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2 day old calf with leg problems
My neighbor has a 2 day old heifer calf that he's been feeding my goat milk to because the baby can not stand to nurse from momma, and momma's not producing much.
I saw her today, and the legs look normal... nothing is broken from what I can tell... and she's large and lively, wanting to get up so badly, and eating well. It's only the front legs and they are bent like as if she were just laying on the ground, but the tendons are SOOOO tight to the touch. Would it be possible to splint the legs slowly to straighten them out? What recommendations are there for this situation... it's a beautiful lively heifer... hate to see it be put down. |
We use an ace bandage or leg wrap.
We've picked up a couple of calves cheap because of this problem. With a little time and care the problem normally goes away. |
Well.... he gave her to us!!!! My first cow... so I guess we're doing the leg straightening and bottle feeding! O_O
Oh dear... where do I go to read up on having a first cow (and a baby at that?) |
what breed is she :D
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Yeah if she is a big calf then the tendon wouldn't have been able to form properly inside the cow. Good luck with her, I'm sure she will be ok.
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The calf may have a selenium def. problem. If you can get some Bose or Muse it may help. I give 1cc of Bose to calves that are unable to stand or have contracted tendons. Works great for me. Also the more she can stand with help the better off she will be.
B Adams |
Thanks all!!! I have some BoSe (we have goats) so we have that stuff... Glad to know I can use it in this situation too!
Her mother is a red limousine cross to something, but the owner said it wasn't an angus in her (he couldn't remember the name but it was another beef breed) and the father is full Angus. She is totally black with just a little white on her udder area... very shiny and cute. I hope she gets through this!!! I was thinking, if she makes it through.. I will later see if I can breed her to a dairy breed and get a dual purpose later. ^_^ Just a thought. When I get her home I'll post pictures! |
Sounds like Selenium Def. to me as well. Get the mother a salt lick with fortified minerals plus selenium. That way when the calf recovers, it will get it's minerals in the mothers milk.
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I've got my goat's on Onyx Now cow mineral, and she's been getting their milk. I didn't get the mother with her...
I gave her BoSe this morning, and one of her legs is already coming undone. We are going to make a sling for her, to get her on her back legs... I don't think they've had a chance to get strong yet and I want her to start to feel them. Just my thoughts... |
I had a foal once who had a similar problem. I had around $3,000 into him when he hit the ground so I kind of freaked out when one of his front leg would not straighten up. The vet came out, picked it up and stretched it as hard as he could. So 4 or 5 times a day I went out and pulled it as straight as I could, and viola, in a few days, he was straight as an arrow. Now, mind, he was a draft cross and weighed 250 pounds at birth, so I could give it all I had and still not equal the amount of pressure he could put on it jumping and playing. It was hard to get myself to really pull on it the way I needed to, so don’t be to shy! I would guess she'll be right as rain in a few days.
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Read up on the "raising sale barn calves" sticky, it'll give you a lot of info, too. Congrats on the heifer, sounds like you've hit on what the problem was, good luck with her. We'll want to see pictures.............
P.J. |
No advice for you, just wishing you good luck with her. :)
Jennifer |
Thanks all! I just sent my DD out there to take pics... DH is out there now trying to figure out the sling.
I never knew cow's could cry?????? I almost cried seeing that happen when I pulled on her legs a bit... made me quit. I was also afraid of ripping a tendon or something. She is getting better though.. her legs are actually moving a bit instead of feeling like two solid strung up rocks! |
Pics!
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You won't be able to rip the tendon, but it will hurt her. Just keep doing it gradually and it should be enough. Poor girl, she's pretty thou.
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Your calf has Congenital Flexed Pasterns. In the severe form the legs will never straighten but in the mild form recovery is fairly rapid. If your calf is trying to move her legs the chances are that they will come right on their own.
A word of advice though, if they don't, euthanase her. I once kept a bull calf with CFP in one leg that never straightened and he did ok and lived to be 13 years of age as well as sireing some very nice calves. However, had it affected both his legs, keeping him alive wouldn't have been an option because even if he could have got about he would have worn his legs through to the bone and it would have pushed the rest of his body out of kilter. As it was, he had to be put down because his unnatural stance meant that in the end his chest was pushed in and it affected his breathing badly as he got older and heavier. On the positive side, I had a triplet lamb born with the same problem in all four legs. He couldn't feed so I put him on the bottle and spent hours with him flexing his legs and standing him up. His front legs came right first, followed by the back but it was over a month before he could totter around on his own. He is now a great big lump of 4 year old lard with perfectly straight legs. I wish you well and somehow feel positive that your calf will come right. I hope I'm right. Cheers, Ronnie |
I am convinced the calf will get OK if she is attempting to move the legs. I have not done the following but I have seen it done. Take a length of thin wall PVC pipe called DWV pvc 4 inch diameter that can be bought cheap at Lowe's. Using a circular saw split the pipe in half length ways. Cut the pipe to where it is long enough to reach about 6 inches about the knee. Place the animals leg with the back of the knee side in the 1/2 PVC curved piece starting at the foot. Straighten the leg as much as it will straighten and wrap the leg and PVC cast every six to eight inches with duct tape. The legs will gradually straighten and you will have to rewrap frequently always taking the slack out forcing the legs to continue to relax conforming to the cast. If this is unclear ask for more details.
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Many areas of the country are deficient in Selenium. I agree with an earlier post that the calf may have a Selenium deficiency. However, I wouldn't wait for the cow to pass the Selenium from a salt block thru her milk and on to the calf.
I'd give the calf an injection of Selenium. |
100% right haypoint, I was assuming that was already done.
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The calf is doing better, but her legs are still not straight yet. Hubby's working on her still...
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ok can it stand up? i had 3 in the past 3 months i got for free cause of there legs messed up.
the first 2 i just keep them on milk replacer and a small pen so they couldnt run around much just enough to walk around and get some weight on them. they healed in a month this 3rd one i got is being a pain he is 2 months old and still has a messed up legs. now after a month and he wasnt doing it on his own we stepped in found out whats cheap and works good a pcv pipe little bigger around than his leg cut it in half and make it go up to about his knee wrap the pipe in a sock then tape one end to the leg in 2 lows of duck tape then put the other side on and do the same thing then do that to the other leg it will make then keep there leg stright and it dont hurt them but only keep it on for 4-6 days one leg on mine worked the other one is still messed up so i used this wrap stuff and that kinda is working a little but not really his other leg is gonna get the pipe again ill take pics of him but remember mine is not like 2 months 2 weeks and is not as bad as when i first got him |
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