Calf with Joint Infection?

llamaqueen · #1 04/18/07, 07:05 PM

A little about this little guy. I have had him a little over 3 weeks and he was 3 or 4 days old when I got him. His mom had mastitis really bad and the owners brought him to me to raise. He is a beef cross (piedmontese and ?). He is doing very well. Has a healthy appetite; nibbles on grass when I let him out (when it is nice enough to!), eats a little grain, and nibbles on some hay. Not long after I got him I noticed that his right front leg was a little swollen around his knee. He's in a pen that has a concrete floor (all the pens in our barn have concrete) and is on straw. He was still a little unsteady when I got him so I thought he might have hurt it just in his pen. It was swollen for a few days and a little stiff, but then went away. When I turned him out yesterday I noticed that it was swollen again. Today, it was even bigger. He does walk on it (even bounced and played when I turned him out today). It is a little stiff when he walks on it though.

I'm thinking a possible joint infection??? His naval was infected when I got him (treated him with Penicillin and it got better). Any ideas???? Any ideas about how to treat it if it is a swollen joint? Thanks for the help!

tinknal · #2 04/18/07, 09:32 PM

I'd almost guarantee it is a navel infection. Get him back on antibiotics pronto!

jerzeygurl · #3 04/18/07, 09:47 PM

IF its a joint infection it will be 3 weeks of oral and injectable antibiotics 2 times a day...we just finished up treating one... she still has slight limp but gets arround good.

hers was from a cut that healed but apparantly went into joint even though we cleaned it well and often

i dont know the symptoms associated with the navel infection, but if he has had a problem in the past maybe related.

either way needs antibiotics

llamaqueen · #4 04/18/07, 09:50 PM

The naval infection has cleared up. It is no longer HUGE and painful for him. I was wondering though if it could have traveled to his joints since it was so bad? I worked at a dairy last summer raising calves and treated a few joint infections....some MUCH worse than this. I can't remember the name of the drug they used....seems like it was for chickens too. It came in a powder form that I had to add water to. They used it for ear and joint infections. Do you think Penicillin will be strong enough or should I try to get a hold of something stronger? Thanks!

Ken Scharabok · #5 04/19/07, 03:52 AM

Call your vet. Can't remember name of what you are referring to, but, yes, it was also put in water for chickens.

john in la · #6 04/19/07, 04:03 AM

Sure sounds like a case of navel ill. Navel ill is a infection that gains entry threw the navel cord and causes a hard swelling in the belly and/or swollen leg joints. Usually the front leg knees.
Any calves that are keep in stalls or confined areas should have their navel cord dipped with disinfected at birth for this reason. Calves born and raised with the mom on clean pasture do not really require it.

I usually just sell off any calves I happen to get with navel ill because it reduces their commercial value so much so I really can not recommend a treatment. Home owner cows can be treated and they do OK but are really never 100% again in my mind.

I would call a vet asap and ask what he recommends to treat it. He should definitely recommend something much stronger than penicillin.

francismilker · #7 04/19/07, 09:04 PM

I have used "liquamycin" added into my animals' water for this as well as "excimil" in the muscle twice daily for navel ill. I agree with john, it's kind of a pain to get rid of. I do think that it's worth working for since he was given to you. If your planning on putting him in the freezer someday, the longterm effects of his infections shouldn't affect you much unless the joint problems esculate into something that prohibits him from traveling around the pasture to eat.