Cow with sore feet, need advice ASAP

[agmantoo]

If she is on concrete take her off of it!

[willow_girl]

She is home now ... yup, seems to be able to walk a lot better on dirt than on concrete that's for sure!

The barn has a concrete floor but it's pretty deeply bedded, and she will be able to go in or out (into pasture) whenever she wants.

She is adjusting well to the other cows (I swear Twister remembers her!) and seems to be resting comfortably at the moment.

I am going to give her Excenel tonight, follow up with penicillin.

A friend on another board recommended soaking her feet in a solution of Dreft and hot water ... will be trying that tomorrow!

[evermoor]

Pick up the foot, front one right? Push with something hard ( hoof pick, Hoof knife, screwdriver) See if there is a soft or excessively tender area. Usually the inside toe. Generally scrape out the sole with hoof knife ( sharp knives make this easier) A little blood is OK, but don't go to deep esp the heel region Any black area has damage, look for the soft or black region and see if you hit some gross liquid ( abscense), otherwise along the white line could have packed gravel from sand in freestalls. Do a google on hooftrimming cattle. Otherwise try laminits, acidosis, whiteliiine disease. Generally dirt and grass is best for the tender girl

[willow_girl]

Thanks again guys!

I had the vet out, as it turned out she had an abcess on the heel of her sore foot. He drained, packed and wrapped it. She'll be on penicillin for the next 3 days. He didn't think the infection had gotten into the tendon yet, so she should be OK.

Poor girl, she has been through the wringer! Hopefully things will start getting better for her soon!

[willow_girl]

Thanks again guys!!! Turns out she had an abcess on her front foot, it has been drained, packed and wrapped. She will be on penicillin for a couple more days (no milk for me! ) but she's already lookin' better. Hopefully she'll forgive me for my part in her bondage and torture, LOL.

I am soooooo relieved ... with any luck, this old girl will have a few years of peaceful retirement left in front of her.

Teeny was pushing her around (she is so boisterous!) so I locked her and her calf in the barnyard and she has been bellowing for 24 hours straight! My husband has been working in the barn and she's about driving him nuts! Soooo spoiled she is! BTW, I had the vet take a peek at Boo, and he confirmed he is indeed a whopping monster of a calf for only 3 months old. Whenever I hear that Keith Anderson song, "Double XL," I think of Boo.