lameness in calf

MFdaveIreland

calves grazing, fine until earlier this week and 2 of them seem to lame, one more so than the other , they were put in the field last week for the first time. calves that were in the field are fine , yet the new additions seem to be lame in some shape or other .one is 4 months another is 3 months. were getting a suck from a cow until I bought them? ive sprayed the foot in question and give a jag of betamox, still no improvement, I could be wrong but I think the front knees on one are slight swollen? any ideas of experience, much appreciated, mfdave

tanko

Joint ill could be a possiblility, are their navels swollen?
If that's the problem you'll have to inject them with something like Noroclav or Linspec for ten days to cure it.

MFdaveIreland

where does joint ill originate? vet coming this afternoon to have a look at it . navels don't appear swollen, very strange they were 100% on Monday pm and Tuesday am hardly able to walk . very strange

whelan2

aRE THEY COVERED FOR BLACKLEG? How long did you give the betamox for?

50HX

MFdaveIreland wrote: »

calves grazing, fine until earlier this week and 2 of them seem to lame, one more so than the other , they were put in the field last week for the first time. calves that were in the field are fine , yet the new additions seem to be lame in some shape or other .one is 4 months another is 3 months. were getting a suck from a cow until I bought them? ive sprayed the foot in question and give a jag of betamox, still no improvement, I could be wrong but I think the front knees on one are slight swollen? any ideas of experience, much appreciated, mfdave

put them into the crush and have a good feel all the way up the effected leg, any bubbles/lumps you have compared to a health leg may be joint ill, they might have got a touch of pneumonia if pulled from the cow and stress of moving farms

MFdaveIreland

I haven't given them anything for blackleg ? I gave them 15ml of betamox on tues pm. vet advised this should do for 3 days apparently .il mention it to vet this afternoon .

whelan2

If it is joint ill. Ten days of betamox.

blue5000

Mod note; OP we can't diagnose what's wrong with your calf on line, your vet is the best person to advise you. It could be blackleg, joint ill or something else.

From the charter

Veterinary Advice
Posts looking for advice for sick animals have been a source of concern to boards.ie for some years. The problem is that veterinary diagnosis is a learnt, professional skill so it is just not possible, or safe, to remotely diagnose an animal through an internet forum. Welfare concerns demand that animals are treated quickly and effectively. Even the best-intended lay-advice may not be sufficient and may delay seeking proper assistance. Additionally lay-advice may lead to inappropriate drug use, which increases the onset of drug-resistant strains of bacteria.

We also have to recognise that there are now legal rules governing the sale and use of animal remedies. It brings Irish farming into disrepute for these rules to be openly flouted, or for illegal activities/remedies to be suggested.

For these reasons a change is being made to the charter. We recognise that animals are not human and that there are economic aspects of treating animals that do not exist with humans. We recognise that there needs to be a forum for the discussion of animal health issues. Consequently the changes, detailed below, may be subject to change in an effort to find a workable compromise.

Animal Welfare:

It is the duty of people involved with animals in farming to properly treat and look after the animals under their care. Mention of procedures/actions/treatments that show a lack of respect for animal welfare will not be tolerated.

Offering Diagnosis:

A competent diagnosis can only be made by a vet and should not be attempted over the internet. It is permissible to recount similar cases and the diagnosis, especially if they had veterinary involvement. Readers will have to be aware of the dangers inherent in making a decision from such advices. Similarly, once an animal has been examined and treated by a vet, there is nothing to be gained by remote second-guessing.

Offering Treatment:

Discussion of over-the-counter medicines is fine. For the more day-to-day conditions treatments can be discussed, but specific (POM) antibiotics should not be prescribed. Mentioning previous similar experiences, particularly where veterinary help was sought, or suggesting supportive therapy or preventative methods is fine. For serious or uncertain conditions, suggesting a treatment is not allowed and will be subject to infraction.

Traditional Treatments:

Conventional medicines must undergo licensing and prove their safety and efficacy. A lot of treatments animals were given in the past are no longer needed, as better treatments of a higher standard are available. Safe ancillary treatments that compliment, or are part of, conventional therapy are allowed to be discussed. Treatments such as poultices, iodine, bread soda, glycerine and similar are safe for mention.

Specifically prohibited from discussion/suggestion as treatments are:

Waste/burnt oil, Creosote, Turpentine, White Spirits, Jeyes Fluid, Domestos. (this list will be amended in future)

Posts recommending such home remedies (or similar) will be removed, and repeat offenders may be infracted.



Hopefully, the result of all this will be to allow the more common ailments to be discussed as before, while preventing attempts at remote diagnosis of the more involved cases and stop the speculative medicinal suggestions.

The discussion of previous experiences is allowed unless it falls prey to other exceptions (i.e. questionable medicinal use).


For more information on animal welfare, the current legislation can be found in the following links:
Teagasc's Animal Welfare Guidelines For Beef Cattle Farms
Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine - Animal Health & Welfare



In summary:
No complicated diagnosis and No speculative prescribing.
If you wouldn't say it to a Department Veterinary Inspector or write it down in your Veterinary Remedies Record, don't post it here.

MFdaveIreland

I've spoken to the vet and he reckons Mycoplasma bovis virus causing swelling of joints. Calves aren't long bought which I find odd. Here less than a week. I've been given betamox and another lincoject for a week 6ml each

patsy_mccabe

So Doctor Google got it wrong again.

whelan2

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

So Doctor Google got it wrong again.

Did the vet actually examine the animal, I wonder?

MFdaveIreland

Vet was out in field yes. Checked joints and prescribed the two injections. Not sure how this infection came about I can only assume it was present before I bought and flared up after stress of movement? Not exactly sure to be honest.

MFdaveIreland

whelan2 wrote: »

If it is joint ill. Ten days of betamox.

The vet suspected this which may be a symptom of the mycoplasma bovis or a strain, the fact the navals weren't swollen made me think it wasn't , is this common in calves at around 3 months or so

thanks for comments from the rest of you, very helpful