Star Gaze’ and appear blind. Untreated cases can progress to complete blindness with head pressing, recumbancy, muscle tremors, progressing to convulsion and death within 2-3 days.
Similar signs can be seen with other nervous diseases such as ryegrass staggers, listeriosis, lead and salt poisoning.
Causes
1. Sudden dietary change (short grass to mature pasture).
2. High meal intakes causing excessive rumen breakdown of Vit B1
by rumenal bacteria.
3. High sulphur diets often with sulphur fertilizer applications.
4. Cobalt and copper dietary deficiencies.
Treatment requires repeated injections of Vitamin B1 (Duoject administered 2-3 times daily for three days. Recovery may be slow in animals treated in the later stages of the disease.
Consult with your vet early if you observe these signs in your calves.

ALANC81

Brown Podzol wrote: »

Had a few cases of B1 deficiency over the years , usually after changing diet. A description below.

THIAMINE (VITAMIN B1) DEFICIENCY IN CALVES
Vitamin B1 deficiency is a relatively common nervous disease in young cattle, sheep and goats resulting in various degrees of brain damage. It usually occurs in individual animals but can occur in outbreaks. The disease is difficult to prevent but early diagnosis and treatment is often successful.
Calves at 4-9 months of age are mostly affected but occasionally the disease is diagnosed in adult cattle.
Signs In the early stages calves will show poor appetite, staggery gaits, often separate from other calves. They walk with their heads erect, - ‘Star Gaze’ and appear blind. Untreated cases can progress to complete blindness with head pressing, recumbancy, muscle tremors, progressing to convulsion and death within 2-3 days.
Similar signs can be seen with other nervous diseases such as ryegrass staggers, listeriosis, lead and salt poisoning.
Causes
1. Sudden dietary change (short grass to mature pasture).
2. High meal intakes causing excessive rumen breakdown of Vit B1
by rumenal bacteria.
3. High sulphur diets often with sulphur fertilizer applications.
4. Cobalt and copper dietary deficiencies.
Treatment requires repeated injections of Vitamin B1 (Duoject administered 2-3 times daily for three days. Recovery may be slow in animals treated in the later stages of the disease.
Consult with your vet early if you observe these signs in your calves.

This could well be it as both calves are away from the herd and showing those symptoms.
Thanks very much for this at least now we might have something to go on.
Vet first thing so.

Grueller

Brown Podzol wrote: »

Had a few cases of B1 deficiency over the years , usually after changing diet. A description below.

THIAMINE (VITAMIN B1) DEFICIENCY IN CALVES
Vitamin B1 deficiency is a relatively common nervous disease in young cattle, sheep and goats resulting in various degrees of brain damage. It usually occurs in individual animals but can occur in outbreaks. The disease is difficult to prevent but early diagnosis and treatment is often successful.
Calves at 4-9 months of age are mostly affected but occasionally the disease is diagnosed in adult cattle.
Signs In the early stages calves will show poor appetite, staggery gaits, often separate from other calves. They walk with their heads erect, - ‘Star Gaze’ and appear blind. Untreated cases can progress to complete blindness with head pressing, recumbancy, muscle tremors, progressing to convulsion and death within 2-3 days.
Similar signs can be seen with other nervous diseases such as ryegrass staggers, listeriosis, lead and salt poisoning.
Causes
1. Sudden dietary change (short grass to mature pasture).
2. High meal intakes causing excessive rumen breakdown of Vit B1
by rumenal bacteria.
3. High sulphur diets often with sulphur fertilizer applications.
4. Cobalt and copper dietary deficiencies.
Treatment requires repeated injections of Vitamin B1 (Duoject administered 2-3 times daily for three days. Recovery may be slow in animals treated in the later stages of the disease.
Consult with your vet early if you observe these signs in your calves.

Had this in a heifer a couple of years ago. She went temporarily blind with it. Early treatment is essential according to our vet. Let us know how you get on.

ALANC81

A bit of an update lads. We went out at first light this morning and the two calves were totally different, no lameness and back with the herd.
When we got them in and checked them over they had maggots in there heads so we cleaned them out put some Chena unction on them, some pour on and gave them an injection of penstrip. The way they were acting you'd never think of maggots.
There in the shed now where we can keep a close eye on them. Both calves are a lot brighter today so happy days.